From 18 September to 22 September, Oxford Art Circus will take place at Fusion Arts in East Oxford Community Centre. It’s being billed as “part art show, part experiment: a five-day long residency involving an affordable art shop, a pop-up dinner, workshops, performance and live music.”
In their own words:
“Oxford Art Circus co-founders Kirini Kopcke and Sophie Frenzel, both artists themselves, have long lamented the exclusivity they perceive as endemic in much of the art world: how can emerging artists survive in a world of white-gallery spaces selling work for astronomical prices, where luck and self-promotion seem key to success? And how can the average person really participate in the ‘art world’ if the sticker prices – and the accompanying aura of exclusivity – make it impossible to even consider buying a work you love?
“It is this gulf between art makers and art appreciators that Oxford Art Circus seeks to rectify by making art more affordable and accessible. A roster of talented emerging artists, from Oxford and farther afield, have taken up the challenge and created wonderful works that they are offering for sale for £50 or less. Oxford Art Circus will also feature performance works, live music, theatre, and even a pop-up restaurant by the social enterprise Mazí Mas, all in the name of widening access to high-quality artworks of all kinds.
It seems fitting then that the residency will be hosted at Fusion Arts in Oxford, off the Cowley Road. Since 1977, Fusion has connected artists with communities, and inspired hundreds of bespoke creative projects. Through the transformational power of the arts, the community arts charity responds to challenging social circumstances by delivering meaningful and inclusive artistic experiences.
Specific bits and pieces will be taking place as follows:
Wednesday 18 September, 6.00 pm to 9.00 pm: Acoustic music and performance from seven o’clock, with music by Laura Theis and Duchess and performances by Robert Steadman and Mads Floor Andersen. Sale of artwork from six o’clock.
Thursday 19 September, 10.00 am to 6.00 pm: Workshops and performance including by Mads Floor Andersen with …and here …and there… and, Paulette Mae with Sea Me (In Bits), and Roxanne Claxton with Unlock your Creativity, featuring the headquarters of the alternative money institute ‘Bank of Change streetlevel’. Sale of artwork throughout the day.
Friday 20 September, 10.00 am to 6.00 pm: Workshops and performance including Dianne Regisford’s participatory food performance One Bowl and Celeste Harper Davies’ play 15 Hawkins Street. Sale of artwork throughout the day.
Saturday 21 September, 7.00 pm to 11.00 pm: Pop-up gig and art auction, in collaboration with Fusion Arts’ bi-monthly pop-up nights. Featuring music from Jeremy Allen, Blufits, Charlie Cunningham, Roxanne Claxton, and Rainbow Reservoir.
Sunday 22 September, 10.00 am to 11.00 pm: Makeup and body painting workshop by Sue Bardwell, from the morning until 5.00 pm. Art sales throughout the day. From 7.00 pm, Mazí Mas pop-up dinner (book tickets at: www.mazimas.co.uk for £22 each).
Find out more about all of this at the Fusion Arts website.