Discover principles for navigating identity, values, and justice in your creative work, empowering you to move confidently across personal, organisational, and systemic spaces.
Many artists care about different forms of justice and, therefore, become anti- (e.g. anti-ableist, anti-racist). Rather than balancing, how do we fluidly navigate between different levels—interpersonal, organisational and systemic—of how power and prejudice function and impact our lives?
This talk will address this question. Recognising that our professional careers and creative practices are part of us, we will focus on the key principles of being ‘anti-‘, which can empower you to feel comfortable moving between these different levels without compromise. Together, we can acknowledge that these principles are scalable and start from radical thinking: how you view the world.
The session will conclude with a Q&A, where you’ll have the chance to ask Jade your questions directly. Scroll to read our FAQs.
Jade Foster (they/them) is a British curatorial and business consultant, artist and art historian of Afro-Caribbean heritage based in Yarm, North Yorkshire, and born in Sandwell.
Jade is the Public Programme Curator at Primary and a Trustee / Board Member of Nottingham Contemporary (since 2020). They were the former Curator at DASH, where they led on initiatives aimed at systemic change. Their focus was on strategic leadership and clearly establishing and communicating the vision and mission for programmes rooted in Disability Justice. Their work included employing experimental and creative methodologies as part of the Future Curators Programme (FCP) Network, a consortium of eight prominent visual arts organisations. At Primary, they lead the development of Studio A4, an artist development residency programme; exhibitions; and digital commissions, focusing on brokering international collaborations, most notably, curating Human Life in Motion in 2025 and Imagining Otherwise in 2024, featuring artists Ashley Holmes, Turner Prize 2024 winner Jasleen Kaur, and Jala Wahid.
As an avid public speaker, in recent years, they were a panellist for ‘Time Will Tell: Future Museum and Contested Objects’ at Tate Britain and Governance Now, a flagship conference by Clore Leadership and the Cultural Governance Alliance (CGA). Jade is a member of the British Art Network. They completed an MA in History of Art at UCL and is currently studying for a Cultural and Creative Leader MBA at Teesside University.
About ACAVA Talks
This event is part of ACAVA Talks our professional development events programme for creative practitioners. Whether you’re looking to refresh your practice, take risks, make a change, or simply reconnect with purpose — this programme is for you.
Through knowledge sharing and skills development it aims to support, and foster connections between creative professionals navigating a shifting and complex cultural landscape
We’re proud to be sponsored by Smartist. Showcase your artwork, without all the hard work. Smartist are offering a 30-day free trial and a discounted annual subscription for ACAVA Talks attendees.
Designed by artists, for artists, Smartist makes it effortless to create stunning, realistic mock-ups in seconds. It’s the most downloaded art visualisation app, trusted by over 1 million creatives in 175 countries. With powerful customisation options, artists can fine-tune everything, from interiors and frames to layouts and perspectives. Do you have a collector who wants to see your work in their own home? Upload their room photo, and Smartist will seamlessly and professionally place your artwork inside.
ACAVA Talks
Navigating practice, values and person
With Jade Foster
Thursday 9 October, 11am-12.30pm
Online talk and discussion
Book your place
Ticket pricing:
Standard: £5
Concession: £1*
Free for ACAVA studio holders
*Concession tickets are available for those on low incomes or unwaged. For those able to pay the full fee, we are a registered charity and income from tickets directly supports the ACAVA Talks programme and reaching more artists.
Recordings of online events will be available to all ticket holders after the event.
Access
This event will be hosted on Zoom Webinar. Select ‘online ticket’ on the booking page and you’ll be sent a link to join the live stream on the day of the event.
This event will be closed captioned using Zoom’s automated captioning service. To enable these, please select the green closed captions button at the bottom of your Zoom screen.
This session will be recorded and accessible to ticket holders.
Book your place
FAQs
ACAVA Talks are open to all artists, no matter your career stage. Whether you're just starting, mid-career, or well-established, the sessions are designed to support you in developing your practice, refreshing your approach, or gaining new perspectives. You don’t need to be an ACAVA studio holder, everyone is welcome, including those working from home studios, bedrooms, sheds, or hotdesks
Smartist is a leading art visualisation app, designed by artists for artists, that helps you showcase your artwork in realistic, professional mock-ups with ease. Over 1 million creatives in 175+ countries use it to present their work beautifully.
ACAVA Talks attendees can enjoy a 30-day free trial and a discounted annual subscription from Smartist.
Want to show a collector what your work would look like in their home? Just upload a photo of their room and Smartist will do the rest.
For online talks, Zoom links are emailed the day before. Talks are automatically captioned; just click the green “Closed Captions” button in Zoom. We’ll also explain this at the beginning of the session.
A BSL Interpreter can be provided with one month’s notice. To request this or share any access needs, email Georgia at profdev@acava.org.
For in-person talks at Barham Park, we offer:
- Accessible toilet
- Drinking water
- Seating
- Quieter area
- Step-free routes (with a temporary ramp)
We don’t have a dedicated prayer room, but please get in touch ahead of time, we’ll do our best to find a suitable private space.
Yes, online talks will be recorded and made available within a month after the event. Recordings will be emailed to the address provided during booking. Please note that in-person talks will not be recorded due to the interactive nature of those sessions.
Studio holders will receive a booking code via email to claim a free ticket. Didn’t get yours or need help? Email profdev@acava.org for assistance.
Each talk lasts 90 minutes:
- 60 minutes for the speaker’s presentation
- 30 minutes for a live Q&A session
You’re welcome to use the chat function to interact or ask questions during the session.
ACAVA Talks is sponsored by
