09.02.12 – Taking place just days before the Arts Council England’s State of the Arts conference in Salford, the event brings artists together to devise strategies for making their voice heard.
Speakers drawn from very different disciplines and fields of work, all committed to campaigning for effective change, will offer insights to inform a unique platform for artists’ dialogue and debate.
Orchestrated by artist Richard Layzell, the event kicks off with insights from Carrie Bishop, consultancy and social innovation incubator YouGov, followed by short provocations from Tessy Britton of Social Spaces that “researches and spreads practice for positive citizen-led community action”; co-founder and Director of Social Innovation Camp Dan Mcquillan and convener of Manifesto Club Josie Appleton.
Addressing issues such as effective leadership, versatility, managing change, making decisions and entrepreneurship. Speakers and the audience will respond to questions: How have you effected change? How can we effect change?
In an article on Guardian Culture Professional, published today, AIR’s communications co-ordinator, Jack Hutchinson, states: “When artists talk about ‘shaping the world’, they need to decide not just what it means for them but also for everyone else. To my mind, this means a fundamental change in the perceived value of artists to society.”
AIR Chair Sally Sheinman said: “Artists must be heard both within the arts and beyond and we can learn a great deal from the experience of campaign groups. OpenAIR will give all participants new insights, knowledge and tools for getting a voice. We know AIR members operate at local, regional, national and international levels – our knowledge and networks are wide and deep and we can make a difference!”
Running 1.00-5.30pm Saturday 11 February, OpenAIR is hosted by Colchester’s Firstsite as part of their new building and launch, the event is free to AIR members.
For the full schedule and list of speakers click here
Watch live! Tune into the OpenAIR live video stream, provided by Kinura Watch here
Follow OpenAIR live on Twitter using the hashtag #OpenAIR
14.02.12 – Update
Read Jack Hutchinson’s report from OpenAIR here
View OpenAIR slideshow here
