The National Chaordic Symposium
Free, for those in recovery / £10 artists & freelancers / £20 small organisation & £50 large organisations + booking fee (lunch provided)
ABOUT THE SYMPOSIUM
The National Chaordic Symposium is a landmark one-day event that marks and celebrates the culmination of a three-year commissioning programme. Chaordic explores how contemporary visual arts can radically reshape our understanding of addiction and recovery.
The symposium will showcase the outcomes of Chaordic, a bold initiative led by Portraits of Recovery, which in partnership with the Whitworth, Castlefield Gallery and Manchester Art Gallery have co-commissioned three radical new works Recoverist Curators: Reimagining the World We Live In (the Whitworth), ANEW Way to Peel and Orange (Castlefield Gallery) and Lets Talk About Chemsex (Manchester Art Gallery) that challenge stigma and reframe recovery as a journey of cultural citizenship.
Through keynote talks, artist-led sessions/performances, and collaborative discussions, attendees will explore how Recoverism – a philosophy that sees people in recovery as social and cultural assets – can be embedded into mainstream arts and policy.
This gathering at the Whitworth brings together a diverse community: individuals in recovery, artists, curators, academics, health and justice professionals, and cultural leaders. It is a space for dialogue, reflection, and action where art becomes a force for advocacy, visibility, and transformation.
This major event is part of Portraits of Recovery’s Recoverist Month, an annual arts programme that places lived experience at its core. Think of it as the recovery community’s equivalent to Pride or Black History Month – an unapologetic celebration of creativity, resilience, and transformation.
Attendees will gain insight into:
- Creative processes behind Chaordic’s three major commissions.
- Impact of lived experience on curatorial and artistic practice.
- Language, ethics, and challenges of working with lived experience.
- The role of cultural institutions in supporting recovery communities.
- Potential for policy change driven by arts-led recovery narratives.
This is a call to action, inviting organisations and individuals to rethink their approach to addiction and recovery, and to recognise the arts as a powerful force for social and cultural change.
WHAT TO EXPECT
Morning Session: Policy and Strategy
- Welcome and Opening Remarks (Ed Watts, the Whitworth)
- Overview of the day and introduction to Portraits of Recovery, Chaordic and Recoverist Month (Mark Prest, Portraits of Recovery)
- Keynote Video provocation (Dr Clive Parkinson)
- Chaired panel discussion exploring policy and strategy options for integration of creative health approaches to recovery (Dame Carol Black, David Cutler, Baring Foundation and Peter Heslip, Ace)
- Developing sustainable creative health infrastructure across Greater Manchester (Dr Angela White Cross, GMCA)
Lunch: Food and refreshments
- Optional Guided tour of the Recoverist Curators Exhibition
Afternoon Session: Creative Practice and Performances
- Let’s Talk About Chemsex (artist Harold Offeh and Ghetto Fabulous)
- Recoverist Curators (Dominic Bilton, the Whitworth and Anastasia, Annie, Chanje, Dom, Paul, and Penny)
- ANEW Way to Peel an Orange (artist Joe Hartley and ANEW Recovery Community)
- Reflective closing performance (mandla)
Evening Social: 16.30 – 19.00pm, Castlefield Gallery, 2 Hewitt St, Manchester, M15 4GB
- Unwind with some refreshments, visit the ANEW Way to Peel an Orange exhibition, and take an opportunity to chat with artist and designer Joe Hartley and the ANEW Recovery Community collaborators
WHO SHOULD ATTEND
- Individuals in recovery from substance use
- Artists, freelancers and independents
- Health, wellbeing and justice professionals
- Cultural professionals, arts organisations and policymakers
- Anyone passionate about recovery, inclusion, and the power of art
SPEAKERS & CONTRIBUTORS
We’re delighted to welcome a dynamic lineup of speakers, artists, performers and Recoverists:
Keynote Speakers
Ed Watts – Head of Civic Engagement & Education, the Whitworth
Mark Prest – Director & CEO, Portraits of Recovery
Dr Clive Parkinson – Former Director, Arts for Health, Manchester Metropolitan University
David Cutler – Director, The Baring Foundation
Dame Carol Black – 2-Part Independent Review of Drugs, Chair, British Library and Centre for Ageing Better
Peter Heslip – Director Visual Arts and Brighton, Arts Council England
Dr Angela Whitecross – Programme Manager, Greater Manchester Creative Health Place Partnership (GMCHPP)
Artists & Collaborators
- Harold Offeh (Head of Programme, Contemporary Art Practice, Royal College of Art)
- Artist and Designer Joe Hartley and the ANEW Recovery Community
- Recoverist Curators: Anastasia, Annie, Chanje, Dom, Paul, and Penny
About Chaordic
Chaordic is a three-year commissioning programme led by Portraits of Recovery, in partnership with The Whitworth, Castlefield Gallery, Manchester Art Gallery and Brighter Sound. It explores how collaborative visual arts can redefine recovery identities and challenge stigma.
OBJECTIVES
- Reframe Recovery within Art
- Create Opportunities for Artists and Curators
- Increase Visibility and Cultural Citizenship
- Advance Recoverism as a Cultural Movement
- Embed Recovery in Cultural Programming
MEET THE ARTISTS
Harold Offeh
A multidisciplinary artist working across performance, video, photography, and social arts practice. Offeh explores historical narratives and contemporary culture through embodiment and humour. His work has been exhibited at Tate Britain, Tate Modern, Studio Museum Harlem (New York), MAC VAL (France), and Kunsthal Charlottenborg (Denmark). He is Head of Programme for Contemporary Art Practice at the Royal College of Art, London.
Joe Hartley
A designer focused on collaborative, evolving spaces and participatory processes. His work is rooted in material exploration and social engagement, often developed with communities. Hartley’s projects are ongoing and open-ended, reflecting the continuous nature of recovery.
MEET THE PERFORMERS
Ghetto Fabulous
Dance and visual arts company that aims to excite, entertain and have fun with the projects it embarks on, inspired by fashion, music, film, photography and the ever-changing world. Not afraid to explore the political and the personal, The Ghetto Collection is a unique voice in the UK art landscape.
They will activate Let’s Talk About Chemsex Presents, 12-inch, double A-side limited-edition vinyl, two tracks, Anticipation <—>Anxiety and A Warm Hug. Collaboratively created and produced music, informed by lived experience of sex on chems
mandla
Zimbabwean-born, agender and queer writer, curator and performer whose work often draws on the artist’s intersectional existence. Using words as a medium, the artist is heavily concerned with communicating the many sensations associated with being a person. mandla will take notes and devise a spoken word performance that summarises and reflects on the day.
THE PARTNERS
- Portraits of Recovery– UK’s only visual arts charity dedicated to supporting people in recovery through contemporary art.
- The Whitworth– A convening space where art meets activism, proudly part of The University of Manchester.
- Castlefield Gallery– leading artist development organisation offering exhibitions, commissions, and career support.
- Manchester Art Gallery– civic institution committed to creativity as a force for social change.
- Brighter Sound– a music development organisation rooted in Manchester and open to the world.
ACCESSIBILITY & VENUE INFO
The Whitworth offers level access throughout and a dedicated visitor team to support your experience. For access needs or additional support, please contact: whitworth@manchester.ac.uk
RECOVERIST = recovery + activist
A Recoverist Month event that, through the arts, changes the conversation on substance use and recovery.
National Chaordic Symposium and Recoverist Curators: Reimagining the World We Live In is kindly funded by the Baring Foundation.
The Chaordic Symposium is a collaboration between Portraits of Recovery, the Whitworth Art Gallery, Castlefield Gallery, Manchester Art Gallery and ANEW and is part of Recoverist Month: Sept 2025.
