8 April 2013

'Rethinking the recession' - Dundee Arts Café on 16th April

An award-winning lecturer from the University of Dundee will re-examine the economic turmoil of the past few years, its causes and the opportunities arising from it, at the next Dundee Arts Café event.

Kirsteen Shields, a lecturer in the University's School of Law, will deliver a talk, entitled 'Rethinking the recession' at The McManus: Dundee's Art Gallery and Museum on Tuesday, 16th April.

She was named Scotland and Northern Ireland Young Thinker of the Year for 2011 for her ideas on the subject, which included moving to a four-day working week to more evenly distribute the hardships of the recession and create a fairer society.

"In the brutality of the recession we have an opportunity to redesign our society for the better," she said. "It is important that communities know and use the influence they have over government decision-making. This talk will essentially offer a beginners guide to public power and how any individual may influence it."

Dundee Arts Café is a programme of talks showcasing arts research and developments taking place locally. The series is organised by the Universities of Dundee and Abertay, and Dundee City Council's Leisure & Culture department.

The events enable members of the public to relax and discuss the arts, from English to History, Philosophy to Architecture, and Fine Art to Product Design, with some of the leading names carrying out work in these areas in Dundee.

The events last one hour, and speakers talk passionately about their work for 30 minutes before the floor is opened up to an informal discussion with the audience. All talks take place in The McManus Café, Albert Square, Dundee.

'Rethinking the recession and our role in its making' takes place at 6pm on Tuesday, 16th April, and the event is free and open to all. Limited seating means visitors are advised to arrive early to avoid disappointment.

For more information about the event and Dundee Arts Cafe please visit www.DundeeArtsCafe.co.uk.

For media enquiries contact:
Grant Hill
Press Officer
University of Dundee
Nethergate, Dundee, DD1 4HN
TEL: 01382 384768
E-MAIL: g.hill@dundee.ac.uk
MOBILE: 07854 953277