In August 2023, the British Council partnered with the Liverpool Biennial to host a delegation of sixteen international curators, primarily from sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia as part of the Visual Arts Biennials Connect programme.
The Liverpool Biennial is the largest festival of contemporary visual art in the UK, making it a perfect place for international curators to meet and build connections with the UK visual arts sector.
The delegates saw exhibitions across Leeds, Manchester and Liverpool and took part in the Liverpool Biennial programme events inspired by this year's festival theme ‘uMoya: The Sacred Return of Lost Things’. In the isiZulu language, ‘uMoya’ means spirit, breath, air, climate and wind. Through this theme - conceptualised by curator Khanyisile Mbongwa - the 12th edition of the Liverpool Biennial addresses the history and temperament of the city of Liverpool and is a call for ancestral and indigenous forms of knowledge, wisdom and healing.
The connections made during the ‘Sector Day’, when delegates met individuals from the UK visual arts sector, sparked discussion and an exchanging of ideas from wide-ranging perspectives, particularly considering the theme of the day’s discussions - practices of care within a biennial context.
Listen to some of the delegates talk about their experience in the video below.
