‘Historically, pandemics have forced humans to break with the past and imagine their world anew. This one is no different. It is a portal, a gateway between one world and the next. We can choose to walk through it, dragging the carcasses of our prejudice and hatred… or we can walk through lightly, ready to imagine another world. And ready to fight for it.’ – Arundhati Roy, April 2020
We’re delighted to announce the release of our new publication In Other Words. It’s a collection of urgent reflections, created by 49 artists over 4 months in 2020 exploring their hopes and fears for the future at a time of global crisis. Through prose, poetry, drawing, collage and photography it is a clarion call for change from a diverse group rich in wisdom, shared experience, and a sobering reminder of what it means to be marginalised in the UK.
The book was devised at the start of the Covid -19 pandemic in the UK, and was initially inspired by an Arundhati Roy quote above. In this moment of huge unknowing and isolation, we recognised that for many of the artists we were working with – (d)Deaf and disabled, working class, LGBTQIA, and those experiencing racism – the idea of ‘getting back to normal’ post Covid-19 was a loaded and exclusive concept.
The book was edited by our Associate Producer Kate Marsh, commissioned by Metal and published by Metal in partnership with Live Art Development Agency.
To buy your copy or read more about this book, please click here.