‘Write this down’
It was the end of a long day. We’d run out of time and the guards needed to get us
The meaning of risk in community art
Three days ago, anticipating the first performance of the Leiria prison opera, I wrote that I didn’t expect to see
This is special
In the dusty hall of a disused prison workshop, 30 people shuffle into a big circle. Silence falls. They draw
What matters
“And then this: do not depend on the hope of results. […] You may have to face the fact that
This is not a level playing field
Evaluation has become a dominant preoccupation in participatory art in the past generation. It’s a fascinating field, and I’ve played
The View from East Lawrence
Dave Loewenstein, community murals and living democracy Browsing the artwork in Dave Loewenstein’s online shop, I was delighted by this
Friendship and the community artist
When I talk about community art practice with younger or less experienced artists, I often warn against offering friendship to
Renewing opera
The problem of opera Opera is a problematic art. It’s not just the extravagant cost of producing it, or the
Working at another scale in community opera
It is a surprise, in my sixties, to find myself working on opera, as part of the Traction project. This prestigious art
‘Cabaret de la Gata’ – Traction takes off
As the pandemic recedes—or perhaps becomes normalised—it is becoming hard to recall the strangeness of those lockdown months, and the
Building a bridge
Suddenly, we are there. In the next six months, a series of performances will test everything we have imagined, planned, organised and created. There are dates. There will be audiences
A Restless Art 