The Artist's Voice: Stories of Transformation and Change

Anna Francis presented the keynote speech at the Inaugural Derby Visual Arts Summit 2018. The presentation set out the artists role in the changing city, using Anna Francis' Stoke-on-Trent based practice as a case study to set out a series of tips and pointers for practitioners. Details about the event: 'A morning of debate and discussion about the visual arts in Derby to explore the gaps, needs and opportunities and to inform the Culture Strategy for the city. Join us for a morning of debate and discussion about the visual arts in Derby. We are keen to understand what is currently working well, what gaps may exist and what the priorities are for developing the sector in the city. This event will form part of the consultation for the new Culture Strategy that is being written for Derby. The Visual Arts Summit is being jointly organised by Artcore and Derby City Council Arts Development. Our guest speaker will be Anna Francis. Alongside her own practice Anna is a Director at AirSpace Gallery; this is a collaborative, artist led project in Stoke-on-Trent, providing professional development opportunities, studio and exhibiting space and support for artists. Anna is also Associate Professor in Fine Art and Social Practice and course leader on the BA Fine Art course at Staffordshire University.