Queen Mary set to take part in Tate Exchange

The initiative will celebrate Queen Mary’s world-leading contributions to arts and culture and will include a series of discussions, film screenings and displays.

Tate Exchange is an ambitious ‘open experiment’ which allows other organisations and members of the public to participate in Tate’s creative process, running events and projects on site and using art as a way of addressing wider issues in the world around us. Queen Mary is a Tate Exchange Associate.

A particular focus will be migrant and refugee art, and the challenges of producing and conserving a home and identity when people move countries, and the impact this has on well-being. It will also explore the role of objects in producing individual and collective memories. 

Highlights of Queen Mary's Tate Exchange

• Short films, 'Here Be Dragons' and 'Fertig', created using a copper sphere housing four cameras called the Globe. This was rolled through the streets of east London recording journeys and conversations with the public about home and migration, territory and boundaries – Thursday 3 May.
• An illustration workshop exploring asylum and refuge, themes of a special issue of Queen Mary’s distinguished literary magazine, 'Wasafari', which was guest edited by broadcast journalist Bidisha – Friday 4 May
• 'Bag Mohajer' - a screening of a powerful documentary about young Afghan refugees in Greece who transform discarded lifeboats and lifejackets into bags – Saturday 5 May
• Recordings and data resulting from a unique collaboration between the indigenous Kuikuro people in Brazil and People’s Palace Projects, who are based at Queen Mary – Sunday 6 May.

Arts and Culture at Queen Mary

Queen Mary is already a major contributor to London’s diverse artistic and cultural landscape, and has built strong relationships with its local, national and international audiences through the arts. The university’s cultural activities are underpinned by a commitment to social justice, which has been central to the university’s identity since its founding.

The Arts and Culture strategy at Queen Mary, which was launched in November 2017, is led by Andrea Brady, Professor of Poetry at the School of English and Drama. Commenting on the partnership with Tate Exchange, Professor Brady said: “Tate Modern is a world-leading arts organisation, with a radically inclusive approach to curation and programming.  Queen Mary is proud to work in partnership with a museum that shares our values, by promoting cultural research and participatory artworks that foster inclusion, diversity and social justice. Join us as we explore some of the most pressing issues shaping our world with fun and provocative installations and discussions. Everyone is welcome.”

More information

To find out more about Tate Exchange please visit the website.

Download the Queen Mary Arts and Culture Strategy [PDF 17,652KB].