CAS Conference: On Radicalism (1 May 2025)

Thursday, 1 May, from 11am–4 pm

Swedenborg House, 20-21 Bloomsbury Way, London WC1A 2TH 

The CAS 2025 conference centers on exploring what it means to be radical within the context of art museums and curatorial practice. The aim is to examine structures and ideologies embedded in cultural institutions and art collections—their narratives, and the politics of representation—while foregrounding strategies for reshaping and transforming them. 

We are thrilled to welcome a lineup of inspiring speakers who, from diverse perspectives, will share their insights on radicalism. 

Sharon Heal (Director of the Museums Association) will discuss how the museums sector is responding to current crisis while exploring potential opportunities for radical practices and examining what it means to be an activist within the museum world. 

Dr. Clare Carolin (Writer, Researcher, and Curator at King's College London) will present her research on museum archives as sites of radical potential—repositories of hidden or forgotten truths that, once uncovered, open up new realities and possibilities for much-needed change. 

Katya García-Antón (Independent writer, curator, researcher, and cultural manager) will share findings from her research on contemporary art in Sápmi and the Arctic, offering her reflections on the practice of resistance. 

Helen Legg (Director of Tate Liverpool) will speak about the 13-year custodianship of a work by Maya-Kaqchikel artist Edgar Calel, which—aligned with a sacred Mayan cycle—will culminate in a decision to either pass the work on to another institution or return it to the earth. 

Sepake Anigiama (Artistic Director of Iniva) will explore radical pedagogies, the processes of unlearning, and radical forms of re-imagination. 

The day will conclude with a roundtable discussion, providing an opportunity for speakers to further develop their ideas, exchange perspectives, and engage with questions and comments from the audience. 

The event is free for CAS Museum Members. If a travel bursary is required please fill in this form. You can also email [email protected] if any further questions.

General Public is required a £15 ticket or £10 concessions. Ticketholders will be provided lunch. The event space is wheelchair accessible. 

Schedule 

10:30 – 11 am: On-Site Registration 

11 – 11:05 am: Welcome by Caroline Douglas, Director of the Contemporary Art Society 

11:05 – 11:15 am: Introduction by Dr Paula Zambrano, Curator of Programmes of the Contemporary Art Society 

Part 1 

• 11:15 – 11:45 am: Museum Activism in an Age of Intolerance by Sharon Heal 

• 11:45 – 12:15 pm: How to Build a Decolonial Peace Museum by Clare Carolin 

12:15 – 1:15 pm: Lunch 

Part 2 

• 1:15 – 1:45 pm: Helen Legg 

• 1:45 – 2:15 pm: Museum Collections as Agents of Resistance and Resurgence by Katya García-Antón 

2:15 – 2:45 pm: Tea break 

Part 3 

• 2:45 – 3:15 pm: Sepake Angiama 

• 3:20 – 4 pm: Round Table, Final Remarks and Audience Engagement