Liverpool Biennial and British Council have been working with a cohort of curators from South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa through this programme, and the events we develop with the cohort provide opportunities for them to connect with artists and curators from the UK, and from other parts of the world.
The intention of this series of events is to facilitate an international exchange of best practice in different areas of curation and art production. The themes of each event are connected to the cohort’s interests and have been shaped by a series of interviews that they undertook with the Audience Agency during a week-long visit to Liverpool during Liverpool Biennial2023. Some of the topics that were raised throughout this process range from ‘the economy’ to ‘environmental justice’.
In November 2023, they published Issue 12 of Liverpool Biennial’s online research journal, Stages, with contributions from artists, curators and some of the cohort. This first event will act as a follow-on or addendum to the themes contained within that issue around the different modes and ethics of care.
‘After Care’ comprised of live and pre-recorded contributions from: Christopher Cozier, Roo Dhissou, Nwando Ebizie & Languid Hands’ Rabz Lansiquot and Imani Mason Jordan. The event was chaired by Dr Jareh Das.
It took the below provocation as a starting point:
‘How do we consider and care for artists and audiences after the work is done? – thinking about the work after the work.’
As a follow-on to ‘Being In The World’, Issue #12 of our online journal Stages, this event was an opportunity to expand on and think beyond the themes discussed in that issue.Participants were invited to share their thoughts on how we care for an audience, both in preparing them for what they are about to experience but also the work we undertake afterwards to help them reflect on or better understand what they have seen. Similarly, we discussed ways that organisations can provide that same level of after care for participants and artists. There were collective and individual moments to respond to provocations and presentations from the invited contributors as well as Q&A sessions.
My contribution included this zine, which I now have as resource to purchase.