BEYOND: A Bi-monthly Artist Social Gathering - 2nd October 2024

Beyond The Mainstream is YVAN's bi-monthly online artist social gathering, led by multi-disciplined artist Michael Barnes-Wynters!

We’ll be sharing alternative ways to plug into a sea of creativity and provocations. This is an open and safe space for artists and arts workers to make connections, friendships, request feedback on recent work and a place to share resources whilst being encouraged to test out ideas or shared experiences from the creative sector, to find peer support and brainstorm challenges.

This is the 3rd gathering of Beyond the mainstream. In the previous gathering we discussed an opportunity to get involved in a future artists publication ‘LOCATIONS OF HOPE'. Born out of the 'UK race riots' in August, this phrase was coined by the attendee Michael Mayhew (The Food Library)and so in this session he will intro it with text, to contextualise the phrase as move forward to develop this publication of passion and hope.

Topics that have come up during previous gatherings include: sense of place, Identity, belonging, Food, social spaces, recipes, calligraphy, writing, unusual suspects, locations of hope, a call to consciousness, places of convening and connection.The next meeting: Wednesday 2nd October 2024, 6-7:30pm on Zoom. Sign up and learn more here.

More about our BEYOND facilitator, Michael Barnes-Wynters:

Having recently relocated his studio to The Old Lifeboat Station on Bridlington's South beach, Michael is a multi-disciplined taste maker, audio visual artist, mentorist, mischief maker and instigator. Originating from Bristol of Jamaican parentage, his long-term artist collaborations broadcast at the intersections of immersive experiential film installations and provocative durational action performances. He is a passionate ambidextrous user of analogue and digital technologies which he employs to explore his childhood sensory experiences.

Being a cultural connector and enabler, working with people from all walks of life and abilities is at the heart of Michael's activities. He continues to use socially engaged, performance and participatory-based strategies to make work that explores historical narratives and omissions, especially from his African diaspora, working class communities and migrant experiences in the UK.

Accessibility

We operate a Safer spaces agreement during all meetings and events: Safer Spaces doc. Captions/transcripts are available to access from the menu in Zoom. This meeting won’t be recorded. If you would like to make us aware of any access needs or have any questions please email info@yvan.org.uk or complete this accessibility form.

About YVAN

YVAN is an infrastructure body for the visual arts in Yorkshire and the Humber. We are founded on the creative vision of individual artists and arts organisations. We prioritise individual practitioners, artists networks, small-scale initiatives and the artist-led.

YVAN are one of nine regions that make up Contemporary Visual Arts Network (CVAN) England who are part of a national alliance of visual arts networks from Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

We look forward to having conversations with you and connecting!