Alternative Intelligences: Symposium & Poetry Night

When: Friday, June 21, 2024, 9:30 AM - 9:30 PM
Where: BLOC, Mile End

Speaker: Debris Stevenson, Hannah Silva and Kayo Chingonyi

Inspired by Jeanette Winterson's call to perceive AI as "alternative," not "artificial" intelligence, join us for Alternative Intelligences: From AI to neuroqueer expression, we consider alternative ways of thinking and creating.

Alternative Intelligences: Playing with AI

During the day we focus on creative ways of working with AI and the ethical considerations behind this work. Dr Kate Devlin will deliver the first keynote, “Do you need any body? The friendly machine”. Devlin explores the perception and the reception of AI and robotic companionship and our emotional engagement with machines. Julia Bell will discuss her book, Radical Attention and composer, Professor Atau Tanaka (Goldsmiths University) will present on “Human Learning x Machine Learning’ .

After lunch (provided) our second keynote "Re-reading AI Visuality: Play, Violence and the Unreal" is delivered by Professor Yasmin Ibrahim, author of The Digital Racial. We will hear from artists who have co-created with AI including Laurane Marchive on AI and circus and Dr Hannah Silva on her memoir My Child, the Algorithm, written in conversation with a glitching ‘neuroqueer’ large language model. Afternoon sessions include papers by a visiting speaker from the University of California, Dr Marit MacArthur on critical AI literacy and Dr Gurnam Singh on anti-racism and AI.

 

After a 45 min break for refreshments (provided), doors reopen at 6:45pm.

Alternative Intelligences: Neuroqueering Poetry

A dynamic evening of poetry performances by neurodiverse poets, hosted by Koko Brown.

BSL interpreted.

 

Safiya Kamaria Kinshasa is a choreopoet and researcher whose exhilarating style of poetics braids dance and poetry on the page and stage. Her debut poetry collection Cane, Corn & Gully explored the narratives of enslaved Barbadian women and their descendants through their dances, it won the 2023 Forward Prize for Best First Collection.

Debris Stevenson is a dyslexic writer, Grime poet, hybrid actor and pro-raver. Her work explores the intersectional, unexpected, and unjust – often whilst making her audiences dance, question, and laugh. Debris’ debut show, Poet in da Corner, premiered at The Royal Court in 2018, receiving 4-5 stars and seeing Debris nominated for an Emerging Talent of The Year Award (Evening Standard Theatre Awards).

Hannah Silva is a writer and performer working in sound poetry, radio and experimental non-fiction. An Artificially Intelligent Guide to Love (BBC Radio 4) starred Fiona Shaw and was the starting point for My Child, the Algorithm (a 2023 Granta book of the year).

Kayo Chingonyi is poetry editor at Bloomsbury and assistant professor in creative writing at Durham University. His latest collection, A Blood Condition was shortlisted for the Forward Prize for Best Collection, the T.S. Eliot Prize, and the Costa Poetry Award.

The performances are followed by a panel discussion with Professor Matthew Rubery, questioning the ways in which alternative intelligences, from neurodiversity to AI, impact creativity and writing.

We strive to make this event accessible and welcoming. If you are unable to attend in person please contact the organisers. The evening event is BSL interpreted.