Socially Awkward

Socially Awkward are Bethany Stead, Elaine Robertson, Kat Bevan, Rosa Postlethwaite, Sara Qaed, Sarah Stamp and Lady Kitt.

Socially Awkward focuses on ways of communicating and collaborating in non-hierarchical ways. Gathering on public transport or in everyday public spaces across Newcastle upon Tyne, the city forms the backdrop to their work, creating an uncontrived space for the artists to connect with people outside of traditional cultural spaces.

​The project is process-led and fully steered by the group of artists. Lady Kitt is working alongside the 5 supporting artists, who were selected through an open-call process, to explore their interests and to facilitate and strengthen their practices through collaborative learning, social engagement and hands-on professional development in the public realm.

​Together they are exploring what art can do, and what it can’t or shouldn’t be expected to do, and their approach does not subscribe to the assertion that social practice can be used to solve all our problems or that it can plug the gaps left by austerity politics.