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Emory Douglas: The Way I See It

Thu, 02 Oct 2008 09:48:16 GMT

Douglas was minister of culture for the Black Panther Party from 1967 until it disbanded in the 1980s. An exhibition of his work, �Black Panther: Emory Douglas and the Art of Revolution�, is at Urbis, Manchester, from 30 October. Details: http://www.urbis.org.uk

1 Does art make a difference?Yes. When I started out as an artist in the Sixties my work was designed to communicate directly with people and to reflect the day-to-day issues faced by black citizens.

2 Should politics and art mix? Art has always been a manifestation of politics and society. There is no separation between the individual and the political, because politics is [...]

Katie Mitchell

Thu, 25 Sep 2008 10:22:58 GMT

Mitchell is an English theatre director who is best known for her bold reworkings of plays by Euripides and Chekhov. She joined the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1998 and was made an associate of the Royal National Theatre earlier this year. �. . . some trace of her�, inspired by Dostoevsky�s �The Idiot�, is at the Cottesloe, National Theatre, until 21 October. For more information, visit www.nationaltheatre.org.uk

1 Does art make a difference? Yes, but the way in which it makes a difference is subtle and not easily quantifiable, because it affects people�s thought structures and emotions. Sometimes the effect lasts a few seconds and sometimes it changes people�s perceptions for ever. 2 Should politics and art mix? For me, every bit of art is a de facto political act. [...]

Dame Evelyn Glennie

Thu, 18 Sep 2008 09:23:36 GMT

Glennie is a percussionist from Scotland. She has selected an evening of programmes for the Sky Arts channel, to be broadcast on 19 September

1 Does art make a difference? While we are still in the womb, or on our deathbed, the arts make a difference. We can experience art in our own home or in the most extraordinary ornate building � there are no limits, just our imagination. 2 Should politics and art mix? It is essential they do mix, as art is a [...]

Jem Finer

Thu, 04 Sep 2008 10:11:59 GMT

Finer is a musician/composer from Stoke-on-Trent. He was a founding member of the Pogues and co-wrote the song �Fairytale of New York�. In 2000, he launched Longplayer, an electronic composition commissioned by Artangel that is designed to run for a thousand years without repeating. The piece forms the basis of a public discussion between George Soros and Alain de Botton that takes place at the Royal Geographical Society, London SW7, on 12 September. For more information visit: http://www.longplayer.org

1 Does art make a difference? On an individual level, yes. Whether that adds up to anything more is another matter. I hope so. 2 Should politics and art mix? Ideally, each should be implicit within the other. 3 Is your work for the many or for the few? For both. For all. 4 If you were world leader, what would [...]

Roots Manuva

Thu, 28 Aug 2008 09:22:49 GMT

Roots Manuva (also known as Rodney Smith) is a rap artist and music producer from Stockwell, south London.

Roots first drew major attention in 1999 with his debut album, �Brand New Second Hand�, winning a Mobo Award that year. Since then, the Roots Manuva albums �Run Come Save Me� and �Awfully Deep� � steeped in his trademark downbeat, ragga-style hip-hop � have reached an international audience. With his own label, Banana Klan, he hopes to nurture young local talent. His new album, �Slime and Reason� (Big Dada), is [...]

Bill Drummond: The way I see it

Thu, 21 Aug 2008 09:28:48 GMT

A founding member of the KLF, Drummond set up the K Foundation, which famously burned �1m in cash on the Scottish island of Jura. His latest project is a conceptual choir he calls The 17

1 Does art make a difference? Art appears to make all the difference. It is what cultures leave behind, be it the Pyramids, Shakespeare, the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel or the collected works of the Sex Pistols. 2 Should politics and art mix? Most political regimes have used art as part of their public relations strategies. Most artists are so politically naive they [...]

Efrim Menuck

Thu, 14 Aug 2008 10:03:48 GMT

Menuck is a member of the Canadian band A Silver Mt Zion, acclaimed for its mix of rock, folk and avant-garde styles. The band�s most recent album is �Thirteen Blues for Thirteen Moons� (Constellation Records).

1 Does art make a difference? Art alone doesn�t make any difference at all � so much of it is still just paupers painting portraits of kings and queens, or lousy careerists romanticising whatever malaise currently fascinates the comfortable classes. Meanwhile, the public square is ringed with bored policemen toting sub-machine guns, and everybody averts their eyes when they beat the toothless cymbalon [...]

RZA

Thu, 07 Aug 2008 09:21:28 GMT

RZA is an American music producer, rapper and actor, best known as a member of the Wu-Tang Clan. He also has a passion for chess, as is clear from his new website, http://www.wuchess.com.

1 Does art make a difference? Out of six billion people, only a million are artists. They are the ones that inspire the world. Without art we might as well be cavemen. 2 Should politics and art mix? I don�t see those mix. Artistic people are rare. Hitler tried to destroy art and books, as he knew they inspired the minds of people [...]

The way I see it: Joanna Newsom

Thu, 31 Jul 2008 09:07:34 GMT

Newsom is a harpist and singer-songwriter from California, best known for her critically acclaimed 2006 album �Ys� (Drag City).

1 Does art make a difference? Aw, sure. Of course there are degrees of extremity to the potential change that art can effect, depending on how many people are able to engage with it. The Beatles made a huge difference in the world. But Henry Darger, Jeff McKissack, Karen Dalton, Pauline Oliveros, Kenneth Patchen � there are so many folks who have made great art [...]

The way I see it: Hana Makhmalbaf

Thu, 24 Jul 2008 09:18:40 GMT

Makhmalbaf, aged 19, is a film director from Iran. Her debut feature, �Buddha Collapsed Out of Shame�, set in modern Afghanistan, is out now.

1 Does art make a difference? Every morning we wake up and go to the mirror and check ourselves. If we look good, we enjoy what we see; otherwise we make some adjustments in order to be happy. Cinema is like putting the mirror in front of society. 2 Should politics and art mix? Today, no matter what [...]