Arts Writing Symposia
Thursday 18 and Friday 19 June

Across two days in June 2009, Maria Fusco and Gavin Butt led a symposium as part of a series of events exploring the possibilities of contemporary arts writing. These events formed part of a series of symposia organised by Birmingham City University, Chelsea College of Art and Design, Goldsmiths and Reading University to develop an Art-Writing Research network. Presentations and papers produced for the symposia will be published by Article Press, Birmingham City University.

Arts Writing Symposia Day 1: Who is this who is coming?
Thursday 18 June

“Ow, I seen it wive at me out of the winder, wailed the boy, and I don’t like it.”

Inscribing, reasoning and prospecting around the shore of M.R. James’ 1904 supernatural short story Oh, Whistle, and I’ll Come to You, My Lad, this event observed inscription as a methodology for art writing through a range of critical and creative presentations; examining where meaning might take place, and reasoning backwards. Featuring a rare screening of Jonathan Miller’s 1968 film version of the story. Speakers included Beatrice Gibson, artist, Jennifer Higgie, writer, Craig Martin, cultural geographer and Alexandre Singh, artist. Organised and chaired by Maria Fusco, Director of Art Writing, Goldsmiths College and Writer-in-Residence, Whitechapel Gallery.

Arts Writing Symposia Day 2: Performing/Knowing
Friday 19 June

This day highlighted the creative potential of performance in the space of knowledge production across the areas of art practice, traditional scholarship, and everyday life. It raised issues about the efficacy of performance as ‘convincing’ scholarly argument; the ethics and politics of performance presentation; and the relationship of performance to the written text of criticism. Speakers included Oreet Ashery, performance artist, Adrian Heathfield, writer, Kate Love, writer, and Aaron Williamson, performance artist. Organised and chaired by Gavin Butt, Department of Visual Cultures, Goldsmiths College.
Recordings from these events will be available soon.