‘New ways of doing’ will be the focus of the latest event in the ‘State of the Arts’ thought leadership series in Bristol and York next week.
Open sessions on themes put forward by delegates will be at the heart of the No Boundaries conference in Bristol and York next week. ‘Pop-up’ sessions proposed and led by those attending the conference will be interwoven with a series of keynote speeches that will focus on the impact of culture and creativity on the shape of society, on our sense of place, and in the lives of young people. The international line-up of speakers will also be considering how culture can stay relevant, authentic and of value to all, and whether culture can be both local and global.
The event forms part of Arts Council England’s (ACE) State of the Arts thought leadership programme and is supported by both ACE and the British Council. It is being seen by both as an opportunity to bring together a diverse range of voices to inspire new ways of thinking and working together. Dick Penny, Managing Director of Watershed, which is hosting the Bristol event, emphasised that it will focus on “new ways of doing rather than new sources of funding.” He said: “We have called it No Boundaries to indicate that the discussion will go where the ideas lead… we are aiming to foster ongoing debate through reserving space for delegates to organise pop-up discussions and by publishing as much content as we possibly can.”
350 delegates from across the industry are due to attend across the two locations, which will be sharing and contributing to the same programme through a live video link. New speakers announced in recent weeks include Nicholas Lovell, Author of The Curve; Joy MBoya, Artistic Director of Nairobi’s Godown Centre; Ruth Mackenzie, Interim Launch Director of The Space 2.0 and Artistic Director Designate of Holland Festival; Kully Thiarai, Director of Cast in Doncaster; and Bristol Arts Student Sophie Cotterill. The experience of the conference will be captured in a printed book by the literary start-up company Book Kernel, which is developing an event-based model of publishing to allow audiences to curate and print a personal memento of a live event, incorporating selected content, discussion and social media interaction.
No Boundaries will be taking place on 25 and 26 February at the Guildhall in York and at Watershed in Bristol. A few delegate passes remain for the York venue. ArtsProfessional is media partner for the event.