Public Art (Now) Blogger’s Report: Katie J Anderson

@KatieJoAnd writes about Futurefarmers’ Boat Oven & participation with @situationsUK

Public Art Now

By a small bakery, tucked under the bridge of Temple Meads train station stood a boat from which smoke drifted into the afternoon sky. Around it, a small crowd was gathering.

Futurefarmers fire up the boat oven outside Hart’s bakery in Bristol. Photo: Max McClure

Sometimes it is the little things that most draw our attention. In a city renowned for it’s relationship with public art, my journey to Hart’s Bakery had led me through the city centre and past various permanent works – including a giant mirror ball and the horn bridge – but I was on the search for something more subtle.

Amy Franceschini began Situation’s second Public Art (Now) Live Event by introducing us to The Flatbread Society, a project developing a public bakehouse and grain field on Oslo’s waterfront. She spoke of ancient grains, the heat of the bakehouse and the Vavilov Institute in Leningrad.* The…

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Time arts & culture put class back on their agendas?

  I’ve been tweeting a bit today about art, privilege, elitism, ‘leaders’, social practice, and more.  The great article about the dominance of privilege in the arts by Nick Cohen in The Guardian yesterday certainly spurred me on.  So did tweets by Emma Bearman and Mar Dixon.  I felt the train of discussion throughout the…Read more Time arts & culture put class back on their agendas?

‘Pilots to Practice’–reflections about an ArtWorks PHF participatory arts conference

Yesterday, 9th September 2014, I attended Pilots to Practice at BALTIC – a ArtWorks North East conference about participatory arts.  I presented a PechaKucha entitled above ground level: old as new, new as old – social practice in a post-industrial port (see my previous post below for the presentation).  I also wrote a review of…Read more ‘Pilots to Practice’–reflections about an ArtWorks PHF participatory arts conference

‘Pilots to Practice’–reflections about an ArtWorks PHF participatory arts conference

Yesterday, 9th September 2014, I attended Pilots to Practice at BALTIC – a ArtWorks North East conference about participatory arts.  I presented a PechaKucha entitled above ground level: old as new, new as old – social practice in a post-industrial port (see my previous post below for the presentation).  I also wrote a review of…Read more ‘Pilots to Practice’–reflections about an ArtWorks PHF participatory arts conference

‘above ground level’ – old as new, new as old: grassroots social practice in a post-industrial port

This is my presentation for Paul Hamlyn ArtWorks North East ‘Pilots to Practice’ conference at BALTIC.  I gave this as a PechaKucha – using a narrative performance style of delivery. It’s about dot to dot active arts’ current project, ‘above ground level’, taking place in Blyth, Northumberland. Please make sure you use notes button at…Read more ‘above ground level’ – old as new, new as old: grassroots social practice in a post-industrial port

‘above ground level’ – old as new, new as old: grassroots social practice in a post-industrial port

This is my presentation for Paul Hamlyn ArtWorks North East ‘Pilots to Practice’ conference at BALTIC.  I gave this as a PechaKucha – using a narrative performance style of delivery. It’s about dot to dot active arts’ current project, ‘above ground level’, taking place in Blyth, Northumberland. Please make sure you use notes button at…Read more ‘above ground level’ – old as new, new as old: grassroots social practice in a post-industrial port

We are socially engaged

This is a reblog of a post I wrote for #culturalvalue initiative which was first published on 2nd September 2014. This was Eleonora Belfiore’s introduction… Our regular contributor Stephen Pritchard has kindly agreed to review for The #culturalvalue initiative ‘Evaluation Survey of Artists’, a recent report by ArtWorks, one of the Paul Hamlyn’s Foundation’s Special…Read more We are socially engaged

social practice & social change – my thoughts – an unpublished interview transcript

  This blog post is a transcript of an interview that was never published.  The interviewer asked five questions.  I answered.   Can art be an effective way of bringing about social change? If so, any examples? In what ways can it improve people's lives? There are many in the arts world who believe art…Read more social practice & social change – my thoughts – an unpublished interview transcript

social practice & social change – my thoughts – an unpublished interview transcript

  This blog post is a transcript of an interview that was never published.  The interviewer asked five questions.  I answered.   Can art be an effective way of bringing about social change? If so, any examples? In what ways can it improve people's lives? There are many in the arts world who believe art…Read more social practice & social change – my thoughts – an unpublished interview transcript

Fools Gold – is #FolkestoneGold ‘participatory art’?

#FolkestoneGold.  Popular and extremely newsworthy.  People digging for little chunks of gold on the beach in Folkestone is certainly an arts marketing dream; a boon for this year’s Folkestone Triennial.  Folkestone Digs was commissioned by new Arts Council England National Portfolio Organisation Situations and produced by Berlin-based artist Michael Sailstorfer.  But what does this public…Read more Fools Gold – is #FolkestoneGold ‘participatory art’?

Fools Gold – is #FolkestoneGold ‘participatory art’?

#FolkestoneGold.  Popular and extremely newsworthy.  People digging for little chunks of gold on the beach in Folkestone is certainly an arts marketing dream; a boon for this year’s Folkestone Triennial.  Folkestone Digs was commissioned by new Arts Council England National Portfolio Organisation Situations and produced by Berlin-based artist Michael Sailstorfer.  But what does this public…Read more Fools Gold – is #FolkestoneGold ‘participatory art’?

social practice as ‘expanded field’ or ‘excluded field’

This blog post is explores elements of my doctoral research exploring the question of whether participatory art can support sustainable social change.  It’s taken from some of the writing in the introduction to my second draft literature review… Click the image above to see a database of more than 350 socially engaged arts projects.  …Read more social practice as ‘expanded field’ or ‘excluded field’

social practice as ‘expanded field’ or ‘excluded field’

This blog post is explores elements of my doctoral research exploring the question of whether participatory art can support sustainable social change.  It’s taken from some of the writing in the introduction to my second draft literature review… Click the image above to see a database of more than 350 socially engaged arts projects.  …Read more social practice as ‘expanded field’ or ‘excluded field’