Critical Debate

At last months Visual Arts Framework discussion event a group talked about how to provide support for critical debate in the visual arts scene in Leeds. Issues addressed included...

There exists a fear of discussion in Leeds and a lack of cohesion of information. Also, there is a culture of parochial politics which we need to address.

This could be achieved in three ways:

1. Having a publication in Leeds that would engage people in critical discourse on art that is accessible, regular, responsive to Leeds, not necessarily academic, physical and online

2. The online element of publication could link to the online forum. This already exists but needs some investment to develop it. It would be a place where people are encouraged to talk about art critically, and for people to accept debate and not see it as negative. Also it would try to move away from the focus on individuals in Leeds that can close debate (related to the parochial politics in Leeds: a fear of upsetting people either because they are friends or because they are seen as ‘gatekeepers’ to resources and opportunities in Leeds). As such there should be an option for anonymity.

3. A Free Art School. This doesn’t necessarily need a space. It could help with graduate retention by offering opportunity for continued learning after graduation. It would be self-organised – that is, it would operate by people organising events and chipping in together. It wouldn’t be structurally linked to any institution but would encourage input from them and so act as a transfer of knowledge between these places. The Free Art School would also link back into the publication and the website.

What do you think?

Hi all

Two years ago Joanna Loveday and I started planning and researching for Critical Writing Collective, a Yorkshire based network of people interested in critical debate surrounding regional activity which would provide a platform for debate and discussion through a website and printed publication, as well as hosting events and circulating opportunities for local writers. The collective is Yorkshire based - being from Leeds and Sheffield we noticed a lack of connection between these cities and the Yorks region that the collective could in part develop - so the content would not be specific to Leeds but include Sheffield, York, Hull, Wakefield and more.

We have had wide ranging support, and have met many Leeds based artists, curators and writers (including Andy!) through our research, but securing funding has been a slow process which we are now much further on with. we are working with York based In A Word... (part of Writing Encounters) and Yorks/London based Critical Communities to develop potential collaborations. We hope to have funding secured by Autumn and will work with whatever funds we have to get the project going by Winter, I hope you might be interested in keeping up to date with this - I'll keep posting here and my email is charlotte.anne.morgan@googlemail.com if you would like to be added to our mailing list.

One point that came up in our meetings was the differences between the art communities and venues in Leeds, Sheffield and other cities, and the potentials of regional connections. We welcome your thoughts!
Thanks
Charlotte Morgan

An interesting point of comparison could be Art Practical - an online journal made up of 4 cultural discussion outputs from the San Francisco Bay Area

"Art Practical is the nexus of four important chroniclers of San Francisco Bay Area contemporary art and visual culture: Bad At Sports, Happenstand, Shotgun Review, and Talking Cure quarterly. The site represents the current shifting landscape of arts journalism by serving as a juncture for critical dialogue rather than a proprietor of it. In creating the coalition of four partner organizations, Art Practical does not condense information. Instead, it generates pathways of investigation."

I'm not sure how they are funded but they ask for people to support their work.

If something is to be acheived like this for Leeds and beyond it will most likely need to have imaginative funding sources for it to survive the next few years.