 | Manick Govinda is Head of Artists’ Advisory Services and a Producer for the east London based Artsadmin. He has worked with Turner Prize shortlisted artist Zarina Bhimji on her critically acclaimed films for Documenta 11 Out of Blue (2002) and Yellow Patch (2011), the centrepiece work for Bhimji’s retrospective show at Whitechapel Gallery (2012), and her recent film installation Jangbar (2012-15) which premiered at the Pérez Art Museum Miami in May 2015. He also produced three film works by the award-winning artist Zineb Sedira, and co-curated the Town Hall Hotel artworks in Bethnal Green, commissioning new works by Peter Liversidge, Debbie Lawson and Claire Morgan to name a few. Manick was a member of the Mayor of London’s Cultural Strategy Group (2008-16) and is vice-chair of a-n The Artists’ Information Company. He is also a freelance writer and campaigner on free expression and on arts and immigration issues. Govinda is a fellow of the British American Project and a steering group member of the Manifesto Club, where he led the campaign against the UK government’s visa restrictions on non-EU artists and academics. He is talking (chairing) at the Battle of Ideas in a personal capacity. |
Genocide denial: should we defend the right to speak evil?
"I was impressed by the intensity of the debate and the high level of intellectual engagement, not least by the audience. It was an invigorating, even exhilarating experience to be part of a festival based on the conviction that disagreement is good. The Battle of Ideas is a fantastic concept, may it spread epidemically to the rest of the world. I am already looking forward to next year's event."
Thomas Hylland Eriksen, professor of social anthropology, University of Oslo; novelist
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