The 7th annual Canterbury Arts Conference is scheduled for September 14-17, 2021.

Art: Building Bridges

Throughout the centuries, art has found a way to bring peoples together. From the steady beat of a war drum hailing warriors for battle, to an outdoor rock concert in front of the Pyramids in Giza, art is everywhere.

While art has been used to polarise as much as unite, it remains a bridge that allows us to see what is on each side of any divide. Art continues to be the medium through which creativity and social zeitgeist flow — an attempt to bring both together. This year’s theme celebrates the aspects of art as a bridge and artists as the builders. We want to focus on collaboration, congregation, and unification while celebrating differences, debates and diversity.

How has art helped to changed minds over an issue, contentious or otherwise? How has art shaped a pathway forward? Can art bridge cultural and other divides such as language, religion, culture, or even geographic distance? We’re eager to learn how art has been a bridge in your experience, or how it might be.

Also, we invite people who work with communities to come forward and share how art has been able to bridge community divisions and bring people together.

Featuring:

• Talks and presentations
• Workshops and hands-on sessions
• Discussions, debates and industry panels
• Short Film Festival

Come along and join us.