Rural Socials are a monthly event at The Dock inviting artists and curators based or working in rural contexts to meet, connect and share their work.
On Tuesday 22 September, 6—8pm, join us for food, conversation, and a story circle. Erika Mei Chua Holum, recently appointed Curator at The Dock, will share stories from her curatorial practice and the relationships built along the way. She will talk about projects co-stewarded with artists and cultural workers before leading a story circle with those present. This is an opportunity for local artists and communities to learn more about curators working in the region. Bring your curiosity, share your experiences, and join the circle!
This is a free and relaxed event.
Story Circle
A story circle, or storytelling circle, is a casual gathering of people invited to share stories following a series of question prompts. Story circles help participants discover shared interests and experiences, reflect on common concerns, and learn from one another. For this Rural Social, the story circle will include question prompts based on Irish-Tuvalu co-culture practitioner Leah Manaema Avene’s "Coordinates of Belonging", an Indigenous-informed relational tool to trace human connections to land, heritage, and community.
Erika Mei Chua Holum
Erika Mei Chua Holum is a writer and curator based in Northwest Ireland. She is Curator at The Dock Arts Centre. Her ongoing curatorial research focuses on interdisciplinary artistic practice and community organizing efforts that connect global legacies of land and water protectors and cultural survivance.
Recent projects include How to Grow the Cow Pea: Survival Strategies from the U.S. South at Visual Art Center at the University of Texas at Austin (2026); 踩下去! DOWN TO EARTH!, awarded the 2025 TANK Curator Prize from the Shanghai Curator Lab 4 (2025/2026); major solo exhibitions with multidisciplinary artist and cultural fire steward Saif Azzuz (2025) and critical geographer and visual artist Cian Dayrit (2024) at the Blaffer Art Museum at the University of Houston; and Ecofictions and Understories (2023-24) with the Houston Climate Justice Museum. Since 2024, Erika has convened the Sahara Dust Season, an artist collective and residency programme active during the temporary and migratory region created by Saharan dust clouds.