The NEW RURALS - research seminar for artists, curators and academics

From Will Marshall

(12.00 noon - 5.00pm) Friday 25th July   at the Kurt Schwitters Merz Barn site, Elterwater, Cumbria LA22 9JB   

One of a series of practitioner meetings and seminars being organised in Ireland, the USA and England during the course of the summer.  Partly framed in response to some recent publications and events that are proposing other challenging new critical contexts and related curatorial and cultural research agendas for artists and curators active in (non-metropolitan) regional and rural areas: 

Merz Meadow - scythers cutting hay on the meadow above Kurt Schwitters Merz Barn, Cumbria July 2011

These include: 

Encampment #1 workshop at Kestle Barton/Field Club  "..a large body of projects, practical research, and Neo-Agrosophy - a weird fusion of agriculture, futurology and contemporary philosophy";  

the recent 'Arrow Arrow' - meeting at the Good Hatchery (Offly, Ireland)  "The Good Hatchery’s main objective is to support the development of innovative, ambitious art practices that consider their own relation to [rural] place".  

'The Good Hatchery's Missionary 52, -7 was created for Commonage, an exhibtion and series of events exploring community in contemporary rural Ireland. Missionary 52, -7 was sited on the top of an ancient Norman Moat and Bailey in Callan town, Co. Kilkenny. The architectural structure took much of its influence from contemporary peace keeping missions and used high powered lights and video projection.'

The Workers Symposium (18th July) which proposed to examine "..[new] contemporary modes of practice in rural contexts" (Roscommon Arts, Ireland);  

the publication of  'A Decade of Country Hits, art on the rural frontier' by Colorado-based M12 Collective, "..an interdisciplinary group that creates and supports experiential projects exploring the value of rural communities and their surrounding landscapes".; 

the Rural Cultural Forum's revised rural cultural strategy " ..towards a radical rethinking of arts and cultural policy from new rural and agricultural perspectives."  

'Art has its Billboard charts. They focus mostly on artists and exhibitions in urban centers. A Decade of Country Hits is devoted to uncharted hits thriving instead on rural aesthetics and rural knowledge.'

And also proposed as a response to Arts Council England's recent Arts and Rural Communities 'position paper'.

The Seminar is being organised by the Littoral Arts Trust in partnership with Grizedale Arts and includes distinguished speakers artists and curators from Spain, Australia and UK; Fernando Garcia Dory (Campo Adentro), Esther Anatolitis CEO Regional Arts Victoria, Australia,  Nick Hunt Director Mid-Pennine Arts,  Helen Ratcliffe/Alan Smith AllenHead Arts, Christine Ross Visual Arts in Rural Communities VARC,  Green Close Studios, Steve Messam (ex-Fold Gallery) , and Ian Hunter, Director Littoral Arts/Rural Cultural Forum.

Other speakers to be confirmed shortly.  

Lunch* and seminar are free but please register to attend with:

(*Donation of £4 appreciated)

Littoral Arts Trust/Merz Barn project:  e.   <littoral@btopenworld.com>  Tel. 015394 37309