Introducing Groupwork: our new interdisciplinary peer-to-peer sharing space for artists, curators, critics, gallerists, and other creative practitioners to present ideas and works in progress for feedback, in an informal, low-stakes, and discussion-based environment.

Groupwork is a newly established mini-series in our Bow Skills programme, homing in on the potential of multidisciplinary spaces to generate peer-to-peer learning and the insights we can gain from other creative practitioners with different knowledges, interests, and lived experiences. These sessions are small, informal, and low-stakes gatherings, with an emphasis on discussion, sharing, reflection, and the building together of dialogues.

For this first edition, we will hear from independent curator Kristine Tan and multidisciplinary artist Bettina Fung 馮允珊 as they present works in progress for feedback and reflection.

Alongside Kristine and Bettina, there are three 20-minute ‘open slots’ for attendees who would also like to present a work in progress, project, or idea for feedback from others in the space (the 20 minutes includes both presentation and feedback time). For those who sign up, we will follow up with you to make sure we can facilitate what you need for your presentation!

More about the presenters

Kristine Tan is a curator and designer based in London and Singapore. She realises curatorial projects which engage with urgent issues in contemporary times. Most recently, she co-curated A Gathering of Tomorrow platforming Asian Futurism at starch in Singapore. Other projects include Sonic Travellers at Bus Projects about the reclamation of cultural heritage through sonic practices; Information Wants to be Free at ADM Gallery in Nanyang Technological University brought to light contentious issues surrounding Big Tech; Portals of Longing where refugees living in Malaysia shared multifaceted stories about their lived experience of displacement; NOT FOR SALE presented speculative video works on billboards surveying our entrenchment within a state of surveillance capitalism; and Entanglements in Time at Lewisham Arthouse challenging anthropocentric markers of temporality. She was previously part of the residencies team at NTU Centre for Contemporary Art Singapore and the exhibitions team at ArtScience Museum.

Bettina Fung | 馮允珊 is a Hong Kong-born, British Chinese artist based in London. Her practice centres on drawing’s performative and expansive nature, often incorporating it into live performances, sharing her process as the work unfolds in real time. She creates two dimensional, performative and site-specific works that delves into the subjects of ritual, futility, legacy, belonging, productivity and progress. With a strong interest in the ideas of ‘commoning’ and collective creative action, some of her more recent works are associated with the themes of shared authorship, inviting reflection on how we build, belong, and act together.

Bettina has exhibited in the UK and internationally, including at Whitechapel Gallery, Manchester Art Gallery, and Art Central Hong Kong. She was the recipients of awards including the a-n New Collaborations Bursary (2014) and the Arts Council England’s Grants for the Arts (2018). With a keen interest in alternative education, Bettina was a part of Syllabus IV (2018/19), an alternative peer-led artist development and learning programme delivered by six UK arts institutions and initiated a peer-led learning group through the Airspace Gallery’s Artists Make Change bursary in 2020. Bettina’s practice also extends to community-focused projects and tattooing.

In this groupwork session, you will:

· Connect and meet a community of other artists, curators, critics, writers, gallerists, and creative practitioners

· Engage in discussion, dialogue, and peer-to-peer learning

This event will be held in our courtyard room space at Bow Arts Trust, 183 Bow Road, London E3 2SJ.

About Bow Skills

Bow Arts seeks to support creative professionals at all stages of their careers. In 2015 Bow Arts launched Bow Skills in response to an artist survey which showed over 90% of practicing artists find it useful to receive further support outside formal education.

Bow Skills is a dynamic and relevant programme of Continuing Professional Development (CPD) which is informed by an artist steering group and open to all creative practitioners across London. The programme of talks, panel discussions, new skills labs and peer crits is open to all, with concession rates available to students, over 65s, under 18s, Bow Arts artists and key workers.