Project
Past event - EDGE: Artists' Symposium
Monday 10th February 2025
Monday 10th February 2025
EDGE was East Quay's first artists’ symposium, taking place on Monday 10th February 2025.
This gathering was an invitation for artists and arts organisations based in the West Country to reflect on what it means to operate at the periphery — creatively, geographically, and economically. Through two engaging panel discussions, creative workshops, and informal networking, we explored themes of place, practice, and the broader impact of working at the edges. It was a chance to consider the intersections of art with rurality, diversity, and societal change in a welcoming and thought-provoking environment.
EVENT HIGHLIGHTS:
Morning Panel: Practice at the Periphery
This session examined how place influences artistic work. Does rurality constrain or liberate? What does it mean to work at the margins of convention? Together, we’ll discuss how these factors intersect with questions of climate, diversity, and social justice.
Guest Speakers:
Afternoon Panel: Artists on the Edge
This session explored what it means to navigate the boundaries of the economy, what it means to be populist, commercial or outside of both and how the de-centring of art impacts societally.
Guest speakers:
Creative Workshops
Complementing the panels, the workshops offered space for reflection and creativity. Everyone was invited to engage with the day’s themes while participating in hands-on activities such as printmaking and slow stitching.
Closing Conversations
The day concludes with refreshments and time to connect with fellow artists in the East Quay Kitchen, providing an informal setting to continue the conversations sparked throughout the event.
Poetry and Performance
This Poem is for the Artists
Written and performed by Deanna Payne
Images and film: Jesse Roth, Matchstick Films
