The programme will consider gallery education, examining where practice has been innovative in the past, in the present, and how it can continue to innovate in the future. There will be a focus on the potential of digital technologies to encourage new ways of engaging with art and ideas, and discussion about the importance of innovation, provocation and disruption in learning and education across different art forms.

Delegates will hear key opinion-makers and researchers’ views on what the sector can expect in the near future. In engage’s 25th anniversary year, delegates and speakers will create a manifesto of the moment – a snapshot of current practice and ideas for the innovative future of gallery education.

Some of the most exciting thinkers and doers from within the sector and beyond will share their ideas and experiences and get everyone talking. Sessions will explore:

Innovation & collaboration: The value of working together to imagine new ways of enabling innovation.

Innovation & the digital age: Ways in which social media, mobile and digital technologies continue to influence our experiences, and why arts organisations need to be part of this change.

Innovation & gallery education: A lively discussion investigating why some of the best gallery education is disruptive and innovative.

Engaging breakout sessions hosted by venues across the city will introduce delegates to new tools and skills, such as intriguing apps for galleries, gif animation, fresh approaches to evaluation, and designing diagrams to communicate stories of innovation.

Contributions will include...

Alex Fleetwood, creative director and founder of Hide&Seek will propose ways in which galleries can collaborate with digital makers to disrupt and re-imagine how we experience art.

Sarah Ellis, Digital Producer at Royal Shakespeare Company will examine how audiencesand participation can completely change when a performance unfolds across social media.

Sarah Bailey, Acting Head of Engagement, FACT, will discuss how collaboration is essential for innovation and is at the heart of FACT’s approach to engagement.

Matt Locke, Director of Storythings, will explore the potential of digital technologies and storytelling to think about art in new ways.

Amanda Philips, Learning and Access Officer, Leeds Art Gallery will talk with artists Kate Genever and Steve Pool about art, education and subversion.

Kate and Steve will lead a session on designing diagrams that capture innovative ideas and practice. Lynn Froggett, Research Professor, Universities of Central Lancashire and Stavanger, Norway, will introduce delegates to the Visual Matrix, a new approach to evaluation. Nick Ellwood, co-founder and Creative Director, Breakfast Creatives, and Wieke Eringa, CEO & Artistic Director, Yorkshire Dance will run a workshop about respond_, a digital adaption of Liz Lerman’s Critical Response Process. Tom Goddard, Learning and Participation Officer, Glynn Vivian Art Gallery will show how to produce an animated gif.

Keeping the discussion lively and ensuring everyone gets a chance to contribute, Conference Chairs will include Rob Greig, Chief Technology Officer, Royal Opera House and Lisa Edgar, Head of Education, ffotogallery.

Fringe

As well as engaging in the Conference, delegates can participate in an exciting Fringe programme showcasing visual arts and culture in Leeds and across Yorkshire, with partners that include: Leeds Museums and Galleries; Leeds Art Gallery; The Tetley; Yorkshire Sculpture Park; The Hepworth Wakefield; York Museums Trust; CapeUK; Pavilion; Site Gallery; Sensation Arts; University of Leeds; Leeds College of Art.

Evening Event

The evening event will include a delegate Soapbox session; Axisweb’s Video Pops; networking; and the Marsh Awards for Excellence in Gallery Education.

Venues

The Conference will be based at Northern Ballet in central Leeds, with breakout sessions at cultural venues across the city including Leeds Museums and Galleries and The Tetley.

To Book a Place

Visit the engage website to download a booking form, or contact the engage team on 0044 (0)20 7729 5858. Attendance fees are discounted for engage members. Early bird reductions are available on tickets booked by Monday 15 September 2014.