An international gathering of artists, cultural organisations and funders exploring immersive technology, heritage and contemporary practice

Returning for its third edition, PAST MAKES FUTURE brings together artists, cultural organisations, funders and heritage partners from Portsmouth and around the world for an afternoon of presentations, panels and conversation.

Taking place at Boathouse 5 as part of Memory Library 2026 (https://memory-library.co.uk), this year's programme connects creative perspectives from Bangladesh, Egypt, Lebanon, Malta and Portsmouth.

Through artist presentations and discussions, we'll explore how culture, heritage and contemporary practice intersect, how emerging technologies are opening up new ways of working with memory and place, and what international cultural exchange can make possible.

The afternoon will also look at Portsmouth as an engine for creativity, bringing together perspectives from artists, cultural organisations and funders to consider the city's creative future.

What to expect

Presentations from visiting international artists and cultural practitioners

Conversations about art, memory, heritage and emerging technology

Insights from artists participating in Resonate

A discussion about the creative ecology of Portsmouth

Opportunities to meet artists, organisations and potential collaborators

Participating Artists

The programme brings together artists and creative practitioners from Bangladesh, Egypt, Lebanon, Malta and Portsmouth, exploring art, heritage, memory and emerging technology.

Bangladesh

Zihan Karim (https://zihankarim.blogspot.com/) & Shohrab Jahan (https://www.shohrabjahan.com.bd/)

Interdisciplinary artists working across moving image, installation and archives, exploring relationships between landscape, personal histories, memory and technology.

Egypt

Raneem Elhaddad & Ahmed Nader (https://ahmed-nader.com/)

Raneem is a curator at Medrar for Contemporary Art, exploring archives and artistic research. Ahmed works across immersive media and virtual reality, investigating identity, perception and collective memory.

Lebanon

Yasmina Hilal (https://www.yasminahilal.com/)

A visual artist and photographer exploring memory, emotion and storytelling through experimental image-making and alternative photographic processes.

Malta

Gabriel Chetcuti (KLONN) (https://www.instagram.com/itsklonn/) & Nick Theuma

Artists exploring performance, digital media and embodied heritage. KLONN returns with Embodied Ruins, a new hybrid live and digital performance.

Portsmouth | Resonate

Hannah Matthews (https://www.hannahmatthewstaxidermy.com/), María de la O Garrido (https://www.mariadelaogarrido.com/) & Owain Davies (https://owain33ox.wixsite.com/website)

Three artists developing new commissions through Play Office's Resonate programme. Their practices span taxidermy, sculpture, photography, archives and animation, exploring memory, identity, storytelling and place.

Their new works will be exhibited as part of Memory Library 2026 (https://memory-library.co.uk/).

Part of Memory Library 2026

Memory Library (https://memory-library.co.uk) is a programme of exhibitions, performances, workshops and conversations exploring how we remember, share and reinterpret our collective histories.

PAST MAKES FUTURE is as much a gathering as a conference. Alongside programmed sessions, there will be space to meet participating artists, continue conversations and make new connections.

The wider Memory Library programme includes new commissions, international exhibitions, participatory artworks, experimental performances and workshops, culminating in the We Shine Community (https://memory-library.co.uk) weekend.

Event information

Saturday 14 November 2026

13:00–18:00

Boathouse 5, Portsmouth Historic Dockyard, Portsmouth

Free admission - booking required.

Presented by Play Office (https://www.play-office.com/) as part of Memory Library 2026 (https://memory-library.co.uk).

Explore the full programme: memory-library.co.uk (https://memory-library.co.uk)

Description supplied by the event organiser.