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28 Jan 25 | Events
Personal Invitation: Radical Curiosity
Curious about how creativity can shape a better future? Come along and take part in an afternoon of collaboration and conversation at Radical Curiosity on Tuesday 11 February. Below is a personal invitation from Erica Whyman, our Visiting Fellow who is leading the event. Her words capture the heart of what this gathering is all about:
A personal invitation from Erica Whyman
If you’re reading this, thank you for being curious about what I’m up to. I’m a theatre maker, and have spent a few decades finding ways to ask difficult and sometimes simple questions about the world, in a way that invites a conversation.
I’ve known Oxford since 1988. My first impression was of a place of privilege the like of which I did not know existed. And then I explored just a little further and realised it held the diversity of the whole world in one small city, the industry of car manufacturing, the history of dinosaurs, the energy of carnival, the birthplace of Oxfam. Since then I’ve loved the contradictions and the endless possibilities of this place.
This year I’ve been given a gift by the Cultural Programme at the University of Oxford, to spend a little time thinking about how we tell stories, why we make art, and how any of it can make the world a little more democratic. Our world seems to me to be in a state of rapid change, making many of us feel untethered and untrusting, and yet we also face into amazing possibility, technological and human, to organise ourselves differently. Artists of all disciplines have always been at the forefront of change, but I think that in this country we mostly think of them (us) as a nice-to-have, not essential.
I believe that artists (we) are completely necessary to make sense of our fears and our potential. And I think universities and cities can invest in culture and creativity in transformative ways.
If you have something to say about any of the above, please come along. For however long you can spare. Your voice matters to me.
Erica
Feeling inspired? Don’t miss this chance to join Erica and others in reimagining how creativity can help us navigate and respond to the challenges of our time. Radical Curiosity takes place on Tuesday 11 February from 1-5pm at Holywell Music Room, Oxford. Find out more and reserve your free ticket
28 Jan 25