Art, activism and the archive

If heritage imaginaries shape and constrain political imaginations, can alternative cultural and political archives expand the scope of the political imagination?

In previous research, the team found that historical scripts about the future and development constrain the way that the future is imagined, whether by artists, academics or activists. In this project, Ruth worked with Shaela Sharmin and Shorab Jahan (Chittagong), Susan Kiguli (Makerere), and Emilie Flower (York) to convene a number of experimental activities held in York, Chittagong, and Kampala to explore, surface, disrupt and create alternative archives. These included, arts exchanges, archive training, artist residencies, creative labs, arts based workshops, public conversations, street happenings, exhibitions and artist responses. Notably, the project supported activities within the innovative Cheragi Art Show in Chittagong, and an exhibition in the Uganda National Museum in Kampala.