On Saturday 12th November, some 70 readers, scholars and collaborators of John Berger gathered at Birkbeck Cinema to discuss his work on page and screen, in a symposium organised by the Derek Jarman Lab with AICA-UK and the Birkbeck Institute for the Moving Image. The symposium followed a screening of The Seasons in Quincy: Four Portraits of John Berger (Derek Jarman Lab 2016). Thanks to all the participants, and to Matthew Barrington and Michael Temple at BIMI. Audio recording by Victor Guidini and photography by Robyn Jakeman.
Here is Marjorie Allthorpe-Guyton, president of AICA-UK, starting the day.
Lisa Appignanesi gave a wonderful introduction.
After a screening of Mike Dibb and Christopher Rawlence’s Once Upon a Time (1983), John Wyver chaired a discussion with Mike and Jonathan Conlin about arts TV and Berger’s broadcasting work.
John Christie spoke to Gill Hedley about his many collaborations with Berger, in particular their latest book Lapwing and Fox. This is their conversation, complete with slides.
Berger’s art writing was addressed by Tom Overton and Greg Salter, with an audience discussion to follow, chaired by Lynda Nead.
Berger’s activist stance and the compelling tenor of his writing was considered by Yasmin Gunaratnam and Chris Fite-Wassilak in a session chaired by Lily Ford.
Griselda Pollock gave a magisterial and inspiring summary of the day’s discussion.
Organisers Lily Ford and Alfredo Cramerotti finishing the day.
Credits for ‘Faces of John Berger’ images clockwise from top left: portrait by Sandro Kopp, taken during filming for The Seasons in Quincy in 2010; framegrab from Berger’s Booker prize acceptance speech (BBC news, 1972); framegrab from ‘Why Léger?’ (BBC dir. Michael Gill, 1965); framegrab from Play me Something (dir. Timothy Neat, 1989).