Preview: Saturday 26 March, 1 - 3pm
 
The culmination of a project between the Futurators, a group of young curators & Tomorrow? is a multi-venue exhibition showcasing the diverse work of four artists; Roy Brown, Leo Murray, Jane Ward & The Hungry Men. 

Since September 2010 a group of young people aged between 11 and 16 from Portsmouth and the surrounding area have met weekly to learn abou t curation, and have worked together to plan their own exhibition, with the support of <aspex’s>Education & Outreach team. The Futurators visited galleries and attended an intensive programme of master classes by artists and industry pro fessionals at to understand the curating process, before discussing amongst themselves what shape they would like their own exhibition to take. Through a consensus-based decision process the Futurators determined that the exhibition and artworks would focus on the serious issue of sustainability, but inspire visitors to take responsibility and imagine an alternative future in a fun and relaxed way. 

Tomorrow? reflects the Futurator’s growing concerns about the security of the planet’s future, with an emphasis on issues surrounding the climate crisis and the sometimes-pessimistic approach adopted by officials when discussing sustainable change. Taking the view that society can instigate change and raise public awareness of political issues through exploration and creativity, the Futurators chose four contemporary artists whose work represents either a predicted or imagined future based on fact or fiction. 

Roy Brown’s sculptures and photographs were chosen as an inspiring look at the unreal but possible forms of a parallel world. Leo Murray’s intriguing animation ‘Wake Up, Freak Out – then Get a Grip’ takes the viewer on a climate science crash course. Jane Ward’s meticulously worked prints resemble the sci-fi landscapes of an imagined future, but on closer inspection depict the familiar, composed of layered scenes of everyday life. At the preview, The Hungry Men will lead people from one venue to the next with a performance piece to further engage the audience and heighten their sense of adventure. 

During their meetings the Futurators discussed how they sometimes felt excluded or uncomfortable in galleries. In response to this they decided to add an ‘Open Source’ element to their exhibition, to allow the public to show their own work at the Third Floor Arts Centre. The Futurators will retain editorial control, and your work is not guaranteed to be included. Only work smaller than 50cm by any dimension will be considered, and and the Third Floor Arts Centre accept no liability for work lost, stolen or damaged 

If you would like your work to be included, please drop it into between 26 March and 24 April. Works will be available for collection for two weeks prior to the end of the exhibition. Final date for collection of work is 7 May 2011.

Exhibition Preview 
The exhibition will open at 1pm at the Third Floor Arts Centre in Guildhall Square. The Hungry Men will then lead visitors on a trail to the Old Guard Rooms at Gunwharf Quays and onwards to the final part of the exhibition at . Please click here for a downloadable map of the exhibition venues.