FORMAT is a ‘live magazine’ looking at the shapes that discourse takes. This summer from 4 to 17 July at the AA, Issue 2 will talk about talking, show what it means to show something, and present the hidden politics of presentation. Mixing anecdote and analysis, seminars with screenings and singing, FORMAT’s themed, reflexive sessions look back on how knowledge has been formatted into disciplines, institutions, technologies — as well as how the present moment questions or surpasses received formats of cultural consumption. Paraphrasing Marshall McLuhan, ‘The format is the massage.’
Series organised by Shumon Basar
MICHAEL BROOKE is a writer and film-historian with a particular interest in British and central/eastern European cinema. He was one of the creators of BFI Screenonline, and has served on various film festival juries.
HARRY GILES is a theatre-maker and poet from Orkney, currently based in Edinburgh. He works in the crossover between social justice and the performing arts, making political performance, agitating the discourse, and participating in protest. http://harrygiles.wordpress.com, @harrygiles
11 July
spam format
with contributions from cressida kocienski, wayne daly and hito steyerl
13 July
cover version format
with tamara barnett-herrin, sophie c. bernhard and mark fisher
17 July
commentary format
with victoria camblin, cécile b. evans and guests