HELLO CULTURE: THE COVENTRY EDITION
Programme
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29 - April - 2021
Hello Culture: The Coventry Edition
Coventry is a city of music and art, of cars, enterprise and technology. It is a city of dreamers and artists, scientists and engineers. It is a city of diversity and welcome, of inclusion and of reconciliation.
This and more made it the next home for Hello Culture and a collaboration with the Faculty of Arts and Humanities at Coventry University.
As the Faculty prepares to open the doors to a new building and new ways of working, the role of the arts and humanities in a post-pandemic world is changing. Arts education for the 21st century needs to bridge the gap between the past and the future, between art and technology, continuing to guide and inspire artists, designers and creative thinkers as the University has since 1843.
Hello Culture x Coventry is co-curated by Lara Ratnaraja and Craig Ashley. It is developed in partnership to reflect the art, culture, the digital and physical place that is Coventry as it embarks upon its year as UK City of Culture.
10:00-11:00 Brunch with Hello Culture
The Things That Dreams are Made of- Keynote with Sarah Ellis Director of Digital Development, The Royal Shakespeare Company hosted by Helga Henry
From digital avatars on stage in real time to combining live performance and gaming technology together to explore new ways for audiences to experience live theatre, the RSC is transforming the future of theatre. The impossible becomes possible as reality and virtual worlds collide, disrupt and challenge our vision for theatre and experiences as audiences
As we engage online how do we create new forms of connections with each other and with the artist. What does the audience of the future look like and what will hybrid experiences mean for us all?
This keynote from Sarah Ellis will reflect on our human connections, our virtual worlds and our dreams for new experiences.
12:00-13:00 Hello Culture Panel
Coventry: Young, Gifted and Black: With the seeds of the Blk Art Group laid in Coventry, how does Coventry’s social and cultural history inform how we navigate it’s present and how does diversity and inclusion in culture underpin this? How will this inform the culture of the future and make visible so-called contested histories?
Chair Jagdish Patel Artist and ResearcherPanellists
Ayesha Jones Artist
Cory Barrett Cultural leader + Curious Director, CBGC Creative Industries Ltd
Laura Nyahuye CEO, Creative Director Maokwo
14:00-15:00 Hello Culture Panel
Coventry: Are Friends Electric? Access and Digital in an online world: Lockdown meant we increasingly pivoted online, and art now occupies its own space online disrupting the traditional gallery- artist exhibition relationship and turning us all into audiences, creators and participants.
But how far has digital democratised art and are the worlds we are creating inclusive, accessible and safe.
Chair: Ryan Hughes Artistic Director Coventry BiennialPanellists:
Edie Jo Murray Artist
Zak Mensah Joint CEO, Birmingham Museums Trust
Bianca Wright Curriculum Lead: Immersive and Associate Professor Coventry University
16:00-17:00 Hello Culture Panel
Coventry: Come Together. The lockdown forces those of us with digital access into online worlds and spaces and in turn we have adapted and created online communities. But as we navigate the outdoor world again how do we reconnect and create connections with the many communities of Coventry and how do we make new placemaking narratives that are distinct for Coventry? Who owns Coventry- whose space is it anyway? How do we redefine place, space and identity?
Chair: Helga Henry
Simon Vaughan Managing Director, Creative Giants
Helen Kilby Nelson Artist
Cara Pickering Visual Arts Programme Producer
Hello Culture x Coventry - 29 April , 2021
As Coventry prepares to launch itself onto a global stage with City of Culture, we celebrate the culture, civic society, art and diversity that made it what it is.
In an increasingly fractured world, culture and its relevance can highlight disparity and disconnects to audiences who feel alienated and under-represented by mainstream narratives. During lockdown these audiences however pivoted to safe and accessible online spaces demonstrating a desire for cultural experiences and authentic spaces where they could see themselves reflected.
As cities emerge from a lockdown that restricted our movements, how do we ensure the public realm is for the public and as we look at a physical/digital hybridity can we create new experiences, access and civic spaces both physically and digitally?
“Experimental Culture” the horizon scan undertaken by Nesta and commissioned by Arts Council England in 2018 found that “Concern about inequitable patterns in access to arts and cultural experiences reflecting (or even reinforcing) existing inequalities, means that work to broaden, diversify and deepen relationships with audiences will be critical in sustaining support for public spending on the arts in future.” The report also suggested “cultivating the capacity to be more experimental in harnessing new technologies and adopting new organisational practices, alongside leveraging the value of data in order to understand how best to engage audiences and test new business models. Central to extending their reach to a wider audience will be fostering a sophisticated array of partnerships – whether with universities, technology companies or with other institutions open to sharing resources and expertise”
Hello Culture x Coventry is commissioned by Coventry University and through a series of sessions, explores how the relationships between the arts and academia and how partnerships and collaborations in the physical and digital spheres are creating more inclusive and representative spaces, platforming unheard voices and helping the city’s artists navigate a brave new world of art and the public realm as we emerge from lockdown. It will examine what role practice, partnerships and people play in our brave new world. What do peace and reconciliation mean for post pandemic Coventry?
Coventry University is a principal partner for UK City of Culture; this event forms part of a wider programme of activity for the University, celebrating Coventry’s culture and creativity and the role of the arts and humanities in a changing world.
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