Nottingham Contemporary

The Politics of the Art School: Art and Worker Solidarity Study Day

On the occasion of the visit of occupiers of the DITA factory in Tuzla, this event brings together researchers and participants from radical art and worker movements in the UK and Yugoslavia.

Student Art Centres in Yugoslavia were important meeting points between artists and broader social and political issues and hosted left critique of the official culture in Yugoslavia and joined the neo-Marxist, post ‘68 critique of culture, including that of the emerging ‘red bourgeoisie’. Central to this was the linking of artists’ struggles to those of other workers. What politics of solidarity were shared by artist and art student movements and their counter-parts in art school activism and occupations in the UK? And, how do current artists and art students and work in solidarity with other worker groups to fight the neoliberalisation of the arts and broader society today?

The event will be formatted around keywords, inviting past and present participants from the UK and Yugoslav contexts to discuss strategies and futures for their work in and across both contexts.

Hosted by Margareta Kern and Janna Graham.

Schedule

1-1.30pm Welcome and Lessons from the DITA Factory Occupation

1.30-2.30pm

Histories of Artist/Worker Solidarities in Former Yugoslavia and UK

Gillian Whiteley

Yelena Vesic

BLOK

Bertrand Russell Peace Foundation

2.30pm BREAK

3-5pm

Contemporary Artist and Worker Groups including.

Goldsmiths Occupation

Precarious Workers Brigade

Occupy Cass

DITA Factory Occupiers

Vanessa

Nemanja Cvijanovic

Jelena Vesic

Unite Hotel Workers/Implicated Theatre

NTU students

All are welcome to contribute.

Travel bursaries available for current students involved in art schools. Please write to publicprogramme@nottinghamcontemporary.org with your interest in attending.

In collaboration with Politicised Practice Research Group and Anarchist Research Group, Loughborough University.