December 29, 2021 - Bermuda National Gallery

In Partnership with the Department of Culture

To celebrate BNG’s 30th anniversary and the 15th iteration of the Bermuda Biennial we are this year opening up submissions to include poetry. The selection of written works will be overseen by Richard Georges. A writer of essays, fiction, and three collections of poetry, Richard is a founding editor of Moko, an online publication focused on Caribbean art and literature, and in 2020 was appointed the British Virgin Islands first Poet Laureate.

In support of the new category, we have partnered with the Department of Culture to host a series of writers workshops throughout the month of January, as part of their Writer-In-Residence Programme, to help develop new work for entry into the exhibition.

Unlike the Department’s previous Writer-In-Residence programmes, each workshop will be a stand alone experience – focusing on a range of topics, from generating new work to refining already written pieces. Writers are invited to participate in all the workshops or select workshops based on their interests or needs.

The workshops, which are free, will be held via Zoom. Register at https://bit.ly/bdawinr2021, or for more information, please contact the Department of Culture Folklife Officer Catherine Hay at cghay@gov.bm.

WORKSHOP DATES:

Fri. 7 Jan 12.30-1.30pm – Create New Work with Yesha Townsend

Sat. 8 Jan 10am-12pm – Generating New Work for a Theme with Alan C. Smith

Fri. 14 Jan 12.30-1.30pm – Create New Work with Yesha Townsend

Sat. 15 Jan 10 am-12pm – Create New Work with Dr. Chris Astwood

Fri. 21 Jan 12.30-1.30pm – Create New Work with Yesha Townsend

Sat. 22 Jan 10am -12pm – Create New Work with Dr. Chris Astwood

Fri. 28 Jan 12.30-1.30pm – Create New Work with Yesha Townsend

Sat & Sunday 29 & 30 Jan – various times – one-on-one sessions with Dr. Paul Maddern or Andra Simons to review and edit completed work

Click here for details of the 2022 Bermuda Biennial and how to apply.

I Am Because You Are

One of the most impactful exhibitions of 2021 was I Am Because You Are, the first solo exhibition by Gherdai Hassell, held at BNG from March through to September. In this striking exhibition, the former Bermuda Biennial artist examined the lasting impacts of slavery: re-imagining the identities of enslaved Bermudians in a series of portraits, texts, and installation inspired by the Bermuda Slave Registers and historic photographs in the Bermuda Archives.

To celebrate the close of the exhibition, and its connection with the community, we invited seven local poets to write original works in response to the exhibition. The resulting film, produced by Method Media for the Bermuda National Gallery in partnership with the Department of Culture, presents these works performed in the space that inspired them.

Click the image below to watch performances by Alan C. Smith (pictured above left), Andrea Ottley (pictured above right), Daliah Gibbs, Tonya Ottley Peets, Matthew Johnston, Tona Symonds and Gherdai Hassell.

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