so I work as a director in an art center and there’s a pretty great job I get to
and there’s a pretty great job I get to
and there’s a pretty great job I get to think about how to deck this entire
think about how to deck this entire
think about how to deck this entire building out with cultural activity I
building out with cultural activity I
building out with cultural activity I get to think about how art shines inside
get to think about how art shines inside
get to think about how art shines inside but also how it can be a place to
but also how it can be a place to
but also how it can be a place to understand the world how it can be a
understand the world how it can be a
understand the world how it can be a place that tries to get to grips with
place that tries to get to grips with
place that tries to get to grips with some of the ideas that are circulating
some of the ideas that are circulating
some of the ideas that are circulating today and I also think about how it
today and I also think about how it
today and I also think about how it communicates in the city but also how it
communicates in the city but also how it
communicates in the city but also how it takes part in a wider cultural
takes part in a wider cultural
takes part in a wider cultural discussion happening globally so I’m
discussion happening globally so I’m
discussion happening globally so I’m pretty lucky because this building is
pretty lucky because this building is
pretty lucky because this building is located right next to a Royal Park it’s
located right next to a Royal Park it’s
located right next to a Royal Park it’s got huge windows lots of natural lights
got huge windows lots of natural lights
got huge windows lots of natural lights and I get to work with amazing artists
and I get to work with amazing artists
and I get to work with amazing artists and colleagues and I think about this
and colleagues and I think about this
and colleagues and I think about this place not as a stock exchange but an
place not as a stock exchange but an
place not as a stock exchange but an ideas exchange and I’m going to get back
ideas exchange and I’m going to get back
ideas exchange and I’m going to get back to that but for now I’d like to rewind
to that but for now I’d like to rewind
to that but for now I’d like to rewind so like I said I love my job but the
so like I said I love my job but the
so like I said I love my job but the most exciting job I’ve ever had wasn’t
most exciting job I’ve ever had wasn’t
most exciting job I’ve ever had wasn’t next to a park it was in central London
next to a park it was in central London
next to a park it was in central London and a back alley of Covent Garden it
and a back alley of Covent Garden it
and a back alley of Covent Garden it didn’t even have any windows no lateral
didn’t even have any windows no lateral
didn’t even have any windows no lateral light at all it was in a basement and I
light at all it was in a basement and I
light at all it was in a basement and I was a low-paid sales assistant and I
was a low-paid sales assistant and I
was a low-paid sales assistant and I hardly got a lunch break and it was even
hardly got a lunch break and it was even
hardly got a lunch break and it was even a bit smelly in there so how was that so
a bit smelly in there so how was that so
a bit smelly in there so how was that so exciting well it was a brilliant record
exciting well it was a brilliant record
exciting well it was a brilliant record shop an incredible place it was a kind
shop an incredible place it was a kind
shop an incredible place it was a kind of a mecca people would come from all
of a mecca people would come from all
of a mecca people would come from all over the world to visit this place it
over the world to visit this place it
over the world to visit this place it was their mid-1990s and the energy
was their mid-1990s and the energy
was their mid-1990s and the energy around so much music was exploding and
around so much music was exploding and
around so much music was exploding and finding new forms and inventing new
finding new forms and inventing new
finding new forms and inventing new genres pretty much every day and it was
genres pretty much every day and it was
genres pretty much every day and it was a hub where people would get together
a hub where people would get together
a hub where people would get together musicians deejays artists that were all
musicians deejays artists that were all
musicians deejays artists that were all kinds we’d listen to music they would
kinds we’d listen to music they would
kinds we’d listen to music they would sometimes buy music we’d have concerts
sometimes buy music we’d have concerts
sometimes buy music we’d have concerts in there as well big artists you’d be
in there as well big artists you’d be
in there as well big artists you’d be playing sold-out concerts would do these
playing sold-out concerts would do these
playing sold-out concerts would do these secret in-store shows for a fully
secret in-store shows for a fully
secret in-store shows for a fully dedicated and committed audience it was
dedicated and committed audience it was
dedicated and committed audience it was incredible for me this place was the
incredible for me this place was the
incredible for me this place was the center of the world and we had stock
center of the world and we had stock
center of the world and we had stock from all across the globe in the shelves
from all across the globe in the shelves
from all across the globe in the shelves it was wracked from floor to ceiling and
it was wracked from floor to ceiling and
it was wracked from floor to ceiling and we’d get also local musicians delivering
we’d get also local musicians delivering
we’d get also local musicians delivering their handmade 7-inches and cassettes
their handmade 7-inches and cassettes
their handmade 7-inches and cassettes on a sailor return basis so every
on a sailor return basis so every
on a sailor return basis so every morning as I was crushing the cardboard
morning as I was crushing the cardboard
morning as I was crushing the cardboard boxes outside in the alleyway from the
boxes outside in the alleyway from the
boxes outside in the alleyway from the day’s delivery I just couldn’t believe
day’s delivery I just couldn’t believe
day’s delivery I just couldn’t believe my luck and my privilege to be part of
my luck and my privilege to be part of
my luck and my privilege to be part of this lunch break or not and basically it
this lunch break or not and basically it
this lunch break or not and basically it was I mean to me this place was the
was I mean to me this place was the
was I mean to me this place was the center of the world and every day as I
center of the world and every day as I
center of the world and every day as I was standing inside this basement I was
was standing inside this basement I was
was standing inside this basement I was just so so lucky but why why was it so
just so so lucky but why why was it so
just so so lucky but why why was it so exciting obviously because I was exposed
exciting obviously because I was exposed
exciting obviously because I was exposed to great music that’s a given but it was
to great music that’s a given but it was
to great music that’s a given but it was something more because behind this
something more because behind this
something more because behind this counter I was part of something of a
counter I was part of something of a
counter I was part of something of a transaction it was a kind of a magical
transaction it was a kind of a magical
transaction it was a kind of a magical transaction to me where a sound makes a
transaction to me where a sound makes a
transaction to me where a sound makes a journey from an idea inside an artist’s
journey from an idea inside an artist’s
journey from an idea inside an artist’s head
head
head via instrument practice studio higher
via instrument practice studio higher
via instrument practice studio higher production techniques cover art design
production techniques cover art design
production techniques cover art design vinyl press and into the hands eyes and
vinyl press and into the hands eyes and
vinyl press and into the hands eyes and ears and into the mind of a listener so
ears and into the mind of a listener so
ears and into the mind of a listener so transferal from one mind to another is
transferal from one mind to another is
transferal from one mind to another is an ideas exchange and it’s so
an ideas exchange and it’s so
an ideas exchange and it’s so fundamentally human the need to
fundamentally human the need to
fundamentally human the need to communicate the need to be understood
communicate the need to be understood
communicate the need to be understood but it’s not just a communication
but it’s not just a communication
but it’s not just a communication between an artist and the audience its
between an artist and the audience its
between an artist and the audience its crew art creates a community whether in
crew art creates a community whether in
crew art creates a community whether in a theatre like this one whether in a
a theatre like this one whether in a
a theatre like this one whether in a concert hall whether you’re reading a
concert hall whether you’re reading a
concert hall whether you’re reading a book art creates a community it
book art creates a community it
book art creates a community it stimulates conversation
stimulates conversation
stimulates conversation and we’re there where share and
and we’re there where share and
and we’re there where share and experience were there at the same time
experience were there at the same time
experience were there at the same time we might not agree on it we might come
we might not agree on it we might come
we might not agree on it we might come come flip come from completely different
come flip come from completely different
come flip come from completely different backgrounds and have completely
backgrounds and have completely
backgrounds and have completely different worldviews but the fact that
different worldviews but the fact that
different worldviews but the fact that we’re there sharing this experience it’s
we’re there sharing this experience it’s
we’re there sharing this experience it’s what’s important we’re both engaging in
what’s important we’re both engaging in
what’s important we’re both engaging in fact this agreement is a vital part of
fact this agreement is a vital part of
fact this agreement is a vital part of cultural exchange because it’s a
cultural exchange because it’s a
cultural exchange because it’s a starting point for a conversation and in
starting point for a conversation and in
starting point for a conversation and in a political climate that seeks to
a political climate that seeks to
a political climate that seeks to polarize and stigmatize entire groups of
polarize and stigmatize entire groups of
polarize and stigmatize entire groups of people conversation and empathy are more
people conversation and empathy are more
people conversation and empathy are more important than ever this is where art
important than ever this is where art
important than ever this is where art can create engagement and show politics
can create engagement and show politics
can create engagement and show politics away forwards art has the ability to
away forwards art has the ability to
away forwards art has the ability to imagine other conditions of life it
imagine other conditions of life it
imagine other conditions of life it dares to imagine the impossible as well
dares to imagine the impossible as well
dares to imagine the impossible as well as the possible but it also helps us as
as the possible but it also helps us as
as the possible but it also helps us as individuals understand the view the
individuals understand the view the
individuals understand the view the world from a viewpoint of another it’s
world from a viewpoint of another it’s
world from a viewpoint of another it’s such a fundamentally simple thing a
such a fundamentally simple thing a
such a fundamentally simple thing a human exchange but how is this different
human exchange but how is this different
human exchange but how is this different from talking like I’m doing now well
from talking like I’m doing now well
from talking like I’m doing now well artistic ideas they travel differently
artistic ideas they travel differently
artistic ideas they travel differently they’re not necessarily spelled out but
they’re not necessarily spelled out but
they’re not necessarily spelled out but good arts can make you feel the world it
good arts can make you feel the world it
good arts can make you feel the world it can make you think with your whole body
empathy is a key word here the social
empathy is a key word here the social theorist Jeremy Rifkin he says empathy
theorist Jeremy Rifkin he says empathy
theorist Jeremy Rifkin he says empathy in thee is the invisible hand it’s what
in thee is the invisible hand it’s what
in thee is the invisible hand it’s what allows us to stretch our sensibility
allows us to stretch our sensibility
allows us to stretch our sensibility with one another so that we can Co here
with one another so that we can Co here
with one another so that we can Co here in larger social units
and this is also how arts can lead to
and this is also how arts can lead to understanding the author David Foster
understanding the author David Foster
understanding the author David Foster Wallace talks about this the late author
Wallace talks about this the late author
Wallace talks about this the late author David Foster Wallace
David Foster Wallace
David Foster Wallace he says entertainment provides relief
he says entertainment provides relief
he says entertainment provides relief and art provokes engagement really so
and art provokes engagement really so
and art provokes engagement really so simple so why is arts funding in decline
simple so why is arts funding in decline
simple so why is arts funding in decline and why is arts a museum visit so low
and why is arts a museum visit so low
and why is arts a museum visit so low down on school curriculums I think that
down on school curriculums I think that
down on school curriculums I think that any culture that fails to support its
any culture that fails to support its
any culture that fails to support its artists is only is only contributing to
artists is only is only contributing to
artists is only is only contributing to its own impoverishment and decline so
its own impoverishment and decline so
its own impoverishment and decline so it’s my hope that arts and artists will
it’s my hope that arts and artists will
it’s my hope that arts and artists will take a much bigger part in society and
take a much bigger part in society and
take a much bigger part in society and social political ecological discussion
social political ecological discussion
social political ecological discussion so if you are in a newspaper if you run
so if you are in a newspaper if you run
so if you are in a newspaper if you run a media outlet please next time you’re
a media outlet please next time you’re
a media outlet please next time you’re organizing a panel debate please
organizing a panel debate please
organizing a panel debate please consider inviting an artist and sports I
consider inviting an artist and sports I
consider inviting an artist and sports I love sports as much as the next person
love sports as much as the next person
love sports as much as the next person well maybe not quite as much but how
well maybe not quite as much but how
well maybe not quite as much but how come sports sports achievements are
come sports sports achievements are
come sports sports achievements are front page news when culture and arts
front page news when culture and arts
front page news when culture and arts are relegated to the back section the
are relegated to the back section the
are relegated to the back section the specialist bit of a of the newspaper the
importance culturally or economically or
importance culturally or economically or health-wise of sport is not disputed but
health-wise of sport is not disputed but
health-wise of sport is not disputed but art gives us the mental fitness to
art gives us the mental fitness to
art gives us the mental fitness to function as part of a society
function as part of a society
function as part of a society imagination is our most important muscle
the arts a song can be written on one
the arts a song can be written on one side of the world and profoundly change
side of the world and profoundly change
side of the world and profoundly change the world and the world for somebody
the world and the world for somebody
the world and the world for somebody living on the other side that actually
living on the other side that actually
living on the other side that actually happened to me but art can also travel
happened to me but art can also travel
happened to me but art can also travel across time art can connect us with
across time art can connect us with
across time art can connect us with generations
generations
generations shuri’s millenias an artwork can speak
shuri’s millenias an artwork can speak
shuri’s millenias an artwork can speak for so long
for so long
for so long art is a gift to the future
art is a gift to the future
art is a gift to the future it’s what future generations can look
it’s what future generations can look
it’s what future generations can look back at to understand our time today
back at to understand our time today
back at to understand our time today now theorist Susan Sontag talked about
now theorist Susan Sontag talked about
now theorist Susan Sontag talked about this she said what do we have from the
this she said what do we have from the
this she said what do we have from the past art and thought that’s what lasts
past art and thought that’s what lasts
past art and thought that’s what lasts that’s what gives us that’s what feeds
that’s what gives us that’s what feeds
that’s what gives us that’s what feeds us and give them an idea that’s what
us and give them an idea that’s what
us and give them an idea that’s what feeds people and give them an idea of
feeds people and give them an idea of
feeds people and give them an idea of something better and we don’t remember
something better and we don’t remember
something better and we don’t remember the names of the runners in the ancient
the names of the runners in the ancient
the names of the runners in the ancient Greek Olympics but we still read Homer
Greek Olympics but we still read Homer
Greek Olympics but we still read Homer thank you
thank you
thank you [Applause]
[Applause]
[Applause] [Music]
[Music]
[Music] [Applause]
”
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