Month: March 2016

From creative placemaking to “stewardship” for future wellbeing: the anti-academic turn. #AAG2016

I admit to being rather surprised by the overwhelmingly positive response to my presentation "Place Guarding: Activist and Social Practice Art - Direct Action Against Gentrification" at the Association of American Geographers conference 2016 on 29th March.  The feedback from the paper and the recorded presentation was also very supportive. There have been a couple of…Read more From creative placemaking to “stewardship” for future wellbeing: the anti-academic turn. #AAG2016

Place Guarding: Activist & Social Practice Art – Direct Action Against Gentrification #AAG2016 PowerPoint & Filmed Presentation

I've just shared my full paper from the Association of American Geographers Conference here but I thought some people might like to see the PowerPoint with notes or rather, I would recommend, the film with me presenting my paper.  (I presented it virtually, so this is exactly as the audience saw and heard it at…Read more Place Guarding: Activist & Social Practice Art – Direct Action Against Gentrification #AAG2016 PowerPoint & Filmed Presentation

Place Guarding: Activist & Social Practice Art – Direct Action Against Gentrification Full #AAG2016 Paper

I've just presented my paper "Place Guarding: Activist and Social Practice Art - Direct Action Against Gentrification" at the Association of American Geographers Conference 2016 in San Francisco.  I wasn't there.  Made use of PowerPoint Mix!  The PowerPoint and a nicer quality MP4 version will be available here very shortly.  For now, here's my fully…Read more Place Guarding: Activist & Social Practice Art – Direct Action Against Gentrification Full #AAG2016 Paper

Participating without power: The limits of instrumentalised engagement with people & place

This is a copy of my abstract submitted for the forthcoming Creative People and Places conference entitled (unbelievably) People, Place, Power.  It was rejected.  Perhaps it was not academic enough or badly written?  Or perhaps it might have been a little challenging for some panel members?  Anyway, I stand by my words... Make a Wish,…Read more Participating without power: The limits of instrumentalised engagement with people & place

ARTLAND: Flagship arts & culture for some, catastrophic cuts for everyone else #Budget2016

http://eil.com/images/main/The+The+Heartland+109120.jpg Arts Council EnglandBeneath the old iron bridges, across the Victorian parks And all the frightened people running home before dark Past the Saturday morning cinema that lies crumbling to the ground And the piss stinking shopping center in the new side of town I've come to smell the seasons change and watch the city…Read more ARTLAND: Flagship arts & culture for some, catastrophic cuts for everyone else #Budget2016

Assemble Useful Art. Call it Socially Engaged. Everyone’s a (Turner Prize) Winner!

I’m an art historian.  A critical art historian.  Context is as important as text (artwork) to me.  Works of art, whether “art” made by “artists” or “not-art” made by “not-artists”, “fine art” or “craft” or “popular”, object- or process-based, aesthetic or anti-aesthetic, must be carefully considered for the functions they play within and their interactions…Read more Assemble Useful Art. Call it Socially Engaged. Everyone’s a (Turner Prize) Winner!