Hi.
Since October 2020, I have been undertaking a PhD with the University of Roehampton and Sadler’s Wells Theatre. Emerging from and grounded in my collaborative practice with Rohanne Udall, this project studies the complex sense of investment, permission and belonging many artists feel within publicly-funded institutions in the UK. Prompted by instances of freelance artists being invited in as ‘guest curators’ , I focus on notions of ‘hosting’ and ‘guesting’ to think about the practical, ethical, aesthetic and interpersonal complexities of people’s participation in these organisations.
I use this Substack blog to share some of the materials I have produced as part of this project. This started as monthly open letters, addressed to my supervisors, which directly shared materials of artistic practice, and reflections on my recent activity and thinking. Since 2022, the rhythm of this posting has slowed down, and I’ve mostly been sharing larger chunks of text as initial drafts of what will go on to be chapters of the thesis. I am aiming to complete this project by October 2024.
You can sign up to receive these posts via email by clicking the ‘Subscribe’ button at the top of the page. Or read the archive of them online here. You can find a more complete list of the projects I have undertaken through this PhD on my website here. This research is supported through public funds – please get in touch if you’d like to speak about any of these ideas more, or if you think I could support your work.
With a smile,
Paul Paschal
Nottingham, December 2023
