40 Years of the Future

40 Years of the Future

Please join us for a two-part series of conversations that bring together three historic Manchester-based institutions in their anniversary years to discuss the histories and future of the arts in Manchester and surrounding regions.

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The second event in the series will take the form of a chaired conversation between artists, curators and researchers with connections to organisers within Manchester and neighbouring cities. The histories of marginalised artists in the first event will serve as a prompt for discussing the emergence of current and future initiatives in the city region and regions that aim to amplify less visible or peripheral voices in the art world today, including artist-led groups and organisations.

The event will invite us to consider the continued need for these kinds of groups and spaces in our contemporary social, economic and political context. We ask: What has changed since the founding of Manchester Art Gallery and Castlefield Gallery, respectively? How have artists looking for spaces that fulfil their needs shaped the city? What role do art institutions play within Manchester’s art ecology today? And what the future for artists in our city and surrounding regions could or should look like?

Speakers:
– Thomas Griffiths: Artist and co-director and curator of GLOAM, Sheffield.
– Jo McGonigal: Artist and Fine Art lecturer in the School of Fine Art, History of Art & Cultural Studies at the University of Leeds. Jo McGonigal will be exhibiting at Castlefield Gallery with Frank Bowling later this year as part of the gallery’s 40th anniversary programme.

– Rachel Goodyear: Artist and co-director of Islington Mill, Salford.
– Yuen Fong Ling: Artist and curator based at Bloc Studios Sheffield, Senior Lecturer in Fine Art and Post Graduate Research Tutor at Sheffield Hallam University. Former director of exhibitions at Castlefield Gallery (1999-2005).
– Kay Shah: Artist and member of DMZ studios. He was recently awarded the Castlefield Gallery Artist Professional Development Award at HOME as part of the Manchester Open 2023.

Learn more and book tickets for the first part here

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These events are supported by AHEAD (Arts and Humanities Engagement And Dialogue), the public engagement programme of the Faculty of Arts and Humanities at Manchester Metropolitan University.

LOCATION

Castlefield Gallery, M15 4GB