Running from 19-24 November, the second annual Festival of Blackboards in Islington, London presents a series of workshops and masterclasses that will explore practical approaches to making change happen. Considering ‘the how of change’ within artworld, education and community contexts, the festival’s three events will provide participants with productive and viable ideas they can take forward in their organisations and communities, as well as a forum for discussion and a space for creative thinking.
Focusing on the specific issues of affecting change in the workplace; the effects of recent policy changes on art and design education; and art and community action, speakers at the events include: Mandeep Hothi, Programme Director of The Young Foundation; Bob and Roberta Smith, artist and Founder of The Art Party; Lesley Butterworth, General Secretary of The National Society for Education in Art and Design; and Jocelyn Cunningham, Director of Creative Learning, Royal Society of the Arts.
Daniel Baker is Education Director at Cubitt and the main organiser of the festival: “One of the big successes of last year’s event was the diversity of audience,” he says, “from artists and educators to parents, teachers and other local people. I wanted to keep pushing that side of it, so this year we’re holding events in three different venues – the town hall, a community centre and a secondary school. Placing the events within a specific local context should help make them more visible to the community.”
“My hope is that the events serve as a resource for people,” Baker continues, “whether they be volunteers, teachers or individuals interested in community action. That they’ll be able to draw on the ideas and methods explored, to think, ‘I could apply these myself.’ Audience figures – whether in the tens or hundreds – are less important to us than the potential for individual impact.”
Cubitt Education is the education and community programme at Cubitt Gallery and Studios. Festival of Blackboards runs from 19-24 November at venues across Islington. All events are free but booking is essential via the Festival website.
More on a-n.co.uk:
The future of art education – where in Art Education does the education take place? Artist and educator Mitra Memarzia reports from the 2011 Festival of Blackboards.
a-n Collections: Community engagement – edited by Catherine Wilson, Community engagement explores the myriad ways artists can engage with specific communities via residencies, collaborations, cross-cultural projects and research.
