Sponsored by Kent Law School, The Afro-Diasporic Legal Network are pleased to invite submissions from Kent students for an art exhibition and competition due to take place on 18 March 2023 at the Gulbenkian.
Art has always played a special role in fostering community amongst people, especially those from differing backgrounds. In 2021, we launched The Human Experience exhibition with the theme ‘Know Justice, No Peace’ which recognised that art had the ability to bridge gaps and bring together people fighting for similar causes. The exhibition showed how art worked as a mechanism to amplify the voices of those who may otherwise not be heard, and allowing people to push boundaries, communicate their struggles, and change the narratives around social issues.
In March 2022 we had The Human Experience Vol. II: Identity and Self which focussed on individuals and what they wanted to show the world about themselves while capturing their personalities, beliefs, and ideas. The exhibition was a night of energy, talent, and celebration.
This year, we want to talk about community and the power of togetherness. Togetherness has been a source of comfort and joy in our past, but it can also be a huge tool for change for our future – to challenge the injustices and to demand more and better. We want you, through your art to show us Togetherness as we take it in two parts:
- Community: We believe that community is essential for our Human Experience, and we want your art to be an inspiration to the power that community holds. We want you to think about how community has provided warmth for you in whatever way. It could be uniting under a cause, or a sense of belonging, the feeling of ‘home’ or joy.
- Change: In Change, we want you to be bold. Looking forward, the only way to overcome the challenges the world is facing – including threats to humanity and justice – is in coming together to make a change. Rights to education for women were taken from them in Afghanistan, LGBTQ+ folks still do not have rights to live freely in many countries, and in some, those rights were taken, the U.S. overturned Roe v. Wade deciding that a woman’s right to choose to have an abortion was no longer constitutionally protected with many countries still denying women this right, but also, even in War racism thrived as we saw after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. This and much more happened and coming together to unite against these threats and injustices is the only way we can have the future we so desperately need. This is an opportunity for us to self-reflect and highlight the power we hold in the community. We want you to use your art to show us how we can come together and bring about change.
Criteria
The works submitted need to engage with the theme of ‘Togetherness’ in line with the above description of Community and Change.
Artworks can be submitted in the forms of:
- Visual art including photography, videography, painting, drawing, etc.
- Performance art including spoken word, dance, vocal and instrumental music, etc.
The exhibition is open to all current Kent students. We particularly encourage students from marginalised communities, and with intersecting identities to submit artworks that centre around their experience in community.
Art sessions
Leading up to the deadlines, we will hold 2 art sessions where students who may lack materials or who may simply want community in preparing for their submissions to come together. We will be discussing the themes and creating artworks during these sessions. The first collective art making session will be held on 10 February, 5-7pm, at Woody’s. Please follow our Instagram page @adln_kent for further details.
Submit your artwork
Submissions will be accepted until 28 February 2023. After the deadline, students whose artworks have been accepted will be contacted to arrange for their artworks to be exhibited/performed during our public event due to take place in the Gulbenkian on 18 March 2023.
Submit your artwork here: THE HUMAN EXPERIENCE EXHIBITION SUBMISSION FORM
Submissions will be judged by a panel of representatives from Kent Law School and students, and the winners will be awarded prizes in the categories of:
- Best Submission for Painting or Illustration
- Best Submission for Photography and Videography
- Best Submission for Performance
- People’s Choice
Further questions
Contact Sikemi or Tracy at thehumanexperienceart@gmail.com