For the 2025 edition of the Angelfield Festival, Steve Skull (MA Arts, Philosophy and Cultural Institutions) worked a student from Liverpool Hope University to deliver the Independent Biennial Utopian Future Lab. They invited audiences to a creative symposium to explore play, joy and silliness to reclaim creativity as a way forward for a just society.
The curators explain:
“This interactive event blends nostalgia, playfulness and worldmaking to stimulate discourse around social justice in contemporary times. Britain is a nation in turmoil. While some prosper, many are left struggling against barriers that define their daily existence. Borders, migration, food poverty, and social housing are not just political issues, they are human crises, affecting millions and worsening the fractures in our society. This interactive exhibition invites you to engage with these themes in a creative, thought-provoking way.
The event will start with an immersive exhibition, followed by a panel discussion/ presentation about community-led housing associations and a table talk discussion with guest speakers and the audience, discussing new ways to unlock a utopian future. The creative activities you will take part in are not just about individual movement, but about togetherness. In a society facing division, crisis, and change, these activities show how movements, cooperation, and shared experiences shape the bigger picture.
The final artwork is a testament to resilience, unity, and creativity in the face of adversity.
This event challenges the narrative and dismantles myths. The power to rewrite this story lies with us. As you take part in this experience, consider: how do borders, migration, food poverty, and housing affect us all? How can we move together towards a fairer future?”