Two free online courses for February - March 2023

Art, Work & Power: Online via Zoom

8 - 18 February, 5 part course

A course on the conditions art is made under, the politics of work and the forms of power that shape this reality. Using a radical and liberatory educational model, participants will use their own experience and (embodied) knowledge to understand how power dynamics dictate the conditions of our work and the art that we make. We will then learn how we can build our own, communal, power to restructure those conditions on our own terms.

The course is open to any worker in Scotland and we welcome the participation of those working across all art forms. The course will be particularly useful to people engaged or interested in community and/or labour organising.

Art, Work & Power: Online will be facilitated by art worker, organiser and educator George Lynch and will take place across five two hour sessions on Zoom.

Sign up here.

Art & Social Practice: Online via Zoom

14 February - 14 March, 4 part course

Social Practice encompasses many different terms – often called Socially Engaged Art, Participatory Practice or sometimes Community Arts – but it describes art that is collaborative, participatory and involves people and communities in debate, collaboration or social interaction.  

Artists are increasingly working in participatory settings, and this introductory course aims to give you an overview of the key issues which arise within social practice. Covering topic like co-creation, working with young people, the ethics of collaborating with communities, safeguarding your own mental health and exploring what failure within a socially engaged project might look like.  

Over 4 online sessions invited speakers will share their research and working practices:

• Tue 14th February, 11am-12:15 Nicola Naismith: Artists practising well

• Mon 20th February, 11am-12:15 Nadia Rossi + Catrin Jeans: Rumpus Rooms - co-creation with children and young people 

• Mon 6th March, 11am-12:15 Professor Eleonora Belfiore: Working conditions in socially engaged arts practice

• Tue 14th March, 2:00-3:15pm Anthony Schrag: Infrastructure and social practice: the artist as a ‘social worker’ vs the artist as a ‘social wanker’ 

This course is funded by Scottish Union Learning and we need you to complete these two forms (below) in advance - please note you need to input the course name 'Art & Social Practice' and the reference number H170.