Arts in Challenging Contexts
Venue: Belfast Exposed
Date/Time: Saturday 13 March 2010, 11am-4pm

The Community Arts Forum is hosting an ‘Arts in Challenging Contexts’ discussion as part of the Exchange Mechanism programme.

Current class structures in western society are giving rise to growing numbers who feel completely disenfranchised and shut down their creativity in response. How do artists creatively engage with this group? What can they learn from each other?

This round table conversation will bring north of England artist Barry Stone and Dublin’s Fiona Whelan together with local practitioners. Barry will talk about his experience of using the arts in a range of contexts including with very young mothers and also young people involved in car crime. Local community arts practitioners will share experiences of working with communities in a range and variety of challenging settings in Northern Ireland.

Fiona Whelan is a visual artist whose work develops from a set of cross sectoral relationships. For over 6 years Fiona has built her practice in Rialto, Dublin working with Rialto Youth Project. In recent years she has worked as part of an interdisciplinary collective with youth workers and young people committed to exploring and creatively responding to the power relationships in their everyday lives and in the systems they encounter. www.section8.ie

This event is part of ‘Exchange Mechanism’ at Belfast Exposed. Exchange Mechanism is an exhibition that questions the demands and denials of freedom in contemporary life, alongside artists’ responsibility to actively engage with the political.

Over eight weeks, Belfast Exposed’s public gallery will also be transformed into an alternative political space, where activists, artists, campaign groups and interested citizens are free to meet to exchange ideas, whether via talks and debates on a specially constructed platform or informally over a drink or a coffee.

For a full programme of events see belfastexposed.org/exhibitions
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