Collectives as Catalysts
Raven Row
Currated by Demelza Watts and Daphne Politi
"Now that it's raining more than ever.
Know that we still have each other.
You can stand under my umbrella."
-Rihanna
During their break of programming in 2018-2019 Raven Row has invited various collectives and groups to use the space as studios, workspaces and meeting places. What is to be gained from inviting collectives instead of individuals, is it simply a numbers game? After all, there is one thing collectives will always have more of than the individual and that is bodies. But what are collectives for? Why do we form them? How are they structuring themselves? What are the benefits of being in a collective in 2019?
For Collectives as Catalysts, PACTO invited collectives and groups from across different fields of creativity, community, activism, design and research to share their knowledge, experiences, passions as well as the challenges that they are currently facing. The symposium included workshops, discussions and performances, showing what different collectives and groups are producing and facilitating in the area of live art, performance, and writing.
PARTICIPANTS
12ø (London) is a collective based in London, motivated by interesting processes rather than shiny exhibitions. They create projects that exploit the gaps in our knowledge and our eagerness to learn. 12ø is currently working on the project ‘backend’, a series of events at four locations around the UK, looking into the lack of accountability in artist-led organisations.
Metaxu Books (London) is founded on a love ethic. It exists to produce and promote experimental work by a diverse community of artists, poets and thinkers. Metaxu Books is convened by Phoebe Clarke and Jacques Baumgartner.
Devil's Dyke Network (Brighton) is an inclusive platform for poets, performers and artists dedicated to building community and generating positive cultural and political energies. The organizing group consists of artists, filmmakers, and activists.
Sandwich collective (London) is a group of artists looking to find new critical tools to better address the wider social and political conditions surrounding contemporary artistic production. Using strategies such as playfulness and friendship they are looking to question and surpass established spatial and temporal frames for production, presentation and exhibition.
:pillow (Milan) is a soft and comfortable duo composed by Alessandro Moroni and Giulia Ratti, born out of the shared experiences made as /77.
Comet Radio (London) is an independent online radio station, broadcasting live (mostly), from our house in Deptford.
Our focus is to be a home for shows by artists who want to pursue unconventional radio production and audio projects. We actively encourage participation from those with little technical or sound experience, as well as attempting to connect with other projects who we might share an affinity with. Take care because we care.
TIMETABLE
15:30
PACTO: Introduction of the symposium
:PILLOW: introduction of Documentation workshop
15:45
PACTO: Short icebreaker workshop exploring relationships surrounding micro/macro relationships within collectives and other collaboratives
16:15
SANDWICH: A performative tea break
16:45
12ø: Why have we chosen to work collectively? To support... disrupt... have fun? A discussion on the responsibility when we work in collectives.
17:30
PACTO: A performative dinner
18:30
COMET RADIO: A discussion and live broadcast reflecting on the theme of the symposium, with members of the invited collectives, as well as groups currently resident at Raven Row
19:15
DEVIL’S DYKE NETWORK: poetry/ writing performances responding to ‘Collectives as Catalysts’
METAXU BOOKS: Presenting <<Gabbramovich>> (teaser) and _The PACTO Reader_