Critical Communities

Image, courtesy Writing Encounters, York.

Writing Encounters (York St John University 11-14 Sept) is an international symposium curated by Claire Hind and Claire MacDonald, for writing artists, researchers, curators, producers and teachers who have an interest in the encounter between art, writing and performance, as well as the way in which writing's forms are currently changing in response to new technologies and social networks. The conference line up includes artists Barbara Campbell (1001 nights) and Lone Twin, Material (Simon Morris and Nick Thurston), Maria Fusco (Director, MFA Art Writing Goldsmiths College), Open Dialogues as well as many others involved in the related fields of performance and writing. More details can be found at the conference website


At Writing Encounters Open Dialogues and New Work Network will host 'Critical Communities' a roundtable discussion for all delegates that asks; what kind of encounters do artists and writers have? What relationships do existing structures enable writers and artists to have? What is produced in these encounters? How can such critical relationships be safeguarded within artistic communities?

If you are planning to attend the Writing Encounters conference, we hope you will make a contribution to Critical Communities in person. Let us know in advance if you are attending then we can shape the event accordingly.

There is also the opportunity for you to engage in the debate before, during and after the conference via the New Work Network online forum. Whether you are an artist, writer, critic, curator or publisher ‘Critical Communities’is the place to contribute your thoughts, responses and personal experiences about your relationship to critical writing. What is at stake when critical writing takes new work as its subject and object? What do you think happens or is produced when new work artists and writers come together? How can the related act of making new work and writing about it be re-configured? Can we - artists and writers of new work - change the way we work together?

We look forward to your contributions, either online or in York- or both.


Writing Encounters Conference website

Critical Communities online forum

Open Dialogues