Peopling the Palaces Festival returns with five-day celebration of resistance through art, performance and conversation

Led by the Department of Drama in the School of the Arts, in collaboration with artist-led collective Air Supply, the festival brings together students, alumni, academics and invited artists to explore how creativity can be used to challenge oppression, foster dialogue and imagine new futures.

Through live events, collaborative workshops and installations, Peopling the Palaces provides a space for communities to gather, reflect and act. The programme includes performances, rituals and critical discussion, all grounded in a shared commitment to the power of art as resistance.

Festival highlights include:

Wednesday 4 June

• Creative Skills Academy, 10am to 5pm

• The Annual Catherine Silverstone Lecture, delivered by renowned scholar Sara Ahmed: No! The Art and Activism of Complaining, 6.45pm (for 7pm start)

Thursday 5 June – School of Resistance

Workshops and live sessions throughout the day, including:

• Flowers for Peace with Ru Dannreuther

• Pigeoning the Palaces with Amber Pattisson

• Nonviolence and De-escalation Training with Resilient Voices Alliance

• Dancing for Freedom with Polly Towers

• Caste, Protest, Pedagogy with Malavika Priyadarshini Rao and Swati Arora

• Poetry for the People with Rachael Allen

• Drawing the Revolution with Lisa Gornick

• Playwriting readings by second-year BA Drama students

• Stage Left – Live Podcast Recordings hosted by Professor Jen Harvie, featuring:

  • Playwright Mojisola Adebayo at 5.30pm

  • Live artist Martin O’Brien at 6.45pm

Friday 6 June

• Public Studio: On Resistance led by Lois Weaver, 2pm

• Is It Worth It? film screening and discussion (People’s Palace Projects), 4pm

• Deaf Narratives in Film: Being Marcus and Where the Light Gets In, 6pm

Saturday 7 June

• Live Art Day, curated by Martin O’Brien, from 3pm

• Decadent Dissent and Rebellious Resistance, a performance party curated by Julia Bardsley, from 7pm

Sunday 8 June

• Making Feast, curated by Lois Weaver. A contemplative afternoon of food, ritual and performance, from 2pm

A platform for creative futures

Now a regular fixture in the Queen Mary arts calendar, Peopling the Palaces offers a unique space for emerging artists to collaborate, experiment and engage with the wider public. Since 2013, Air Supply has supported students and alumni as they transition from university into professional artistic careers, offering creative platforms, networking opportunities and spaces for skills development.

All events are free to attend. Book your tickets and view the full programme at: https://www.airsupplycollective.com/