Member Article

International street arts conference heads to the region

The North East is to host the first international conference celebrating world street arts. The Mapping the Streets Conference is expected to attract around 250 of the world’s best street performers and festival organisers to The Sage Gateshead. As well as celebrating the achievement of street artists, the conference will also seek to discover something about the art form’s origins and explore the way it has developed into a popular global expression of culture. Conference organiser Frank Wilson, who has been planning the event for the past two years, said: “For the conference to take place here in 2006 is particularly relevant in the light that NewcastleGateshead has just recently hosted the World Summit on Arts and Culture. This event will be truly world-class with around 70% of the delegates attending from not just around Europe but from the far corners of the globe.” Delegates will also discuss a number of issues affecting the industry such as “What motivates artists to make outdoor performances? “Is freedom of expression encouraged or compromised by performing in the streets?” and “Is it possible to see a global direction in which street arts are traveling?” The conference will take place at The Sage Gateshead and Wynyard Hall on 21-24 September. For more information about the conference log onto www.mappingthestreets.org.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .