In this Access session we chat to Mark Leckey and Rene Matić about their journeys within the arts

Описание: CLASS CONVOS x THE SECOND ACT

A series of online talks with working class artists and industry professionals about art, access and class curated by The Working Class Creatives Database.

Thur 22nd August 2024
6.30pm - 7.30pm (1 hr)

Our 2023 members survey revealed that many of our members faced challenges breaking into the industry from not feeling welcome at networking events, private views and exhibitions to issues with confidence and imposter syndrome. In this Access session we chat to Mark Leckey and Rene Matić about their own journeys within the arts landscape and the emotional labour that comes with making work which explores personal narratives.

Mark Leckey (b. 1964, Birkenhead) is a British contemporary artist. Since the late 1990s, his work has looked at the relationship between popular culture and technology as well as exploring the subjects of youth, class and nostalgia. He won the 2008 Turner Prize. He works with sculpture, film, sound and performance⁠ – and sometimes all four at once.

Rene Matić (b. 1997, Peterborough, UK) is a London-based artist and writer whose practice spans across photography, film, and sculpture, converging in a meeting place they describe as "rude(ness)" - an evidencing and honouring of the in-between. Matić draws inspiration from dance and music movements such as Northern soul, Ska, and 2-Tone as a tool to delve into the complex relationship between West Indian and white working-class culture in Britain, whilst privileging queer/ing intimacies, partnerships and pleasure as modes of survival.

The Second Act is a gallery that operates between Blackburn and East London delivering a programme with an emphasis on the inclusion of artists for the North; and also those from working class backgrounds to support the growth of a diverse eco-system of British artists. The gallery chooses to work with artists who make contemporary art with challenging concepts, narratives and research. She is also one half of Uncultured Creatives, a collaborative artist-curator duo established in partnership with Jamie Holman. The work they produce is characterised by the exploration of divided histories, sensitive content and the unification of diverse community participants through shared experiences of culture and class.

The Working-Class Creatives Database (WCCD) CIC is a volunteer-led platform that highlights the work of working-class creatives in the UK. It was founded in 2020 to provide a platform for working-class creatives, to establish a strong community between working-class artists around the region and tackle classism within the arts by improving accessibility, engagement and opportunities.