Inspiration from Guest Speakers - Hwa Young

[A minimum of two x 200 word reflections on what you have learnt from any of the Media Talks Guest Speakers (#2)]

During the Academic year, there were two talks in particular that have inspired me to either try something new, and to continue doing my best to make it into the industry.

A guest talk I more recently attended at the University was with Hwa Young. Hwa Young is an award-winning artist, who specialises in bringing in members of the public in unlikely spaces, and creating new pieces of art with them. Be it with children, or with convicts - Hwa Young is no stranger to either end of the spectrum.

Hwa Young- left. On project "Northern Powerhouse - Last Towns Standing.

Young's method of opting to interact with the public, rather than exclusively other artists, and her keenness to use unconventional spaces for her art greatly inspires me to think outside the box. For example, rather than only working in gallery spaces, she enjoys working in more public areas which are more accessible for the everyday person, such as leisure centres and libraries.

As mentioned above, Young has worked with children to create art. One of the pieces she mentioned was "Northern Powerhouse: 2065". With the children, they created "artefakes" and developed an exhibition that toured libraries across the North in 2016. The accessibility in both location and choice of collaborators gave me the idea that perhaps it would be more interesting to collaborate with those new to my art form. Since the talk, I have thought about how I might involve those new to the industry in my works.