Peer – Exploring Repair, Collaboration and Evaluation

Peer - Owning the Future Book Talk_Peer_Photo Sam Nightingale

Peer is a not-for-profit free-to access space for contemporary art in East London.

About Revision

Between November 2022 and February 2023, Peer hosted Revision, a research and events programme that explored repair, collaboration and evaluation. In response to the ongoing effects of the global pandemic and with increasing calls from artists and art workers to reimagine how we work, the programme acted as a ‘reset’, providing a space to reflect on the work we’ve done, and the work we want to do. In this time no exhibitions were presented, and the gallery was used as a site for research and learning through conversation and group work.

Aims

By creating the programme Revision as a space to discuss and explore environmental topics, its primary aims were to provide a ‘reset’, allowing Peer’s team and participants to reflect on their work and envision a more sustainable and inclusive future. This programme aimed to encourage collaboration, evaluation, and repair within the art sector.

In Conversation with Dani Admiss and Angela YT Chan at Peer Gallery, London. Photo Courtesy: Peer Gallery 2

Actions

As a result of Revision, Peer’s team engaged in policy development and sought additional training opportunities, such as participating in Hackney’s Green Business Seminar. The programme facilitated organisational and governance development and plans for participants, allowing for a more informed and sustainable approach to our team’s work.

Curator and researcher Dani Admiss and researcher, artist, and curator Angela YT Chan were among the collaborators who discussed their work on art and climate justice during Revision. Admiss in particular spoke about Sunshine Doesn’t Need a Pipeline, a community-led collective decarbonisation plan for the art sector and beyond. Their contributions added depth and expertise to the programme’s exploration of environmental topics.

In Conversation with Dani Admiss and Angela YT Chan at Peer Gallery, London. Photo Courtesy: Peer Gallery

Reflections

Revision was critically important for Peer’s team and audiences as it provided a platform to address issues related to sustainability, climate justice, and cooperative models in the art sector. The programme was important in helping to foster a more inclusive, considerate, and sustainable environment, benefiting not only the artists and art workers but also the broader community involved in the arts.

Owning the Future Book Talk, Photo – Sam Nightingale

This case study was written by Peer.