The Outset Scotland Student Circle of 2018-19 chose to sponsor Talbot Rice Gallery’s outreach activity with Crisis Scotland and the Ragged University, in total supporting five events between June 2018 and April 2019. Each event included an in-depth tour, lunch and informal discussions, reaching a total of 58 participants.
The project aimed to help those affected by homelessness or those subscribing to the free education model of the Ragged University to engage with contemporary art, in a friendly and comfortable environment. Supported by the Gallery’s Assistant Curator, James Clegg, they encouraged broad ranging discussions on socially and culturally relevant issues including: the social, political and economic dimension of borderlines; the voice of women and the history of gender inequality; art education and creative development; new media and the manipulation of images.
Reflecting a desire on the part of Outset Scotland’s student patrons to engage in activities with a direct social benefit, these events were also open to them.
Crisis is the UK's national charity for homeless people. Ragged University is an informal collection of people, efforts and interests brought together to create a free environment in which to enjoy sharing knowledge. Talbot Rice Gallery is the public art gallery of the University of Edinburgh. With a 19th century former natural history museum and a contemporary white cube to fuel its engine, Talbot Rice Gallery is dedicated to exploring how the University of Edinburgh can contribute to contemporary art production today and into the future. Solo exhibitions provide international artists with access to University research and collections, whilst conceptual group exhibitions foreground key political and social issues. Exploring frontiers in the age of Brexit, raising the volume on female self-empowerment, or using the ‘extended mind’ in contemporary art to reframe cognition, Talbot Rice Gallery positions itself at the forefront of research and creative practice.
