Reflections on Mirrors
Event Name: Creative InterruptionsVenue/Location: BFI Southbank, London
Date: 17th June 2019 -
Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC)
Chair/Other Speakers:
Sophie Dixon, Abira Hussein and Rose Butler
The Creative Interruptions Festival (2019) at BFI Southbank showcased how art challenges social exclusion. A standout session, Reflections on Mirrors, featured David Cotterrell discussing his work on conflict and public debate alongside projects like Nomad. This AHRC-funded event was led by Brunel University in partnership with the Runnymede Trust to highlight the power of creative activism.
The Creative Interruptions Festival showcased the intersection of interdisciplinary research and grassroots cultural production, especially in conflict and disenfranchisement contexts. David Cotterrell, a lead researcher and artist-contributor, skilfully bridged academic theory and creative practice. His multi-channel video installation, Mirror IV: Legacy, demonstrated how staged arts-led interventions can spark critical public debates about inherited violence and the ethical dilemmas of military or humanitarian involvement. By weaving these visual narratives into the festival’s broader dialogue, Cotterrell effectively highlighted how ‘bottom-up’ creativity can disrupt dominant state structures and cultivate empathy in divided societies.
