What is the role of socially-engaged public art in the context of our accelerating environmental crisis? On Thursday 11 September 2025 in Liverpool UP Projects hosted a a half day symposium exploring regenerative principles and practices. The symposium brought together expertise and insights from artists, curators, and environmentalists.
Through panel discussions and dynamic workshops, the symposium explored the role public and socially engaged art can play in the climate and biodiversity crises. It aimed to raise the ambition for what it means to be environmentally responsible both technically and culturally.
The symposium equipped participants with theoretical frameworks, case studies from best and emerging practices, as well as practical tools from the world of public art commissioning and beyond. Sharing learnings from UP Projects’ Bodies of Water commissions, the symposium explored the human relationship to nature through the prism of water cultures, water management and hydropolitics.
The symposium itself aimed to be environmentally responsible with production principles that aimed to reduce our carbon footprint, including avoiding unnecessary printing, minimising waste, prioritising speakers based in the UK and encouraging sustainable travel methods for all delegates. UP Projects has a long-term commitment to Environmental Responsibility, including commissioning work that addresses the climate emergency and sharing knowledge around innovative approaches to commissioning public art that have a net positive environmental impact.
To view a full schedule of the activities that happened during the day, please click here.
A digital resource Padlet board was developed to share a selection of key references that fed into our thinking for the symposium programme. This non-exhaustive list is just a taster of a wealth of inspiring work that is being carried out across the country and internationally. If you have a resource, or know of a project that you think would be relevant to others please do contribute to our collective Padlet board which can be accessed via this link.
The Bodies of Water Symposium was curated by UP Projects and guest curator Justine Boussard, in partnership with the Liverpool Biennial.
The symposium is part of Bodies of Water, a national, site specific public art commission by German/Korean artist Anne Duk Hee Jordan that explores the human relationship with the natural world, presented at A la Ronde in Exmouth, East Devon and Haigh Hall in Wigan, Greater Manchester.
Bodies of Water is commissioned and curated by UP Projects working in partnership with National Trust and Wigan Council. It is generously funded by Arts Council England, Art Fund and Vallum Associates, and supported by Goethe-Institut with engineering support from Civic Engineers.
Thank you to UP Projects’ Critical Friends Pauline Desouza, Diversity Arts Forum and Bridget McKenzie, Regenerative Culture for advising on the project.
Speakers
