Author Archives: alison jeffers

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About alison jeffers

I am an academic working in theatre and performance.

Exploring the integration of arts and industry: The National Festival of Making in Blackburn

Posted on July 10, 2024 by alison jeffers

I got pretty good at knowing the Northern Rail train timetable to Blackburn last winter when I was shadowing Fast Fast Slow with Common Wealth Theatre in 2023 (see blog in June on Clothing Waste and Sustainable Fashion). The train … Continue reading →

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Exploring Hyperlocal Socially Engaged Arts Practices in Response to Covid19 in England

Posted on July 7, 2024 by alison jeffers

The project “19 in 20” documented hyperlocal socially engaged arts practices in England responding to Covid-19, aiming to share good practice and discuss the impact. The research used participatory methods to create a resource for artists, community groups, and scholars. Feedback underscores the value of flexible, inclusive approaches in arts and the enduring impact of human connection. Continue reading →

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Clothing Waste and Sustainable Fashion: A Look at Fast Fashion’s Impact

Posted on June 24, 2024 by alison jeffers

Summary:
The author’s lifelong love for clothing is intertwined with personal and societal reflections on clothing consumption, disposal, and impact. The 2023 British Textile Biennial highlighted the global journey of discarded Western clothing to African markets, prompting the author to reconsider the significance and ethics of their clothing habits. “Fast Fast Slow,” a performance art piece, emphasized the value of slower, more mindful clothing practices and the potential for collaborative, sustainable approaches to fashion worldwide. Continue reading →

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Further thoughts on dissent

Posted on March 2, 2020 by alison jeffers

In an earlier post on this website (April 5, 2017), Alison Jeffers wrote about the idea of community artists as dissenters. Starting from Clare Higney’s view of community artists as people who strive to ensure that ‘the door’ stays ‘open’, she refers to ideas from several writers and activists on some key aspects of dissent. These include the centrality of dissent to ‘democratic governance’ and to politics itself (Ivie 2005), and the role of dissent in keeping ‘an alternative vision alive’ (Williams 1961). Continue reading →

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Relieved of duty

Posted on September 30, 2018 by alison jeffers

Francois Matarasso speaks so eloquently about looking back at over 40 decades of community arts. Well worth a read.

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Culture, Democracy and the Right to Make Art: the British Community Arts Movement goes Gold Open Access!

Posted on September 25, 2018 by alison jeffers

The book Culture, Democracy and the Right to Make Art: the British Community Arts Movement edited by Alison Jeffers and Gerri Moriarty is now available free online. For those who want to access the book now just click on the … Continue reading →

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Cultural Democracy, yesterday, today and tomorrow

Posted on April 6, 2018 by alison jeffers

  Yesterday we held a symposium at the University of Manchester which was attended by artists, academics, policy makers, creative practitioners, and others. We heard from Huw Wahl, Owen Kelly, Sophie Hope, Steven Hadley, Cathy Mackerras, Steve Vickers, Nick Wilson, … Continue reading →

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First review

Posted on February 6, 2018 by alison jeffers

Thank you to Stephen Pritchard and ArtWorks Alliance for the first review of the book. “Culture, Democracy and the Right to Make Art is an essential read for artists, arts professionals, academics and anyone else interested in better understanding the legacy … Continue reading →

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We’re Making History

Posted on September 8, 2017 by alison jeffers

Thank you to François Matarasso for the next input in our series of guest blogs. François blogs regularly on https://arestlessart.com/ and we are very grateful to him for engaging with Culture, Democracy and the Right to Make Art to express his ideas about … Continue reading →

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A Living Proposition

Posted on June 20, 2017 by alison jeffers

Between 2010 and 2017 we interviewed over 20 artists as part of the research for Culture, Democracy and the Right to Make Art. Over the next few months the blog will provide an opportunity to hear from some of them … Continue reading →

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