Art & the Public Sphere, Volume 9

The image shows the front cover of a journal 'Art & the Public Sphere, Volume 9 Numbers 1 & 2', which uses a still image from the film 'One Square Mile' by Chris Paul Daniels and Sam Meech.

Still from timelapse production for Phoenix City 2021

A report on the Phoenix City Convergence featured in Coventry Biennial 2019 has just been published in Art & Public Sphere Journal, Volume 9. The report looks back on the screening and symposium event curated as an output of my Coventry Biennial artist residency at Coventry University (2018 - 2020).

The event sought to go beyond the media narrative to explore the ideologies and realities of UK City of Culture, and what it can mean for Coventry, asking: What is a City of Culture, and who is it for? What do local artists and residents want it to be, and (how) can it be influenced? Key themes include arts-led regeneration, creative placemaking, and valuing vernacular cultures.

Thanks to Emily Hopkins and Mel Jordan for helping to shape the writing.

Duncan WhitleyUK City of Culture, Coventry, artists' moving image, Coventry Biennial