Scanning the Horizon in Turbulent Times: Participatory Public Art as a Counter-space: A conversation with Bill Balaskas, Or Tshuva and Stephen Walker

This Sky is Your Sky is a newly commissioned public art installation by Bill Balaskas, officially launched in August 2024 by 422 Arts, with the support of Arts Council England. Located on Manchester’s busy Stockport Road, where it is viewed by thousands of commuters and local residents every day, the work sits in one of the city’s most diverse yet often overlooked neighbourhoods, where histories of migration, economic hardship, and grassroots’ resilience shape everyday life.

Commissioned through an open call and selected by an open public vote, the project was developed through a participatory curatorial model, and was actively shaped by local residents, volunteers, and students. In this interview, artist Bill Balaskas and curator Or Tshuva discuss with Stephen Walker from University of Manchester the project’s development, its relationship to Longsight’s changing urban and social landscape, and how public art may engage with themes of democratisation, social justice, and cultural agency.