DIY: 2010 – Alice Cutler Freedom of Movement

Become an urban orienteer, pull out the threads of Bristol’s past, present and possible futures. From calamity to climate justice?

On October 12, 1492, Christopher Columbus arrived in the Americas, unleashing calamity and exploitation on the indigenous populations of the Americas.

On October 12, 2010, there is a call out for a global day of action for climate justice. But what does this mean here in our cities? Considering that those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it, we will begin by exploring some of the rich history and scratching the surface of the shiny present of the city of Bristol. By bike or by foot small groups will follow their maps and at each site will experience a creative intervention that pulls out some threads of the normally invisible legacies of empire, migration and resource extraction. Returning to base with something from each control point we will share food before mapping out what we have found. Day 2 will weave these experiences together and consider how our journey can help us to imagine possible ways forward.

Dates, times and location:
Bristol, venue tbc.
10.00-6.00 Saturday 25th and
10.00-4.00 Sunday 26th September 2010.

Application procedure: 
There are up to 20 places available. Applications are invited from artists, performers, actors, musicians, theatre-makers, and those working in community, collaborative and creative practices, artists working in educational settings. The only prerequisite is a commitment to collective working for the duration of the project. The workshop will require a few hours of walking and or cycling. Lunch and drinks will be provided on both days.

To apply please email [email protected] expressing why you are interested in the project, any relevant experiences and ideas for future projects/work. Please feel free to ask any questions.

The deadline for applications is Friday 16 July, all applicants will be notified of the outcome by 21 July 2010. Following this, participants will be provided with further details about meeting points and locations.

The artist: 
I am committed to creating spaces that work on the edges between education, art and organising for social change. I am a freelance facilitator and writer and a founder member of Trapese Popular Education Collective, (www.trapese.org). I have more than five years experience running creative workshops exploring issues around social and environmental justice with teachers, performers and artists including working with Platform, (C Words) Banner Theatre, Centre for the Study of Social and Global Justice, and Moving Sounds. I have a background in Social Anthropology and theatre studies and am passionate about the creative potential of the arts within popular education. I am currently working around the intersections of climate change, migration and understanding the calls for climate justice.

This DIY project is supported by PLATFORM:
PLATFORM works across disciplines for social and ecological justice. It combines the transformatory power of art with the tangible goals of campaigning, the rigour of in-depth research with the vision to promote alternative futures. www.platformlondon.org