The Cambridge Union issued the following announcement.
Arts Debate
Thursday, November 26, 2020 at 7:45 PM – 9:15 PM UTC
Starts in about 18 hours · 4–7°C Mostly Cloudy
The Cambridge Union9A Bridge Street, CB2 1UB Cambridge, UK
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Can art ever detach itself from the world in which it’s produced? Is there something inherently subversive about literature, or is a conservative canon the worst enemy of progress? Can theatre change the status quo? How does music help or hinder social movements? This debate will centre on the role of art, from Michelangelo to contemporary pop culture, in our everyday lives and the makeup of our society, past and present.
Proposition
Andrew Nairne
Andrew Nairne OBE is Director of Kettle's Yard, the University of Cambridge’s modern and contemporary art gallery. He has held positions such as the Director of Modern Art Oxford, Chair of the Visual Arts and Galleries Association, and Executive Director of Arts Strategy at the Arts Council England. He was also Visiting Fellow at Nuffield College, Oxford. He received the Order of the British Empire in the 2019 New Year Honours for services to Museums and to the Arts.
Shona McCarthy
Shona McCarthy is the Chief Executive of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society, the world’s largest arts festival. She is also Chair at Walk the Plank (Manchester) and Oh Yeah Music Centre (Belfast), and previously worked as Director of British Council Northern Ireland. She has been awarded both the Eisenhower Fellowship for Innovation and a Nesta Fellowship for Cultural Leadership. She has worked on cultural regeneration in places including Hong Kong, Indonesia, Jordan and India.
Dr. Sarah Dillon
Dr Sarah Dillon is a feminist film and literary critic, and theorist at the Faculty of English at the University of Cambridge. Her upcoming book, Storylistening: Narrative Evidence and Public Reasoning, makes the case for the importance of taking stories seriously in the context of high-level decision making and policy making. She has also authored The Palimpsest: Literature, Criticism, Theory and Deconstruction, Feminism, Film. Sarah also works regularly as an arts broadcaster for BBC Radio 3 and BBC Radio 4.
Opposition
James Graham OBE FRSL
James Graham is a playwright and screenwriter. His play This House enjoyed a sell-out premier run, Olivier-nominated West End revival, and much interest and admiration from current and former MPs for his rendition of life in the House of Commons. He won an Olivier Award for his play Labour of Love, and his play Ink was nominated for six Tony Awards. James’s screen work includes Brexit: An Uncivil War, which starred Benedict Cumberbatch, and was both Emmy and BAFTA-nominated.
Slots will be available for student speakers.
In-person entry to this event will require tickets which can be obtained via random ballot, and we ask that you please provide relevant details for the Union’s track and trace system.
The event will also be live-streamed on the members' streaming service for those who would like to watch, but are unable to attend in person.
COVID-19
All of our in-person events are running at reduced capacity, with social distancing measures, temperature checks and sanitiser stations in place at all events.
Face masks are mandatory at all times on the Union premises, with the exception of our bar, which will be operating via table service and takeaway.
ACCESS
There is wheelchair access, padded seating, an accessible toilet, a gender neutral toilet and a hearing loop.
While there is no general car parking, a public car park is a 2 minute walk away from the door. Blue badge parking is offered in Park Street Multi-storey Car Park, as well as on the streets - Round Church Street and Jesus Lane.
We can arrange for a BSL interpreter and a designated quiet space by request in advance.
You can contact us about access by emailing: president@cus .org.
Original source here.
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