Quench presents: Working Class in the Arts Symposium
Quench presents: Working Class in the Arts Symposium
Entry
Free entry
Date
Sun 12 Jul 2026
Time
1–4pm
Location
See Schedule
A symposium exploring class, access, and representation in contemporary art.
About the event
Quench Gallery presents a symposium exploring class, access and social mobility within the arts.
Taking place in the Foyle Rooms, this event invites audiences to consider how class continues to shape experiences, opportunities and pathways within the contemporary art world. Developed by Quench Gallery, whose Working Class in the Arts Development Programme supports local artists in navigating barriers related to finance, networks and access, the symposium opens up a wider public conversation around representation and belonging in the sector.
The programme will bring together a number of invited speakers from working-class backgrounds to share personal reflections on their journeys through the arts, followed by a panel discussion and audience Q&A. Together, these conversations will explore the realities of building a career in the arts today and consider how the sector might become more equitable and accessible for future generations.
The symposium will feature contributions from Quench Gallery Co-Director Gemma Pharo, communications consultant and Working Arts Club founder Meg Molloy, artist Jonathan Baldock, and artist and Working Class Creatives founder Seren Metcalfe.
Schedule
11.30am
Optional exhibition visits. Participants are invited to meet at Carl Freedman Gallery to visit Lindsey Mendick's solo exhibition, followed by a visit to Projects Kavel Rafferty to see Terence Wilde's solo exhibition.
1pm
Arrival and registration.
1.05pm
Welcome and introduction to the Working Class in the Arts programme with Gemma Pharo, Quench Gallery.
1.15pm
Presentation by Meg Molloy, founder of Working Arts Club.
1.30pm
Artist presentation by Jonathan Baldock.
1.55pm
Artist presentation by Seren Metcalfe, founder of Working Class Creatives.
2.20pm
Refreshment break.
2.45pm
Panel discussion with Jonathan Baldock, Seren Metcalfe and Gemma Pharo, chaired by Meg Molloy.
3.15pm
Audience Q&A.
4pm
Symposium concludes.
4.15–6.00pm
Optional informal gathering at The George & Heart, hosted by Gemma Pharo, with an opportunity for continued discussion and networking.
Gemma Pharo (b. 1985, London)
Gemm lives and works in Margate. She is Co-Director of Quench Gallery, leading community engagement programmes including Quench Young Artists and Working Class in the Arts. Working across arts, education and social practice, she develops projects that challenge barriers to cultural participation and support greater access to the arts for underrepresented communities. Driven by a belief that creativity should not be limited by class, circumstance or access, her work centres on creating opportunities for people who have traditionally been excluded from cultural spaces. Alongside her work at Quench, she collaborates with CICs, artists and community organisations as an access support worker and facilitator in creative youth settings. Previously, she worked in film, television and media, including roles with Time Out and CBBC.
Meg Molloy
Meg is a Cultural Strategy and Communications Consultant working with galleries, organisations and artists in the UK and internationally. With over a decade of experience in the arts, she has led communications spanning public and media relations, digital platforms, brand strategy and audience development. She has also worked in artist and museum liaison, and across creative, institutional and commercial contexts.
Meg has worked on landmark building projects and high-profile launches, including those at Stephen Friedman Gallery, Venice Biennale, Dreamland Margate, Studio Voltaire and Dulwich Picture Gallery. She has led global communications campaigns for exhibitions and art fairs, and worked with both emerging and established artists.
In 2024, Meg founded Working Arts Club, a network supporting arts professionals from working-class backgrounds. Comprising over 1,200 members and operating across London and northern England, the club has collaborated with major institutions and organisations such as the V&A, Royal Academy, Christie's, Sotheby's and Photo London. Meg has been interviewed by The Guardian, BBC Radio 6 Music, Frieze, The Art Newspaper, artnet, and more.
Meg has been a visiting speaker at Fashion Institute of Technology, State University of New York. She has been a panellist for The Art Business Conference, the Council for Higher Education in Art and Design Conference, and ArtRabbit. She is a freelance writer, with regular contributions to The Nerve. In 2026, she curated AOAP Projects’ International Women’s Day auction. She was named one of Zetteler’s ‘25 for 2025’.
Born in Margate, Kent, Meg is now based in South East London.
Jonathan Baldock
Jonathan is an artist working across sculpture, installation and performance, creating immersive environments that explore the body, materiality and human connection. His practice draws on traditional craft techniques, particularly textiles and ceramics, combining processes such as sewing, weaving and modelling to produce works that are at once tactile, sensuous and psychologically charged.
Often rooted in personal and collective histories, Baldock’s work explores themes of care, vulnerability, transformation and our shifting relationship to the natural world. His installations frequently invite physical and emotional encounter, foregrounding the body as a site of experience and meaning.
Recent solo exhibitions include WYRD, Jupiter Artland (2025); 0.1%, London Mithraeum Bloomberg SPACE (2025); Touch Wood, Yorkshire Sculpture Park (2023); through the joy of the senses, Charleston (2023); and Unearthed, Kunstverein Göttingen (2023)
Baldock was born in 1980 in Kent, UK, and lives and works in London. He studied at Winchester School of Art and the Royal College of Art. His work is held in major public collections including the Arts Council Collection and the RISD Museum. He is represented by Nicelle Beauchene Gallery (NYC).
Seren Metcalfe (b.1997, Yorkshire)
Seren is a London-based artist, writer, and curator. Her multidisciplinary practice spans installation, performance, sculpture, moving image, text, and sound, exploring the ways people collectively perform everyday life within systems of labour, class, belief, and routine.
She is the founder and director of Working Class Creatives, through which she develops exhibitions, residencies, and events in collaboration with artists and institutions across the UK. Recent curatorial projects include exhibitions at The Shop, Sadie Coles HQ, London; Outpost Gallery, Norwich; Sunny Bank Mills, Leeds; and 87 Gallery, Hull. Her work has been presented through talks, workshops, and panel discussions with organisations including Tate, Somerset House, Factory International, Lisson Gallery, Outpost Gallery, and Koppel Projects. She is currently studying at the Royal Academy Schools.
