Whether we're chasing gold medals or gold coins there comes a point where we've achieved all we can competitively, and the focus shifts to what we'll do after sporting or commercial success, and why we'll do it. As societies which have been highly successful as trading nations and are now shifting to post-industrial and service economies, these questions link Britain and Japan. What do we do, and who do we become, after we've supposedly won at life? What roles might artists take within this society, and how could they impact upon it? What are the attitudes or approaches to living that can emerge as we shift our focus?

These questions were posed by guest curator Momus to six internationally regarded Japanese artists who were invited to come to Loughborough to develop new projects which took place throughout the summer of 2012.

AfterGold was part of the London 2012 Festival and the Cultural Olympiad in the East Midlands, and was funded by Legacy Trust UK through Igniting Ambition and Arts Council England through Grants for the Arts.  AfterGold  received additional funding from the Sasakawa Foundation, Diawa Anglo/Japan Foundation and the Japan Foundation.