With a focus on creative practice and its potential to impact and raise awareness of issues impacting social justice, climate adaptation and as always to stay true to our roots, we will be looking closely at modern-day concepts of Freedom from a creative perspective.
The Symposium is a place for Creatives, Academics, Arts and Festival Professionals, and anyone from any sector who is interested in the impact arts-based research, art in public space and socially driven arts practice can make in modern-day society. It is a place to meet, network, listen to extraordinary stories of creative practice and experience extraordinary interactive content as part of this year’s multi-disciplinary International Arts Festival.
Thursday 31st August – 1pm – 5pm
Middleton Hall @ University of Hull
Session 1 : Raising awareness of climate adaptation
A discussion with a panel experts form the Energy and Environment Institute and the Aura Innovation Centre from the University Hull to discuss local creative engagement examples such as ‘Living with Water’ and ‘The Risky Cities’ project that have happened in Hull and the Humber region and to highlight impact results, engagement practises and explore future ideas.
Session 2: The collaborative creativity behind The Guardian’s ‘Cotton Capital’ journalism project
The Guardian newspaper is the latest in a line of established institutions to commission historians to investigate their links with slavery. Dr Cassandra Gooptar played a key role in that investigation.
In this discussion she will talk about her background, what drew her to slavery research, and how the creative collaborations between historians, journalists and illustrators impacted this extraordinarily powerful journalistic investigation
Friday 1st September – 10am – 5pm
Middleton Hall @ University of Hull
Session 1: Creative practise impact on climate adaption, raising awareness and truly effecting change
Kees Lesuis – Oerol Festival, Netherlands and Werner Schempf – La Strada Festival Austria will talk about powerful creative projects where artists, scientists, citizens and environmentalists have formed unique coalitions to truly affect policy, place and raise awareness across local communities in regard to issues of climate change, to explore change, adaptation and to share knowledge.
Social Justice and the potential power of creativity to change the narrative
Session 2: Dagmar Slagmolen – Via Berlin in conversation
During 2022/2022 Via Berlin toured the extraordinary theatrical work ‘Acts of Citizenship’, the company worked together with researchers from the University of Amsterdam to research fundamental questions about empathy, influence and how we engage with one another. During the performance (together with Berlage Saxophone Quartet), the audience served as test subjects for exciting new research.
Now the research results are ready to be launched – artistic director Dagmar Slagmolen from Via Berlin and UvA scientist Matthijs Rooduijn will guide us through their most startling discoveries.
Session 2: Creative projects impact on mental health and recovery
Featuring Andrew Smith of The Wilberforce Institute and Boris Herweyers project co-ordinator of TaRMaK / Ell Circo D’ell Fuego talk about key creative projects they have undertaken which focus on recovery and positive health impacts on young people in traumatic situations
Session 3 – Key Note Presentation
Louis J Rodriquez
Luis served as the official Poet Laureate of Los Angeles. For Luis poetry is soul talk, a prophetic act, a powerful means to enlarge one’s presence in the world.
Luis is also a novelist/memoirist/short story writer/children’s book writer/essayist as well as a community & urban peace activist, mentor, healer, youth & arts advocate, husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather.
Saturday 2nd September – 10am – 1pm
Social – Humber Street, Hull City Centre
Spotlight on Flanders
Session 1 : Overview of the Flanders Circus Arts sector
Session 2: Impact of Circus on health and well being
Spotlight on Flanders Is a partnership project with Circuscentrum, funded by VLAIO (Brexit Adjustment Reserve) with the aim to invest in long-term cooperation between Flanders and the UK in the circus field.
The projects puts Flemish circus creations in the spotlight and brings together Flemish and UK circus professionals to facilitate exchange.
Sunday 3rd September – 10am – 12pm
Social – Humber Street, Hull City Centre
Outdoor Arts UK Fundraising Workshop
We live and work in hugely challenging times – cash is tight everywhere you look and for those working in the arts, just the thought of seeking new funding can cause major panic or a minor brain freeze. And let’s not forget environmental issues, international conflicts and wonky global politics…Â
So, if you are feeling lost in the lands of applications and spreadsheets, these free informal sessions are designed to be a friendly space to share your frustrations, explore ideas together and reignite your funding mojo…Â
After some breakfast treats and some short presentations for inspiration and example, we will gather in small groups to talk as broadly and creatively as possible, share our funding woes and, hopefully, start to find a way through the woods.Â
These free sessions are for artists, companies, arts organisations and festivals of any size or any experience. While we focus on outdoor arts, other local creative organisations are very welcome to join in.
Sessions facilitated by CircusCentrum (Belgium) Outdoor Arts UK and Freedom Festival Arts Trust
