‘No Boundaries’ event brings leading thinkers to York. Here’s what to expect
What links York with Bristol and includes speakers from Google and beyond the grave? The No Boundaries conference. Grace Edwards reports
What is No Boundaries?
This new, two day event aims to stimulate debates on a range of arts and culture, making it accessible to everyone.
More than 350 delegates from across the industry are due to attend on Tuesday, February 25 and Wednesday, February 26 at Guildhall in York and Watershed in Bristol.
Organisers hope it will offer “playful discussion surrounding arts and culture” to show how far 21st century society influences creativity.
The two venues will be linked via a video broadcast sharing information and speakers.
What is up for debate?
There will be five main themes:
- the creative potential of young people
- adapting to stay relevant and resilient
- the shape of our future society
- the development of place
- internationalism
Who will be talking?
Speakers include the chair of the RSA (Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce) Vikki Heywood, and Alice Greenwald, vice president of the National September 11 Memorial & Museum at the World Trade Center in New York.
Also from the US, Abigail Posner from Google will consider the question “Can culture be both local and global?”
And Cedric Price, visionary architect, will contribute despite the seeming drawback of having died 11 years ago. Thanks to some digital trickery, he will return to take part in a session on Future Society.
The very much alive chief executive of City of York Council Kersten England and Marcus Romer, artistic director of Pilot Theatre in York, are set to take part in a debate on how the arts can contribute to a sense of place.
Who is behind the event?
No Boundaries is supported by Arts Councils England and the British Council and is produced by Pilot Theatre and York city council among others.
British Council director Graham Sheffield says: “We believe the creative industries and cultural organisations from the UK and around the world have a great capacity to develop and learn from each other. By bringing together a diverse range of voices from within and outside the arts, we hope to inspire new ways of thinking and working together.”