Public Symposium: Art, Migration, and the Politics of Belonging

This symposium is the flagship event of our week-long programme, Art, Migration and the Politics of Belonging. 

This public symposium convenes established and emerging artists, writers, academics, activists, journalists and cultural practitioners from Ireland and abroad to examine how art can illuminate the complex realities of migration, citizenship, identity and belonging, while opening up vital conversations around human rights, representation and social justice.

At a time of profound social and political change, this symposium highlights the unique capacity of art and cultural institutions to create spaces for civic dialogue, critical inquiry and meaningful exchange. By connecting artistic practice, academic research and lived experience, it invites audiences to consider how migration, citizenship, identity and belonging are shaped not only by individual experience, but also by the systems, institutions and cultural narratives that define who belongs. In doing so, the symposium affirms the power of art to foster understanding, challenge inequality, advance social justice and inspire more just, inclusive and compassionate futures.

Speakers and schedule:

Please note: the full programme schedule including comprehensive list of contributors and bios will be published in late August.

Opening keynote address will come from internationally acclaimed Irish artist Brian Maguire, whose socially engaged practice has, for more than four decades, explored themes of conflict, displacement, human dignity and justice. The programme will conclude with a keynote conversation between award-winning journalist and author Sally Hayden and renowned foreign correspondent and author Lara Marlowe, drawing on their extensive reporting on migration, conflict and international affairs. Throughout the event, Dr Ebun Joseph, academic, anti-racism educator and leading advocate for equality and inclusion, will serve as Special Rapporteur, offering critical reflections and drawing together the key ideas and conversations that emerge.

The programme also features panel discussions and interdisciplinary conversations from notable contributors, including writers Suad Aldarra and Evgeny Shtorn; art psychotherapist Andrea Plunkett; artist and community development worker Mary Thebe; award-winning visual artist and journalist, Ala Buisir; Primary School Teacher and Education Manager with Black and Irish, Peace Chukwurah; visual artist and curator, Ben Malcolmson; and director and photographer, Tolu Ogunware, along with further national and international speakers whose work explores migration, identity, citizenship, social justice and belonging from a range of artistic, academic and lived perspectives. 

Access information:

The Lecture Theatre is fully accessible at lower ground floor via lift from the Merrion Square Entrance. Toilets and Changing Places are located nearby. This event will have ISL interpretation, as well as live closed captioning. If you have any access requirements please contact [email protected] 

Tickets:

Tickets cost €20, with discounts available for Friends of the Gallery (20%), students, artists and the unwaged (50%). 

If you would like to attend but the ticket price is a barrier, please get in touch. We reserve a number of free places at our events to improve accessibility [email protected]. 

More information:

The symposium includes tea, coffee and lunch, with generous free-time allowing participants to explore enhanced thematic tours of the National Gallery of Ireland's collection, visit our special Library and Archive display, or experience Arbitrary Nations, an ambitious contemporary installation from the artist Asbestos. The programme concludes with a performance by world music collective, Citadel, before audiences are invited to continue their evening with the Gallery's wider Culture Night celebrations.