engage International Summer School 2009 - Shifting Perspectives: Positioning Learning at the Centre of the Gallery
13 - 16 July 2009
Kilkenny, Republic of Ireland
engage's International Summer School for experienced gallery educators, artists, curators and academics.
This peer-led event was a significant opportunity for colleagues at a similar stage in their careers to work together in order to:
- Reflect on aspects of current practice in gallery education
- Review current research and political agendas
- Consider the positioning of gallery education within the cultural sector
- Learn about international contexts for gallery education
- Network with UK and international colleagues
Theme
The theme, Shifting Perspectives: positioning learning at the centre of the gallery, was an invitation to participants to consider
how their own work is situated within contemporary gallery practice. It was also a catalyst for debates about how far learning and
engaged practice influence what is shown in galleries and contribute to a growing public understanding of contemporary art and its place in society.
Workshops, activities, updates on academic research and discussions were facilitated by the participants.
Programme
Delegates spent a day visiting galleries in Dublin as well as taking part in two days of peer-led discussion and activity. A key speaker,
Pauline Hadaway of Belfast Exposed, opened the event. You can download Pauline's Biography
here.
Resources
Click here for summaries of the sessions, presentations, and notes made by delegates, plus short video interviews
made by Summer School participant Fran Wilde.
Photo Gallery
Click here to see a selection of images. Photographs taken at IMMA are courtesy of IMMA, Photographer: Mirjam Keune.
Host venues
The event was held at historic Kilkenny Castle, Republic of Ireland, two hours from Dublin.
Summer School was kindly hosted by the Butler Gallery, which is based in the castle and
has a collection of nineteenth and twentieth century Irish art and a programme of changing contemporary exhibitions. The gallery of the
Crafts Council of Ireland, which hosted a drinks reception and dinner, is situated nearby in the
centre of the Medieval city of Kilkenny, surrounded by ornamental gardens.
During the day out in Dublin, the delegates visited IMMA (the Irish Museum of Modern Art)
and the Hugh Lane.
Contact
Shifting Perspectives was programmed by engage's CPD Programmer Penny Jones. 30 places were available: potential participants were invited to
apply in advance. For more information about engage Summer School email
cpd@engage.org or call engage on 020 7729 5858.