21st Century Art & Politics (Part 1)

Art and politics have a long history of complex entanglement, but in the new millennium, the global artistic scene has exploded with political controversy. From the Mariinsky Ballet to Brett Bailey's Exhibit B, from Tania Bruguera to Charlie Hebdo, via El Sistema and other social experiments, artists and their work appear more and more entwined with surrounding political issues and volatility.

In Part 1 of this talk, Graham Sheffield CBE, Global Director Arts for the British Council, offers reflections on the current situation, examining issues of conscience, freedom of expression, social action and identity in an international context.

Participants

Presenter: Graham Sheffield CBE Global Director Arts, British Council
Moderator: Paul Smith Director of the British Council (USA) and Cultural Counsellor at the British Embassy
Respondents: Afa S. Dworkin Executive Director, Sphinx Foundation Antonio Aiello Content Director and Web Editor, Pen American Center

Part 2 of this talk features a debate on these topics with Afa S. Dworkin (Sphinx Organization), Antonio Aiello (PEN American Center) and Paul Smith (Director of the British Council in the USA and Cultural Counsellor at the British Embassy Washington DC)