World-renowned artists and art critics to talk at Leeds Beckett

The Inside/Out Guest Speaker Series offers historical, theoretical and critical analyses of the arts, architecture and design, and features ten high profile industry speakers including Professor Craig Dworkin, an art critic from Utah, and Jaap Blonk, a composer, performer and poet from the Netherlands.

Hosted by the University’s School of Art, Architecture and Design (AAD), the programme will run from Thursday 28 January to Thursday 14 April.  All of the lectures are free, open to the public, and will be held in the University’s Rose Bowl in the city centre Each lecture will include a Q&A session after the lecture.

Professor Simon Morris, organiser of Inside/Out, said: “Our aim is to bring the best minds of our generation to inspire and support the work we are doing across the School of AAD and the Faculty of Arts, Environment and Technology at Leeds Beckett.

"We have flown some of the world’s most influential artists to speak to our students, staff, the local community and wider region.  I hope that the series will draw large crowds of like-minded people who will respond well to, and enjoy, these incredible performers.”

The first lecture in the series will feature Doncaster-born artist and Leeds Beckett Senior Lecturer, Nathaniel Mellors (above image).

Now living in Los Angeles, Amsterdam, London and Yorkshire, Nathaniel’s work often takes the form of absurdist fantasy to address serious themes.  His work includes installations, film, music and critical writing, and has been, amongst others, showcased at Tate Britain, the South London Gallery and by the BBC.

In addition Nathaniel: writes and produces film and video with a recurrent group of actor-collaborators, including Richard Bremmer (Harry Potter, Control) and Gwendoline Christie (Game of Thrones, Star Wars); is the co-founder of Junior Aspirin Records; and performs music with the group God in Hackney.

The School of AAD has practice at its heart - whether working in the studio spaces in Broadcasting Place or working site-specifically.  Course staff are practitioners and researchers of national and international standing.

For full details of all events hosted by Leeds Beckett University go to http://www.leedsbeckett.ac.uk/events/.

The full list of talks in the series is:

Nathaniel Mellors, Artist.  Thursday 28 Jan, 12-2pm.

Professor Jane Rendell, Architectural theorist, the Bartlett School of Architecture.  Wednesday 3 February, 1-3pm.

Professor Craig Dworkin, Art Critic, Utah, USA.  Thursday 11 February, 12-2pm.

Professor Teal Triggs, Graphic Designer, The Royal College of Art, London.  Thursday 18 February, 12-2pm.

Jérémie Bennequin, Artist, Paris.  Thursday 25 February, 12-2pm.

Dr Gilda Williams, Art Critic, Goldsmiths, University of London.  Wednesday 2 March, 1-3pm.

David Batchelor, Artist will be talking about COLOUR Thursday 10 March, 12-2pm.

Kate Briggs, Translator, Paris.  Thursday 17 March, 12-2pm.

Jaap Blonk, Sound Poet, the Netherlands.  Thursday 7 April, 12-2pm.

Susan Ronald, Author.  Thursday 14 April, 12-2pm.