Getting it right/Getting it wrong: Socially Engaged Art and Ethics

This day-long, in-person conference aims to interrogate the inherent entanglements between power, politics & socially engaged art. It hopes to explore and unpick the ethical assumptions about art in the public domain in a way that does not seek to provide universal answers, but rather give room for critical reflection.

What are the ethics around Socially Engaged Arts? This work - and the related activities of Participatory Arts, Community Arts, Relational Aesthetics, Arts & Health, etc - all work with communities and groups who can sometimes be the most vulnerable in society. Along with an artist's own desire to engage with such people, funders and policy frameworks also push to ensure that ‘public good’ is a key output of artistic activities. But is it the purpose of art to make the world ‘better’? Can it actually make the world better? Whilst self-expression undoubtably has a individual benefit, can it solve structural inequities such as poverty and other inequalities? How is this work ‘doing good’? And whose definition of ‘goodness’ is being used?

This event aims to explore some of these questions, taking as its starting point a new edited anthology: “Socially Engaged Art and Ethics: Power, Politics and Participation” (publication date estimated June 2025), and will feature a diverse mix of participants and speakers that will provide case studies, examples and/or research insights 

The conference is free to attend, lunch will be provided, and there is a small number of honoraria of £80 for five (5) freelancers. These will be available on a first come-first serve basis: please email aschrag {at} qmu.co.uk if you wish to be considered before March 1st 2025. If you have any access needs, please complete this form. 

Further details will be sent closer to the time, including more detail about specific speakers, but please see below regarding the current outline of the day

9:00 - 9:30: Arrivals, coffees/teas

9:30 - 10:00:  
Keynote - Dr Sophie Hope (Guildhall School of Music and Drama) and Dr Anthony Schrag (QMU)

and Dr Anthony Schrag)

10:00 - 11:00: 
Strand One - Lisbet Skregelid (University of Agder, Norway)
Strand Two - Kirsten MacLeod (Edinburgh Napier University)
Strand Three - Liz Wewiora (Salford University/Open Eye Gallery)

11:00 - 11:30: Coffee Break 

11:30 - 12:45: 
Strand One Panel: Researching With/Within Communities - Regina Mosh / Therese Kearns /Adrienne McDermid Thomas - all from QMU)
Strand Two Panel: Working within Art and Healthcare contexts - Frances Williams (Freelance/QUEERCIRCLE) / Alison Stirling  (Artlink Edinburgh) / Dr Giorgos Tsiris (QMU / St Columba's Hospice) 
Strand Three Panel: Emerging Practitioners from QMU's MA Participatory Arts Programme 

12:45 - 13:45: Lunch (provided)

13:45 - 15:00: 
Strand One Panel: “…Just Managing” - Behind the scenes of community-based artworks - Kate Griffin (WHALe Arts) / Camilla Crosta (OneRen) / Zuzana Fryntová (Alchemy Film & Arts)
Strand Two Fishbowl Open Discussion (limited attendance) 
Strand Three International Perspectives: Celia Gonzalez (Freelance, Mexico) / Harrell Fletcher (Some People Press, USA) / Dr Viviana Checchia (Void Gallery, Ireland)

15:00 - 15:30: Coffee Break

15:30 - 16:30:
Wrap-up Discussion (Dr Anthony Schrag)

This event has been supported by the Paul Mellon Centre for Studies in British Art