Unsettling Encounters
Schedule
Mon, 27 Oct, 2025 at 07:00 pm
UTC+00:00Location
East Street Tap | Brighton, EN
Tickets: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/unsettling-encounters-a-curious-histories-charity-fundraiser-tickets-1682658128759 We're back upstairs at Brighton's quirky East Street Tap with a tantalising double bill, featuring two unusual cultural history talks from Dr Fiona Ponikwer and Professor Annebella Pollen. I'm delighted to say that this event will raise funds for Lost Cats Brighton; more details on this terrific local charity below. Doors open at 7pm and we aim to finish around 9.30pm.
Our talks:
Avant-garde Ambassadors
What role has modern art played in international diplomacy? Can challenging contemporary art be used for global dialogue and debate? For nine decades, the British Council has exhibited British art and craft in over 100 countries as part of its cultural relations mission. Professor Annebella Pollen's talk brings to light some curious histories unearthed in the Council's archives.
For example, why were handcrafted teapots shipped at great risk across the wartime Atlantic? Why were David Hockney prints of naked men refused entry to 1960s Mexico? Why did curators in Iran want to display Damien Hirst’s crucifixion sculpture at the start of the millennium? And why was British folk art at the border of North Korea just as the country tested a hydrogen bomb?
Femme fatale: victim, vamp or vampire?
Who or what was the femme fatale of the late nineteenth century: innocent victim of Victorian patriarchal society, or harbinger of that society’s downfall? Dr Fiona Ponikwer explores contemporary portrayals in art and literature to provide some illuminating answers…
Our speakers:
Annebella Pollen is Professor of Visual and Material Culture at University of Brighton and the author of five books of art history. This talk draws from her most recent title, Art without Frontiers: The Story of the British Council, Visual Arts and a Changing World.
Fiona Ponikwer recently retired from the University of Brighton as a senior lecturer in the School of Applied Sciences, but she started her academic career in a very different area. This talk returns to her first passion and the subject of her doctorate: how vampirism as a metaphor in late 19th century art and literature reflects the fears and concerns of the time.
Our chosen charity:
All proceeds from ticket sales will go to help Lost Cats Brighton, a small team of dedicated volunteers which rescues unwanted and homeless cats in the Brighton and Hove area. The cats are fostered short-term in private homes prior to finding them a permanent home, or long-term if they are elderly with health issues. The team takes care of neutering, microchipping, vaccinations, and vet treatment for abandoned animals before finding them new homes. It also reunites lost cats with their families through its a free online 'Lost, Found & Reunited' register.
