Selina Thompson

Sortition

September - October 2018 Free Bristol

Image credit: Image shot by Sodium

A century after Parliament gave the first women the right to vote, Selina Thompson’s provocative new work turns this moment of democratic history on its head. Sortition is produced by and with Britons under the age of 30 who have never voted and have no intention of voting – ever.

Developed with non-voters from across the UK, along with a team of political provocateurs, experts and troublemakers, Sortition imagines what the country would look like with representatives selected not by election but by lottery – at random. Thompson considers the distinction between using your own voice and electing someone to speak for you in a work exploring how young people make themselves heard in Britain today.

Sortition is part of Represent, a series of artworks inspired by the Representation of the People Act 1918. While the act gave the vote only to women over 30, Represent invites young female artists to explore democracy, equality and inclusion in contemporary Britain. Presented by 14-18 NOW and supported by Jerwood Charitable Foundation, Represent is accompanied by a programme of events, talks and professional development opportunities.

Co-commissioned by 14-18 NOW and Arnolfini, supported by Jerwood Charitable Foundation

Dates, Times & Locations

September – October 2018
Arnolfini
16 Narrow Quay
Bristol BS1 4QA

SORTITION PROJECT

The government has been dissolved. 12 people will be chosen at random and invited to run the country. If you’re selected – what will you do?

Selina Thompson wants to find out. At the end of June she will pull out the names of 12 people who have signed up and invite them to form a new government. This will involve spending a week in Bristol (23 – 27 July), arguing, writing and day dreaming an alternative government into existence.

Find out more here

Partners

Debris StevensonPoet in da Corner

21 September - 6 October 2018 London

The female poet, musician and dancer revisits how London’s grime scene gave her a voice in this new work, which marks the centenary of UK women winning the right to vote.

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Rachel Maclean Make Me Up

October - December 2018 BBC TV Broadcast

Siri wakes to find herself trapped inside a brutalist candy-coloured dreamhouse, where she and her inmates are forced to go head-to-head in a series of demeaning tasks. Multimedia artist Rachel Maclean has created a world that is both seductive and dangerous; a place where surveillance, violence and submission are a normalised part of daily life.

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Artichoke Processions

10 June 2018 Belfast / Cardiff / Edinburgh / London

14-18 NOW and Artichoke invited women* and girls across the UK to join this major mass-participation artwork celebrating 100 years since women won the vote.

Find Out More