Join us for a programme of four free online events as part of Assembly, an online learning and development programme for curators, producers and public art practitioners that explore issues and good practice in relation to the expanded field of public art.

Event 1: Who has agency, whose voices are heard? | Tuesday 30 March 2021, 12:00 - 13.15 GMT

Diversity, access and inclusion have become buzzwords in the field of public art, but it remains stubbornly undiverse and alien to many. How can we change this to ensure that the work we produce is inclusive and relevant to a diverse public?

Who has agency, whose voices are heard? is chaired by Amanprit Sandhu, curator and educator based in London. Speakers to be announced soon.

Event 2: What is collaboration? | Thursday 29 April 2021, 12.00 -13.15 GMT

The further we move into a sphere of practice that places collaboration and co-creation at its heart, the more urgent questions relating to ethics become. Is it OK for curators and artists to receive a fee for a collaborative project that is co-authored with members of a community, while those members remain unremunerated? Is our work empowering or tokenistic? Who is the ‘author’ of these projects and what do we mean by ‘participation’, ‘collaboration’, ‘engagement’ and ‘co-creation’? How murky are these terms and who do they serve?

What is collaboration? is chaired by Matteo Lucchetti, curator at Visible Project. Speakers to be announced soon.

Event 3: Are curators still relevant? |Thursday 27 May 2021, 12.00-13.15 GMT

In a field where activism, community involvement and participation play an increasingly important role in the way projects are developed, do curators need to rethink their roles?

If we consider the expanded field of public art (including performance, experimental writing, and digital projects), are curators equipped with the tools to do their job imaginatively and practically? How is the burgeoning growth of curating courses affecting the sector?

This event will be made up of five short presentations by invited curators, who will reflect on how their role has changed, and how they foresee it changing in future years. Are curators still relevant? is chaired by Jes Fernie, independent curator and writer. Speakers to be announced soon.

Event 4: Is the future of public art online? | Thursday 17 June 2021, 12.00-13.15 GMT

We’ve spent the last year interacting with the world through our screens. Is this the point at which ‘public art’ becomes something that is primarily experienced through the digital world, rather than in the ‘physical’ world?

Has the non-hierarchical, expansive world of the Internet overtaken the increasingly privatised and co-opted world of the ‘public realm’? Can public art commissioning build on this expanded form of public space?

Is the future of public art online? is chaired by Siddarth Khajuria, Senior Producer at Barbican Centre. Speakers to be announced soon.

About Assembly

Assembly is an online learning and development programme for curators, producers and public art practitioners that explore issues and good practice in relation to the expanded field of public art.

Assembly invites the public art community to explore the role public art can play in raising awareness and effecting change on issues around diversity, community cohesion, and the digital realm as a public space.  The programme will engage curators, artists, commissioners, and people working in public contexts, encouraging them to pool their knowledge, and inspiring them to learn from peers in the art community.

Through a series of four online free events led by socially engaged, public art curators and artists who will explore four key themes: Who has agency and whose voices are heard? What is collaboration? What is the role of curators in socially engaged practice? Is the future of public art online?

Learning resources will be generated from each event and made available for free download from UP Projects website to support sector development and learning.

All Assembly events will take place in The Hall, UP Projects’ digital participation space.

Assembly has been developed by UP Projects in collaboration with Public Art Network UK (PAN) and is generously supported by The Art Fund. The programme has been put together by Jes Fernie, Elisabeth Del Prete, Theresa Bergne and Emma Underhill.