Access ≠ Democracy
When I began in community art, the photocopier was new technology. In the printshop where I was an apprentice, we
Category: Where do you stand?
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
Safari park lions
BBC Radio has just broadcast a programme entitled ‘Everyone is an Artist’. It’s part of Archive on 4, a series
What do you expect?
Many professional artists believe that working with non-professionals leads to an unavoidable decline in quality. That conviction is so integral
The difference between a professional and a non-professional artist – Part 3
In the previous post, I outlined a range of resources that professional artists can draw on in their work, including
The difference between a professional and a non-professional artist – Part 2
What does ‘professional’ mean? Like many words, professional has changed its meaning over the course of history, adapting itself to society’s evolving
Speak your truth
It’s unusual nowadays to hear anyone in the arts speak against cultural participation. The directors of museums, galleries, orchestras and theatres –
Art for social change – or social justice?
In 1990s Britain the term community art began to be replaced by participatory arts, which many people hoped didn’t carry ‘the baggage of
Witnessing as resistance
Community art performance by Olho.Te, (Madeira) In A Restless Art I describe participatory art – the vast field that has spread from
The Roots of War: Continuing a conversation with Arlene Goldbard
A couple of weeks ago, I published a text on the ethics of participatory art by Arlene Goldbard on A
A Restless Art 