Nico Heller in Conversation with Performance Artist Brian Patterson.

In the crucible of Northern Ireland's complex cultural landscape, live art has, over the past 50 years, emerged as a powerful medium of engagement, critique, and healing. This dialogue examines the growth of artist-led initiatives that have shaped the landscape of contemporary performance art in Northern Ireland and beyond. We talk about the challenges and transformative impact of sustaining a live art practice over time, the importance of cross-border and international collaborations, and the strategies employed to engage wider audiences.

Joining us for this dialogue is Brian Patterson, who is currently researching the history of performance art in Ireland at the Belfast School of Art. He is also a veteran performance artist and co-founder of Bbeyond, which for the past 20 years has played a key role in promoting and evolving live art both in Northern Ireland and internationally. His dual perspective as artist and promoter offers unique insights into the practicalities of nurturing ephemeral forms of art outside of the cultural mainstream. Through our conversation, we'll explore Bbeyond's impact - from its monthly performance meetings to global projects - and consider how such initiatives have the power to shape not only the future of performance art but also the broader cultural landscape in an ever-changing world.

Further information about Brian Patterson and his work is available via Bbeyond. To ensure you never miss an Annotations Dialogue, do subscribe to our YouTube channel and our newsletter at annotations.art. If you are already a free subscriber and like what we do, please consider upgrading to a paid subscription.