Our Approach

Caroline Bergvall, The Conference of the Birds, 2018. Photo: Thierry Bal

Our Approach

Cement Fields creates safe and welcoming environments for historically underserved communities across North Kent to collaborate with artists, exploring bold questions and new ideas. 

Since 2018, we have transitioned away from a Biennale model in one designated location, towards a slower, deeper and explorative way of working across North Kent. We have shifted our focus towards year-round programming that prioritises place-based, embedded and generative models of working, while maintaining our commitment to slow, thoughtful, artist-centred thinking.

Borrowing from ideas of permaculture, we are committed to nurturing generous, non-extractive relationships with the communities and artists we work with, foregrounding trust and mutual care, while always fostering an ambitious and experimental spirit through our artistic programme.

Our organisational values are:

Generosity – providing a warm welcome to all, ensuring all aspects of our work are inclusive and accessible.

Experimentation – committed to supporting the creation of experimental, ambitious work; encouraging artists, participants and audiences to explore new ideas and take risks.

Complexity – embracing challenge and difference; committed to conveying the complexity of artworks and ideas in accessible ways without losing nuance.

Generative – committed to moving away from traditional extractive models, towards longer term ways of working which embody care and respect and develop over time.  

Exchange – encouraging and enabling collaboration between colleagues, artists, communities and partners; valuing and respecting expertise, welcoming different points of view.