Practising Place – Liminal Landscapes: assembly, enclosure and the West Lancs coast

Abstract

Practising Place is a programme of public conversations, designed to examine the relationship between art practice and place. Each event is hosted at a different venue in the North of England and explores a specific aspect of place by bringing artists together with people from different backgrounds, who share a common area of interest.

Practising Place – Liminal Landscapes: assembly, enclosure & the West Lancs coast was an evening with artist David Jacques, in conversation with Dr Les Roberts, lecturer in the Department of Communication and Media at the University of Liverpool. This event also premiered Jacques’ new film, The Dionysians of West Lancs. Described by the artist as ‘a phantom ride’ along the West Lancashire coast, the film weaves together historical topography, rave culture and Greek mythology to examine the age-old tension between enclosure and freedom of assembly which continues to shape this landscape.

These themes were further explored by Les Roberts, who presented his research into sites of liminality, including the treacherous terrains of the Dee Estuary and Morecambe Bay. Through conversation, Jacques and Roberts discussed the power struggles, both past and present, which define such places, and outlined a political reading of liminal landscapes.