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A new monthly series of free, informal artist talks is launching in Berwick‑upon‑Tweed this summer, bringing contemporary practitioners to the town to spark creative exchange and connection.
Photo: Luke McTaggart (Credit Jim Donnelly)
A new programme of free artist talks launches in Berwick‑upon‑Tweed this summer, as Speakeasy: Artists in Conversation brings contemporary practitioners from across the UK to The Straw Yard for informal evening events designed to spark discussion and creative exchange. Taking place monthly, typically on the last Thursday from 7–9pm, the series invites an artist each session to share insights into their work before opening up to audience questions.
Programmed by Berwick creatives Samantha Cary and Chris Adriaanse, Speakeasy aims to strengthen the town’s creative community by pairing visiting speakers with opportunities for local practitioners. Each event includes optional short ‘show‑and‑share’ slots for work‑in‑progress, while one‑to‑one studio visits with speakers offer further professional development. Additional workshops will run alongside the talks, beginning in September.
The first season brings a broad mix of practices to Berwick. Painter Luke McTaggart opens the programme on 25 June with work that explores community, place and shared experience, informed by his role as co‑director of grassroots initiative Dovecote Street Arts. On 23th July, Alice Walter discusses her unconventional assembled paintings, which blur the line between image and object through the use of studio offcuts and layered construction. Virginia Bodman follows on 27th August, presenting a painting practice rooted in the relationship between place, memory and lived experience. On 24th September, producer Kerenza McClarnan shares insights from her extensive work delivering ambitious outdoor and public‑realm art projects. The season closes on 29th October with Rachael Champion, whose large‑scale, site‑specific installations examine the meeting point between ecology, geology and the built environment. Further speakers will be announced as the programme develops.
All promotional materials for Speakeasy are being created through micro‑commissions by Berwick‑based artists, with an open call currently live. Funded by Create Berwick, the programme sets out to build a regular meeting point for artists and anyone interested in contemporary practice in the town, encouraging conversation, connection and a stronger creative network.
Tickets are available via The Straw Yard website.
Virginia Bodman, Mostra, (4), 2016, oil on cotton, 198 x 305 cm
