Welcome to People's Palace Projects

People's Palace Projects is an arts organisation established at Queen Mary, University of London to advance the practice and understanding of art for social justice.

For over a decade, People's Palace Projects has been creating and debating art that seeks to make a difference in people's lives. Our projects aim to investigate and develop new practices, working with those who desire positive change. We have forged our experiences in extreme contexts with artistic responses to the most urgent issues: human rights in the prison systems in Britain, Brazil and Azerbaijan; AIDS/HIV education in rural communities in Burkina Faso; conflict mediation on the violent borders of Rio de Janeiro's favelas; climate change and environmental degradation in the Amazon region. People's Palace Projects has sought authentic connections and exchanges that recognize the risks artists, audiences and other participants take when art matters most. In particular, our extensive experiences in Brazil, with its rich artistic responses to extreme social crises, inspire us to seek solutions that art makes possible.

We have matched the learning abroad in local projects in the UK where the need has also been acute. In London, Manchester and Newcastle we have created multi-faceted projects with partners who share our aim to extend understanding of the transformative powers of art to progress justice through individual, collective and institutional change.

To realize our work we develop strong networks and structures of collaboration in the UK and abroad, forging relationships and dialogues across disciplines, seeking to explore with diverse partners and participants an understanding of what art can achieve, placing research, learning, skills development and the transfer of knowledge at the core of our activities. Our actions include workshops, trainings, performances, seminars, lectures, forums, reports, publications, websites and consultancies.

Situated in the UK's leading Drama Department, People's Palace Projects enjoys the benefits of a robust research environment. Queen Mary University of London combines high-level international study with well-established outreach programmes beyond the higher education sector, matching People's Palace Projects' vision of creating benefits and building resources for the widest possible constituencies.