Peopling the Palaces - Resistance
Peopling the Palaces was back this June, reaching into the QM Arts community and beyond to deliver a multidisciplinary program curated around themes of resistance.
Continuing its decade-long legacy, Peopling the Palaces festival was produced within the School of the Arts and offered five days of public and community engagement. Showcasing work by students, academics, and artists, the programme platformed skill-building workshops, performances, live art, film screenings, and academic talks in an environment designed to foster conversation, build communities, and expand partnerships both within and beyond the university. Curated around the theme of ‘resistance,’ the festival invited participants to engage creatively and critically with how to rethink and resist in the face of oppressive forces, demonstrating the multiplicity and value the arts can provide.
Peopling the Palaces 2025 included:
No! The Art of Activism and Resistance: the annual lecture dedicated to Catherine Silverstone, this year delivered by renowned writer Sara Ahmed. Welcoming over 600 attendees between ArtsTwo and Zoom, Ahmed explored the political potential of the word ‘no’ as a precursor to her upcoming book along the same theme.
Flowers for Peace: a flower arranging workshop exploring the history and meanings of flowers, delivered by Ru Dannreuther.
Stage Left Podcast Live: a live recording of Jen Harvie’s podcast interviewing artists and practitioners. In this edition, she spoke to playwright Mojisola Adebayo, and live artist Martin O’Brien.
Live Art Day: building on last year’s Live Art performance day, we welcomed over twenty artists to perform across two public facing events, including an afternoon of durational performances. We also hosted the Live Art Development Agency, who screened films from their archive, as well as setting up a bookshop for our attendees