Description
Join author and cultural commentator, David Kennedy, as he explores the complex relationship between art, class, and social change, drawing on themes from his provocative book Art and Class: How the Middle Classes Hijacked the Nation’s Galleries.
Kennedy will examine whether landmark works like Guernica truly influenced public opinion, whether the New Deal’s investment in artists brought lasting transformation, and whether today’s galleries and museums are engines of social cohesion – or simply echo chambers for the already privileged.
With powerful examples from past and present, we will ask: do the arts truly challenge power and reach those who need them most?
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About the Author
David Kennedy
On leaving school David Kennedy worked as an apprentice in the cotton mills in Paisley but turned his interest in climbing into a career and became a climbing instructor in Africa and America. On returning home he worked as a social worker and eventually became a serious man in a suit running Bradford Council.
About the Chair
Suzanne Rennie
Suzanne graduated from the MA Fine Art (Honours) degree at Edinburgh University and Edinburgh College of Art before moving to Bradford, eventually becoming Head of Art at a local boys comprehensive school.
She then spent two decades working as an education officer for Bradford Museums and Galleries
where she was part of a team developing resources for schools, colleges, adult learners and families. Suzanne was always keen to turn around the experience of being of what can sometimes feel an alienating space for visitors. She was fortunate to have access to the acclaimed exhibitions and diverse collections at Cartwright Hall, devising creative ways to connect their content with the local community.
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