Event
Sitting Together
Reading Group facilitated by Gareth Evans
Wednesday 5 November 2025
Reading Group facilitated by Gareth Evans.
This reading group will invite participants to read John Berger's 1968 essay The Nature of Mass Demonstrations and discuss the relevance of the essay within the current context of global unrest; why it is necessary to protest and how protest acts as an engine of hope in the present, building solidarities and creating temporary autonomous zones of collective belonging.
This event is part of A Season of Peace Building, programmed with Grace Ndiritu for The Ignorant Art School Sit-in Curriculum #5. This series of conversations, workshops and gatherings is designed by Grace Ndiritu, drawing on her book Being Together: A Manual For Living as a template.
Sign-up
Book a free workshop place via Eventbrite.
Participants will receive an online meeting link after registering.
Participant information
This session is free and open to all. It will be an online meeting held on Zoom.
We will be discussing John Berger's article The Nature of Mass Demonstrations (1968).
Participants are invited to read the short article in advance of the reading group. It is available to access at the link above.
Additional information
John Berger won the Booker Prize for his novel G, and famously turned 'the prize against itself' in the very speech he is giving here. The novel features a key portrayal of the Milan uprisings of 1898, the event that initiates the essay we are discussing. You can read more about the novel and its reception: https://thebookerprizes.com/the-booker-library/features/i-have-to-turn-the-prize-against-itself-john-bergers-1972-booker-prize
Access
The event will be lived captioned on Zoom.
All enquiries please contact: [email protected]
Biography
Gareth Evans is a London-based writer, editor, film and event curator and producer, host and documentary mentor. He works on special projects for the London Review of Books and curates their Screen at Home series. From 2012 - 2023 he was the Adjunct Moving Image Curator at the Whitechapel Gallery. He conceived and curated a six-week cross-arts festival, Here Is Where We Meet in 2005, dedicated entirely to the work of John Berger, with the author present throughout. His poem Hold Everything Dear gave the title to, and was published in Berger's 2008 collection of the same name. He published Berger's A Sparrow's Journey in 2016.
About the exhibition
Compassionate Rebels in Action, is an exhibition and event programme by Grace Ndiritu.
It is the fifth iteration of Cooper Gallery's programme, The Ignorant Art School: Five Sit-ins Towards Creative Emancipation.
Visit
10 October – 13 December 2025
Tuesday – Saturday, 12–5pm
Image Credit
John Berger speech at the 1972 Booker Prize. Courtesy The Booker Prize Foundation
Funding support
The Ignorant Art School Sit-in #5 at Cooper Gallery, DJCAD is supported by the National Lottery through Creative Scotland.
Cooper Gallery
[email protected]