about usWe (Ashleigh Bowmott and Laura Sweeney) are arts independents working collaboratively to produce, curate, facilitate and advocate. We come together as those who refuse to be domesticated, civilised, or to adhere to the status quo. Basically we’re a bit feral. Bacteria that cannot be grown or produced in artificial conditions are described as uncultured, and like this, we as The Uncultured developed organically from years of experience working individually in the arts sector. We primarily work with performance and live artists, although we see disciplinary boundaries as porous and unfixed. We work with artists whose identity, voice, and political status challenges cultural “norms”. These artists push boundaries, creating genre-breaking, world-shifting arts practices. Often our projects reject traditional definitions of taste, culture and art in order to create a space for social change. These marginal and radical practices are joyful, sorrowful, painful and soulful, but always impactful and powerful. We put artist development at the core of our practice, believing that sustainability is in crisis and needs to be attended to by everyone in the sector. We are champions for better, more equitable working conditions in the arts and support others to speak up too. Our work includes: - Producing artistic projects with social purpose, artistic integrity and cultural influence - Facilitating and curating professional development programmes for young people, students and emerging artists - One-to-one advisory or consultancy to artists, producers, organisations and arts workers - Supporting practice development and step-change through consultancy and application writing - Providing free-to-use resources for freelancers - Advocating for the sector and the independents working in it. |
Ashleigh Bowmott (she/her)Ash is an arts producer and facilitator who has made a purposeful choice to integrate the politics and practicalities of work and life. She combines work as an artist, curator, producer and educator as a vehicle for developing methodologies of care and resistance. She has a PhD in collaborative artistic practices, which considers the intersectionality of creating artworks between peoples, species and levels of sentience. Ash has delivered talks, workshops and artworks worldwide. |
Laura Sweeney (she/her)Laura is a creative producer and facilitator with a focus on creating strategies for new work, infrastructure and sustainability, with artist development at the core. She works with artists in a holistic way, ensuring that care is embedded in their shared practice. Until January 2021, Laura was Deputy Chair of the Board for Home Live Art. Throughout 2019-20, she was part of the British Council GENERATE programme that connected UK and US producers, curators and programmers. She was also a recipient of a Jerwood bursary to focus on training opportunities. |