Bow Skills artist peer support group: ‘the diaspora counter-gaze’ with Parwana Haydar
Thursday 15th August 2024 , 6:00pm to 8:00pm
Join artist and curator Parwana Haydar in this informal, exploratory artist peer support group interrogating the meaning of diaspora art, our relationship with institutions, and the wider structures of the art world.
What’s the difference between identity politics and diaspora belonging? How can we create spaces to collaborate and criticize each other’s work in ways that are intentional, challenging, and rewarding for artists? How do we navigate and interrogate the expectations of the wider art world as artists in the diaspora?
These are the questions rooting this informal session as we collectively and critically think through our relationship to diaspora art and what it means for our work and value systems as artists. Parwana will kick things off by breaking down the meaning of diaspora art, examining a few different examples to act as grounding points for conversation, ranging from grassroots arts collectives and communities to individual practitioners and artists operating within the moniker.
We will then talk through how we can create our own parameters for ‘success’ as artists in the diaspora, including working through how we position ourselves in relation to institutional expectations; mapping out how we can oppose, resist, redirect, and collaborate with intentionality and criticality; questioning how we hold ourselves and others accountable.
The aim of this peer support group isn’t to provide all the answers but contribute to our collective thinking – we want to co-create an informal, low-stakes space for sharing, dialogue, and critical thinking! Please bring real life examples of your experiences in the art world and any questions you have around this topic.
Some drinks and snacks will be provided, but this is a potluck style event! So, we encourage you to bring along a dish, snack, or drink of your choice if you are able to.
In this artist peer support group, you will:
- Connect with a community of other practising artists thinking, feeling, and working through similar questions
- Share and interrogate your experiences as an artist in the diaspora with other practitioners and see the intersections, differences, and contradictions
- Start to map out what it means to make space to intentionally engage with and critique each others work
These artist peer support groups are small, informal gatherings of artists and practitioners, which centre on a particular theme chosen by the selected artist facilitator – these themes could be anything from a discussion on artistic practice more broadly, to the state of our careers and other professional or cultural developments.
These gatherings provide opportunities for artists to connect, develop skills in sharing and talking about their work, and learn about different perspectives.
This event will be held in our outdoor courtyard (if the weather is nice!) or in our indoor courtyard room at Bow Arts Trust, 183 Bow Road, London, E3 2SJ.
Concession rate applies to students, over 65s, under 18s, Bow Arts artists, National Art Pass members, and key workers
More about Parwana Haydar
Parwana Haydar works predominantly in film and moving image exploring themes such as memory, family, archives and displacement. She is a curator of Afghan Visual Arts and History Collective (AVAH), a curatorial collective highlighting artists from Afghanistan and the diaspora. In November 2023 she was awarded ACE’s Develop Your Creative Practice grant to experiment with AI and immersive installation and investigate how a critical use of digital art can open a space for imagination enforced by loss of collective memory, culture and history of the displaced. She is an artist in residence at Somerset House, a graduate of South London Gallery Radical film school and Other Cinema’s film school. As a member of AVAH Collective she has curated talks and workshops with institutions such as Void Gallery, Independent Cinema Office at the BFI and HKW in Berlin. Her films have shown in Haus Coburg City Gallery, Eigenheim Gallery, Interfilm Festival and Fotofestiwal.
About Bow Skills
Bow Arts seeks to support creative professionals at all stages of their careers. In 2015 Bow Arts launched Bow Skills in response to an artist survey which showed over 90% of practicing artists find it useful to receive further support outside formal education.
Bow Skills is a dynamic and relevant programme of Continuing Professional Development (CPD) which is informed by an artist steering group and open to all creative practitioners across London. The programme of talks, panel discussions, new skills labs and peer crits is open to all, with concession rates available to students, over 65s, under 18s, Bow Arts artists and key workers.
Access information
The Bow Arts Trust office and courtyard have step-free access throughout from street level, including to the accessible toilet, and are service animal friendly. This venue does not have a hearing loop system. Accessible parking is not available on-site but blue badge parking can be found 500m away on Fairfield Road.
If you have any questions regarding accessibility at this venue or event, would like to make us aware of any access requirements that you have in advance of visiting, or would like this information in an alternate format including Easy Read, please email nunnery@bowarts.com or call 020 8980 7774 (Ext. 3)
Access requirements could include things like providing equipment, services or support (e.g. information in Easy Read, speech to text software, additional 1:1 support), adjusting workshop timings (e.g. more break times), adjustments to the event space (e.g. making sure you have a seat near the entrance) or anything else you can think of!
Transport Information
Opening hours: Mon-Fri, 9am to 5pm
Address: Bow Arts Trust, 183 Bow Road, London, E3 2SJ
Nearest station(s): Bow Road (District and Hammersmith and City lines) is a 6-minute walk away, and Bow Church (DLR) is a 3-minute walk away.
Bus: 205, 25, 425, A8, D8, 108, 276, 488 and 8 all service the surrounding area.
Bike: Bicycle parking is located at Bow Church Station. The nearest Santander Cycles docking station is at Bow Church Station.
