2015 Associates Gathering: Weathering The Storm

12 February 2015

Live Art UK Gathering
at Watershed, Bristol

The third Live Art UK Associates Gathering took place at Watershed in Bristol, on the opening day of IBT15 Bristol International Festival, curated by Live Art UK member organizations Live Art Development Agency and In Between Time. The Gathering considered the idea of the Storm as a metaphor for change.

The Gathering opened with a provocation from In Between Time director Helen Cole. The first panel 'Disquiet' was on the ways artists are voicing disquiet. With Kelli McClusky and Steve Bull (PVI Collective, Australia), Ria Hartley (artist, UK), Jordan McKenzie (artist, UK) facilitated by Matt Fenton (Director, Contact and LAUK Member). The second panel 'Storm' was on the role of festivals and producers in affecting change. With Veronica Kaup Hasler (Director, Steirischer Herbst, Austria), Skinder Hundal (Chief Executive, New Art Exchange, UK), Satu Herrala (Director, Baltic Circle & Make Arts Policy, Finland) and facilitated by Judith Knight (Director of Artsadmin and Live Art UK member).

The Gathering concluded with provocations by two of the most  acclaimed US artists, activists, and thinkers - Guillermo Gómez-Peña (on film) and Lois Weaver (live).

The day's freesheet can be downloaded here containing a commissioned essay on the potential of Live Art by writer Mary Paterson and speaker's biographies. Selected video documentation, filmed and edited by Ana Matos, can be viewed here: 

Guillermo Gómez-Peña's commissioned film can be viewed here, a full transcript of the film is also avaibalble as a pdf.

The first Associates Gathering, Waking Up In Somebody Else's Bed, Thinking about Live Art in unfamiliar places, took place in June 2012 at BAC in London in collaboration with LIFT and the second Gathering, Live Art in 2113 took place at mac in Birmingham in 2013 in collaboration with Fierce Festival.