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As part of my PhD research, I've been speaking to socially engaged, community and participatory artists to understand how they listen within their practice.

Socially-engaged art projects are rarely initiated by the communities they seek to serve. Though arts organisation’s efforts (consultation, co-production and partnership models) go some way to address this, inequality often remains ingrained in projects from their inception. My research asks, how can social art challenge uneven power-relations, even when set within frameworks serving neoliberal agendas? 

I'm interested in how 'listening' features within this practice, and how it might be applied as a useful and usable model for dissecting power dynamics. What gets in the way of listening, and what might the consequences of listening be?

This monthly podcast series is hosted by Meanwhile in an Abandoned Warehouse - a podcast about cultural democracy and community art. 

Episode 1: Listening and Not Knowing

Albert Potrony introduces his participatory arts practice, describing a recent project with young fathers in Gateshead and former members of an anti-sexist men’s group. We talk about collaborative practice in detail, and the role of listening within this.
 

References:
Albert Potrony

Elastic Communal Tours at Tate

Equal Play at BALTIC

Turner Prize 2021

The Tyranny of Structurelessness

Aldo van Eyck

Anti-sexist men’s groups

North East Young Dads and Lads Project

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