Facilitating the Artist Citizens Jury to examine artistic research in higher education

Artists Nina Wakeford and Elizabeth Price led the first Artist Citizens Jury to intervene into current debates about artists and artistic research in higher education. Lucy Kimbell was the facilitator for the jury, formed of 12 UK-based artists who engaged with 8 expert witnesses who gave testimony over two days at the Centre for Contemporary Arts, Goldsmiths College, University of London in November 2022.

Based on the model of a Citizens Jury, a form of participatory action research widely used in public and civic settings, the Artist Citizens Jury worked as a group to consider the following questions: Given the presence of artists in universities, and the recognition of practice-led research, how can parity be ensured with other disciplines? How can the allocation of research funding support art in universities?

The ‘Document of the testimony, deliberation and reflection of the Artist Citizens Jury 2022’ published in July 2023 comprises a transcript of the event alongside recommendations.

The image shows the specially created furniture designed by Wakeford and Price for the Artist Citizens Jury.