This article was first published in print in Sluice Magazine and then on their website in 2017. I've decided to publish it on my website because I hope its content still resonates in 2018. It addresses issues of instrumentalism in the arts, artwashing, living creatively and cultural democracy. As I wrote in 2017, I believe "it is still possible to conceive of art as part of living creatively, as part of everyday life, as local cultural democracy, as artistic autonomy." It's time to talk about how...
Sustainable participatory art
#ParkingSpace @thestovies – some images from a great weekend in Dumfries with The Stove & @openjartweets
I was invited to talk about The New Rules Of Public Art at The Stove's Parking Space event on Friday. Stayed around for some of Saturday too... Amazing people. Great atmosphere and spirit. Nice art, films and participation. All in a disused but still open NCP multistorey car park in the heart of the Scottish…Read more #ParkingSpace @thestovies – some images from a great weekend in Dumfries with The Stove & @openjartweets
‘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
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 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’
Rethinking critical theory for our current arts & cultural situation: exploring socially engaged activism, tension & social justice
This is the second post about my work around developing my PhD research methodology. It is about trying to develop a critical theory from past and current theoretical perspectives that might apply to our present twenty-first century arts arts and cultural milieu, dominated as it undeniably is by neoliberalism, conservatism and state instrumentalism. This is…Read more Rethinking critical theory for our current arts & cultural situation: exploring socially engaged activism, tension & social justice
Radical arts activism, sustainability by renewal & social justice: refining doctoral research via critical theory towards a working hypothesis
This post is a first draft of part of my doctoral research methodology. I have been developing my thinking using a broad range of interdisciplinary approaches and theoretical perspectives that are both complementary and conflicting. This has led to the development of a research design founded on a working hypothesis that (hopefully) better expresses the…Read more Radical arts activism, sustainability by renewal & social justice: refining doctoral research via critical theory towards a working hypothesis
Second post : ‘Occupy artists take message to streets’ from BBC (via @illuminator99) # PhDResearch
Second post : 'Occupy artists take message to streets' from BBC (via @illuminator99) # PhDResearchThis link takes you to a really interesting piece by the BBC from 2012 exploring how Occupy use arts as a powerful means of producing counter-hegemonic discourse with big public impact. Features Illuminator 99%.
Radical counter-hegemonic arts ‘participation’ that critiques instrumentalism by @illuminator99 #PhDResearch
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XHFwQ4UX0FY I have been a long-time admirer of the amazingly simple, incredibly expressive and exceptionally impactful work of activist arts movement Illuminator 99%. Their work epitomises, for me, the spirit of Occupy and other non-hierarchical counter-hegemonic movements. This video is the first of two I wish to post to (hopefully) stimulate some discussion around arts,…Read more Radical counter-hegemonic arts ‘participation’ that critiques instrumentalism by @illuminator99 #PhDResearch
The carnivalesque and critical pedagogy–radical socially engaged art for social justice?
This is the final section of my draft research which considers other disciplines relevant to my research question (Can participatory art support sustainable social change?) They are interesting, perhaps, inspiring alternative perspectives that may help provide new ways of investigating and developing concepts surround socially engaged practice, social change and sustainability. The areas covered are:…Read more The carnivalesque and critical pedagogy–radical socially engaged art for social justice?
The carnivalesque and critical pedagogy–radical socially engaged art for social justice?
This is the final section of my draft research which considers other disciplines relevant to my research question (Can participatory art support sustainable social change?) They are interesting, perhaps, inspiring alternative perspectives that may help provide new ways of investigating and developing concepts surround socially engaged practice, social change and sustainability. The areas covered are:…Read more The carnivalesque and critical pedagogy–radical socially engaged art for social justice?
What might sustainable arts practice look like?
This is the sixth post taken from my draft literature review which is part of my on going PhD research centred around the question: Can participatory art support sustainable social change? Previous posts are below. This is a rough and ready document I just wanted to put out there. It will be refined. Some of…Read more What might sustainable arts practice look like?
Socially engaged art – an ‘arts’ perspective
This is the third post taken from my draft literature review which is part of my ongoing PhD research around the question: Can participatory art support sustainable social change? Please feel free to comment and criticise… The field of contemporary socially engaged art theory is another hotly contested area. There are two main players regularly…Read more Socially engaged art – an ‘arts’ perspective
colouring in culture 