Susan Young

The Exhibition Hard Times was staged on the site of a former Barclays Bank directly underneath The Piccadilly Lights. For the duration of the show the work of fifteen artists evolved in the space, incorporating performance, improvisational making, talks, seminars, sculpture and creative writing workshops. This was a collaborative venture between all of the participating artists which brought to mind the dynamic trope of a circus troupe. Taking thematic inspiration from Dickens’ Hard Times the exhibition unfolded through 3 stages; Sowing, Reaping and Garnering. In Dickens’ novel the circus plays a pivotal role as a place for learning through experience, and this exhibition sought to bring a mindfulness to materials, place and people to unravel the uncertainties and contradictions held within our own ‘hard times’