2 more sites along Edge Lane and my cycling expedition, the liverpoolwastelands Phase 1 adventure was done.
Feeling a little bit blue, I hurriedly I sped off to gatecrash the conference – which I did successfully – but not as loudly as I had hoped for. I wanted to speak out in the plenary session – to ask delegates to put up their hands if they were artists or freelance arts managers. I wanted to know just how many people attending The 2nd Annual National Public Art Conference had to pay for their ticket, travel expenses, and loose a day’s wages in attending. I wanted to make a point about the cost of the conference, and how charging such an amount automatically excludes many freelance practitioners. This has always been one of my bug-bares, and this was the day that I was going to shout about it.
I listened to the last two presentations: Reg Haslam, Regeneration Blackpool, and Dan Dubowitz, artist and Cultural Master Planner. A tiny amount of time was allocated to ask questions of the speakers - I asked a question, and, as is customary at such events, introduced myself “freelance artist currently working on a process led public art project within the Independents Biennial.” I should have said “freelance artist and gatecrasher” because this conference scrapped its plenary session, and my upstart moment was quashed.

Summary
5 sites evaluated
2 White
2 Yellow
1 Blue