Proximity: reflections on how collective enquiry informs artistic pedagogy

Formed in 2019 during their doctoral studies, Proximity is a collective of six artists, researchers, and educators, who explore the social and spatial elements of art practice-based research. Through a series of nationwide residencies, exhibitions, workshops, and symposia, Proximity have built a support network (both on and offline) and a space to share knowledge, questions, and experiences of navigating the complexities of art, research, and teaching, as a hybridised practice. In our pursuit of ‘convivial aesthetics’, we have challenged the idea of the ‘isolated’ researcher, allowing these in-person and virtual activities to shape our individual and collective approach to making, researching, and teaching.

For this presentation, we will reflect on how the Covid-19 lockdowns encouraged us to develop our ‘toolkit for digital intimacy’. We will ask, how does our collective inform our artistic pedagogies? Are we teaching each other? Is that a valid pedagogy? We will share insights into our distinct methodologies and philosophies, reflecting on the various ways they have been shaped and continue to be shaped, not only through our collective endeavour and the many residencies, workshops, exhibitions, and symposia we have facilitated, but also through our varied approaches to teaching practice at galleries, art centres, and universities across the UK (including the University of Derby, Manchester Metropolitan University, University of Cumbria, Leeds Beckett University, and Blackpool School of Arts). Central to this, is our upcoming anthology on practice-based methodologies and a series of accompanying training sessions, which we hope will provide a learning tool for present and future practice-based researchers.