by Liz Dees
Another philosophy of mine is the democratisation of arts and culture. Art is for all and can be engaged in, or enjoyed by all.
There is no right or wrong. Every action is valid. (Providing it’s legal!) This is a philosophy I teach in my sessions, that you can do anything you want in art, and that you should do what you like and what makes you happy above all else.
Also, I believe categorising creatives based on their education, background, or upbringing can foster an elitist system. I believe the Arts and Culture industries have far too long pandered to a patriarchal capitalist system.
Luckily, the great thing about the internet is it is a level playing field where all are equal, and all have the same chance of getting recognition for your creative work. It also provides a huge global resource where information, skills, techniques, processes, materials and examples of great work can be found.
I believe it is a difficult path to tread with exhibitions, galleries, festivals, competitions and events or membership societies being exclusive. I believe with application procedures where decisions are made based on subjective elements such as; the curators opinion upon the look or quality of the work can lead to disempowerment, disappointment and lead to creative individuals feeling rejected and unworthy.
Therefore, I believe it is important to make arts and culture available to all, either to access and own, or to be able to pursue and produce. There should be no barriers to viewing, pursuing and producing arts and creativity.
Everyone’s pursuit is valid and meaningful to them. The hope is that if exposure to arts, culture and creativity is increased, we, as a society will be better for it. The positive health and wellbeing benefits of arts and culture are well documented.
So to that end I am aiming to share my experiences and knowledge, to inspire and empower others to explore and engage in creative pursuits. So here endeth my sermon!!!
With Traenerhus we have 4 more Exploring Art sessions timetabled in for May. Each session will be delivered for the first time on a Wednesday 1-3pm BST, then will be repeated on a Saturday 2-4pm for those unable to make the Wednesday day slot.
We will be soon announcing the June and July programmes with a possibility of hosting an in person session on a Thursday afternoon soon….
If you are interested in joining us, more information and booking details can be found at www.traenerhus.com