Middlesbrough Art Week (MAW) 2024, in its seventh edition, demonstrated once again how contemporary art can serve as a catalyst for community engagement and social change. Running from 26 September to 5 October, this year’s festival titled In the Now and the Far addressed the crossovers between urgent social action and long-term future-building in the North East of England. The programme included public art installations, performances and new commissions that invited ‘everyone to explore, discuss and enjoy’, as highlighted in the Brat Green printed publication (very on-trend). Middlesbrough’s streets, venues and public spaces were transformed for the duration into hubs of creativity and critical engagement.
A central highlight of MAW was UPROOT Collective, a curatorial project involving over 210 young people and community groups from across the Tees Valley. The festival posed a key question: “How can we grow a festival?”. In response, mini meadows were planted at sites across Middlesbrough that were later uprooted (hence the name) and brought together to form a meeting place at the former New Look clothing shop, now contemporary arts venue, Pineapple Black. Designed by Kathryn Feeley, the living sculpture served as a successful site for hosted talks, workshops and drop-in activities.
I found myself at Pineapple Black talking with artist Sue Loughlin minutes after a drop-in seed harvesting workshop and it was as if the seed heads had hiccupped all over the place like confetti at a wedding. This truly was the beating heart of MAW and I made it my mission to return throughout the week. The act of collective gardening and gathering reflected the festival’s emphasis on environmental responsibility and community collaboration. UPROOT Collective in particular symbolised growth and renewal, showcasing how people can take action and create meaningful change through creative practice and have fun at the same time.
Another standout contribution to MAW came from Greek artist Kyriaki Goni, whose installation ‘Not Intended for Algorithmic Audiences’ (2021) critiqued the pervasive influence of digital surveillance. Through the fictional character of an eye-boggling virtual assistant that offered tips on avoiding detection by algorithms, Goni playfully yet incisively explored how our voices, both sonically and metaphorically, can be monitored and manipulated in a tech-dominated world. The work encouraged festival-goers to reflect on issues of privacy, control and the power dynamics embedded in technology, making it a compelling fit within the festival’s exploration of power and agency. I came away from the space, as someone working in the arts and culture sector, feeling quite concerned about the already noticeable impact of artificial technology on creative processes.
Karrabing Film Collective, an Indigenous Australian media group, brought global resonance to MAW with their film ‘Night Fishing with Ancestors’ (2023). The film traced historical trade routes between Indigenous communities and Asia, predating European colonialism. Strategically presented in a disused shop front on Captain Cook Square (named after the British explorer James Cook, accused of murdering indigenous people including Māori of New Zealand in 1769 amongst many other crimes of empire), this work highlighted the ongoing struggle of indigenous peoples to reclaim their histories and resist colonial erasure. The film revealed to me an evocative link between this resistance and Middlesbrough’s post-industrial identity, underscoring the festival’s commitment to amplifying marginalised voices.
MAW continued its commitment to nurturing local talent through the North East Open Call, the festival’s flagship regional exhibition. Curated by Penelope Payne, this year’s edition featured eight artists—Chris Thompson, Henna Asikainen, Eileen White, Webb-Ellis, Joshua Le Gallienne, Matthew Young, Christine Walker, and Mark Bletcher—whose works explored broad themes of power, community and ecological fragility. A highlight of this group exhibition was work by Walker, a recent graduate in ceramics from the University of Sunderland. Smartly spotlighted, in what used to be an abandoned B&M unit in the Dundas Shopping Centre, Walker’s alien-like objects were beautifully elevated, allowing the textures of the forms to take centre stage, almost like figures gliding on an ice-skating rink. Drawing on her background in social care, she uses clay as a medium to explore themes of identity and experience, in a way that resonated deeply with me. Seeing ‘Angel of the North’ artist Antony Gormley engaging with this exhibition in person at the opening event made me feel hopeful about the future of artists from the North East. It’s exciting to think that, at MAW, up-and-coming artists like Walker are being noticed by such influential figures in the art world.
In contrast to visual arts, Comedown Comedy offered a lighter but equally engaging aspect to the programme. Comedians Seymour Mace, Liberty Hodes, and Elaine Robertson brought humour to the festival at live event space Disgraceland in their new show ‘The Farts Council’, offering a moment of joy amid the more serious themes explored elsewhere in the town. This performance element demonstrated MAW’s commitment to creating a dynamic, multifaceted festival experience, where serious critical engagement can coexist with moments of levity and reach a wider community. At what other art festival could you be terrified by an AI robot one moment and then laugh about the absurdity of the art world as interpreted by stand-ups dressed in cardboard cut-outs of artworks that look to be inspired by a 1997 episode of Art Attack the next? MAW makes a convincing case that art should be for everyone.
Overall, Middlesbrough Art Week 2024 was a resounding success, delivering a programme that combined local engagement with global perspectives. From the collaborative spirit of Uproot Collective to the speculative and political works of artists like Kyriaki Goni and Karrabing Film Collective, the festival embraced its mission to address urgent social, political and environmental issues through creative practice. At its core, MAW 2024 exemplified how art can engage with community and inspire action. The festival’s emphasis on participation, collaboration and underrepresented voices ensured that it remained relevant to both the local context of Middlesbrough – which has experienced its fair share of troubles, including riots in the summer provoked by far-right groups – and the broader global challenges we face. With its expansive vision and commitment to social justice, MAW continues to be a vital cultural force in the North East, offering a model of how contemporary art festivals can foster meaningful connections between artists, audiences and the wider world, despite these pressures.
I stepped off a train a few days after the festival ended and was intrigued by a glowing green waiting room at Middlesbrough Train Station. Inside the room was a series of striking vinyl artworks by artist Emma Bennett inspired by moquette patterns – a durable woven fabric used on public transport. The neon window coverings and matching metal seats reminded me of the grassy festival programme brochure that was glued to my hand a few days earlier: a symbol, a green light for change in a town that I now call home. This site-specific work was part of Middlesbrough’s Most Creative Station, a partnership between the council and artist-led organisation Navigator North. I wonder if MAW 2024 wins the accolade of Middlesbrough’s Most Creative Festival?
Danielle Ash is a curator and writer based in Middlesbrough.
Middlesbrough Art Week: In the Now and the Far ran from 26 September to 5 October 2024.
This review is supported by Middlesbrough Art Week.
Published 11.11.2024 by Benjamin Barra in Reviews
1,235 words
