About the AiR Project
AiR Project is an initiative that sustains established Live Art practitioners, supports emerging artists and invests in the spaces, which nurture their work and their audiences. It will create a dedicated community for Live Art inside Queen Mary, University of London, ensuring that audiences in the East End and across London have the opportunities to engage with a wide variety of performances. AiR Project has three key areas:
1. AiR
An Artists in Residence (AiR) programme involving a series of public outcomes. Invited artists explore the possibilities raised by carrying out research in a higher education institution, which supports crucial periods of research and development. During each residency, artists contribute to the research environment of the department, and are actively encouraged to engage with the students and staff to develop new work and concepts. The AiR program allows artists to develop connections within the Department of Drama at Queen Mary, and creates links between the department and new audiences.
2. Outside AiR
Outside AiR is a program of performances and events showcasing the work of the Artists in Residence (AiR). Outside Air also involves other established artists in public performances, conversations and special events. Previous Outside AiR events in March and November 2010 have featured new work by Ron Athey and Kira O’Reilly and performances by Split Britches and Leibniz. For details about the next Outside AiR, please see our What’s On page.
3. Fresh AiR
Formerly EEC, Fresh AiR provides a platform for emerging artists, giving nine artists at the start of their career an opportunity to showcase their work in a professional public context and to receive critical feedback on their practice. Fresh Air also includes a half-day professional development seminar and advice session now called Fresh Tips (formerly Everything You Wanted to Know About Live Art but Were Afraid to Ask). In it’s first year, Fresh AiR presented the work of nine emerging artists, offering each the chance to develop their practice and perform to an audience of academics, artists and arts professionals. For details about the next Fresh AiR, please see our What’s On page.
Both Outside AiR and Fresh AiR take place in and around Queen Mary, University of London in the heart of the East End, and present performance in the Great Hall of the People's Palace, a recently regenerated Victorian Music Hall and a dedicated Live Art venue.