For the fourth session of our reading forum and learning community for artists, Reading for the Restless, we’ll be taking over Bidston Observatory Artistic Research Centre (BOARC), for a weekend of discussion and workshops, designed for artists, cultural practitioners, facilitators, and youth and education workers.
Activity takes place across two days, with guests invited to join us overnight, if staying for the full programme. See below for schedule: both the workshop (Reading for the Restless) and conference (The Art World is... Dead) are free and include food. You're invited to stay the weekend if you can: accommodation is £10 / night.
Reading for the Restless: Friday 28th February
From 1pm, with Emeri Curd (Heart of Glass) and Gee/Grace Collins
The weekend starts with the fourth and final instalment of Reading for the Restless. An opportunity to read and discuss Jack Halberstam’s The Queer Art of Failure, thinking through how we might apply this to our own lives, work and practice. Guests are invited to use the space from 1pm for solo reading, and our discussion / slow reading will start from 2pm.
Reading for the Restless is a project for people across the North West who are passionate about social justice, human rights, self expression, learning and unlearning, with a focus on developing practice. One of the focuses of the programme looks at theory - expressly queer theory - and thinks about how we might put some of these ways of thinking into practice and activate change within the communities we work within. Texts will be shared in PDF format a month ahead of the session, and you don’t need to have attended previously to join in!
Your visit: All attendees to Reading for the Restless are welcome to join us for an evening meal. Attendees are also welcome to stay overnight, if attending Saturday's conference.
The Art World is… Dead (So let’s chat): Saturday 1st March
From 10am, with Short Supply and friends
This session will be led by Short Supply, and invited speakers, and is the culmination of a year’s worth of Short Supply’s 2024-25 Arts Council Funded programme: talking about what goes wrong in the art world, what’s going right and what could be better.
“We’re doing a conference our way, by inviting 5 guest speakers to share their experience in the arts, their own careers, and how they’ve tried to make change in the sector.” - Mollie, Short Supply.
Your visit: All attendees will be served lunch, and are welcome to join us for an evening meal. Attendees are also welcome to stay overnight, join in our social activities in the evening, and enjoy use of the space at Bidston on Sunday until 1pm.
Sunday 2nd March
There will be no programmed activity on Sunday, and guests will need to check out by 1pm.
A brunch will be served for all those who stayed with us on Saturday night.
Tickets
Tickets are available via Eventbrite. Please make sure you book the right ticket if you are planning to stay with us overnight, as space is limited:
- Reading for the Restless only (includes optional evening meal) - FREE
- Reading for the Restless + overnight stay Friday + Conference (includes 1 x lunch + 2 x evening meals) - £10
- Reading for the Restless + overnight stay Friday + Conference + overnight stay Saturday (includes 1 x lunch + 2 x evening meals + Sunday brunch) - £20
- Conference + overnight stay Saturday (includes 1 x lunch + 1 x dinner + Sunday brunch) - £10
- Conference only (includes 1x lunch) - FREE
Additionally, every person attending Reading for the Restless, will receive a free physical copy of Jack Halberstam's The Queer Art of Failure.
If you’d like to speak to us about the schedule, or check that you’re booking the right ticket, drop us a line at: learning@heartofglass.org.uk
Ticket types
We have created a visual guide to the ticket types, which might be helpful to check before booking.
Access, and your visit
Food will be provided for lunch and evening meals - please book the option that best suits your stay, so we can ensure everyone is well fed!
All food served will be vegetarian - don’t forget to tell us about any additional dietary requirements when booking your ticket
BOARC is a shared, communal space and all attendees will be expected to contribute to keeping the space clean, tidy, and washing up after meals
You will have access to the communal kitchen (fridge/freezer, cooker, microwave, kettle) throughout the weekend. Please bring your own breakfast and snacks. There is a large Tesco supermarket a 30 minute hilly walk from the site.
Bed linens and blankets will be provided, but you are welcome to bring a sleeping bag
Bedrooms are shared between a maximum of 8 people. We encourage everyone to be respectful and understanding in sharing space with each other.
Travel bursaries
A limited number of travel bursaries are available, if you need support in attending this event. Please contact learning@heartofglass.org.uk to discuss your needs.
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