Fabric of protest
Fabulous monthly programme from the People’s History Museum in Manchester that combines creativity and social justice, encouraging people to create textile works in response to items in the collection.
Building community connections online
A great programme from the Jewish Museum London that encourages people to connect online through sharing creative work in response to a theme. I really liked this week’s theme around what people have been learning during lockdown.
To Bear Witness: Real Talk about White Supremacy in Art Museums Today
Powerful essay by Dr Kelli Morgan about the damage done to individuals and our collective understanding of ourselves by the dominance of the male, Eurocentric viewpoint in American art history museums and of the extraordinary efforts needed to challenge it.
Is Culture Bad for You?
In this podcast, recorded live at DARE Festival 2019, Dr David O’Brien is interviewed about Panic! It’s an Arts Emergency, a ground-breaking study into inequality and taste in the arts in the UK (there is also a written transcript of the interview).
PODCAST EPISODE 5 – Is Culture Bad For You? (with Dr Dave O’Brien)
Right to Disconnect
One of the most common things that comes up when I run personal change workshops is e-mail and how to manage a sense of constant connection. Some countries have dealt with this in law as a ‘Right to Disconnect.’ I know that everyone is running flat out at the moment and anxiety and exhaustion is becoming a real issue, so disconnecting might seem like fantasy land. However, I firmly believe that we cannot keep working in the way we have been and that means something has to change. Maybe this is a good place to start?
What does success look like for you?
As someone who often bemoans the impact of a drive towards targets and hard metrics this short piece from Bernadette Jiwa struck a chord, particularly the statement about a ‘generic’ response. I recently wrote to my MP; take action I thought, you have recourse to democracy they say, he’s your representative I’m told (even though I didn’t vote for him). Well stuff that! The response I got was beyond generic, it was bland, patronising and infuriating. He could tick is box of x replies within so many days, I still can’t bring myself to reply. Enough said.
How to Fly and Humans Move
On a happier note, here are two wonderful videos to end another challenging week. David Blandy’s How to Fly, a visually stunning piece that I found very absorbing.
Jessie Brett’s Humans Move brings together an integrated company of disabled and non-disabled dancers from Wales, Ethiopia, England and Spain, Humans Move explores how we hold fast to our sense of self, when the world around us is so uncertain and shifting. Wonderfully tender, touching and thoughtful.
Have a great weekend and stay safe.
Susan & Dawn