The Faculty

The Faculty is an alternative learning space for practitioners working at the intersection of arts and social transformation led by Chrissie Tiller (Power Up) and Kerry Morrison (Socio-ecological artist and In-Situ co-founder). In 2021, The Faculty North provided the opportunity for 31 people to develop their ideas and discuss experience in a collaborative setting. Considering the political, the social, the economic and the environmental with a care-full approach, the programme employed arts-based methods of learning and exploration.

Along with our partner's Heart of Glass, we invited applications from individuals to join the second iteration* of The Faculty. This programme was delivered online due to COVID-19. It covered Context and History, Practice and Skills, Ethics, Ethos and Politics, Planning and Presenting a Project, Self-care and Survival. During the course, resources shared included introductory sessions, group tutorials, optional ‘homework’, and a virtual interactive platform for everyone to collaborate, reflect and share ideas. There was eight online sessions (usually Tuesday mornings, 1.5 to 2 hours each).

The online Northern Faculty of Social Art Practice aimed to support creative practice and well-being, offering its students space and time to share experiences, reflect on practice, and exchange ideas with colleagues and peers, particularly during a global pandemic that has affected all of our lives. To support this aim, each student received a bursary of £500 to attend. Because of COVID-19 restrictions we took the difficult decision to limit the geographical scope of participants to the North of England and people who identify with being Northern.