François Matarasso

The gift of close reading

This week I received the gift of close reading in two reviews, both by people who have worked in this field for decades. As you’d expect, they brought immense knowledge and experience to the task. More importantly, they read with creative engagement, testing my thinking, not to prove it right or wrong, but to understand…

Other people’s books

Now that I don’t have to write, I’m rediscovering the pleasure of reading, especially around the subject that has occupied me for so long—the place of art and culture in social life. It’s the wider context that is often most rewarding because it gives a context to the professional preoccupations of those of us engaged…

A Restless Art, TL; DR

Too long; didn’t read? Fair enough: so here’s a quick summary of the ground covered in the book: 80.000 words reduced to about 1,350

A bao a qu (Catalonia)

A Bao A Qu is a small Catalan organisation, founded in 2004 by friends passionate about sharing their love of cinema, art and contemporary thinking. They created ‘Cinema in Curs’ (Cinema in Class), a programme for primary and secondary school students and their teachers, that takes place during school hours. The year-long course involves creative workshops,…

Valleys Kids

Valleys Kids shows how close community art and community development can be, especially when work is rooted and sustained. The organisation began life in 1977 as Penygraig Community Project and has grown to be an important resource for several post-industrial towns north of Cardiff. Its programme spans youth work, training, family support and local regeneration,…

Publication day

Thank you to all the artists, professional and non-professional, who have shared this journey and trusted me with your work. Thank you to those who have helped in so many ways, making connections and opening doors. Thank you to the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation for your support and confidence. Thank you to the friends and family…