Start Producing the Future - Free Dayschool @ Arnolfini

bristol | the environment | news report Thursday October 15, 2009 19:13 by Al

First of three Trapese dayschools this Saturday, Start Producing the Future, Experiments Against Enclosure, Tools to Reclaim the Commons

First of three Trapese dayschools this Saturday, Start Producing the Future, Experiments Against Enclosure, Tools to Reclaim the Commons: "Everyday, everywhere, through spontaneous and planned actions, people are changing the world, together. These everyday actions come from the growing desire to do it ourselves – plant vegetables, organise a community day to get people involved in improving where we live, expose exploitative firms, take responsibility for our health, make cups of tea in a social centre, figure out how to install a shower powered by the sun, make a banner, support strikers, pull a prank to make someone laugh, as well as think", (Do It Yourself, A Handbook for Changing our World, Pluto 2007 www.handbookforchange.org)

reclaim!

In December 2009 the world's leaders, NGOs, lobby groups and the media circus will be going to Copenhagen to try and secure a deal for a new climate agreement when the Kyoto Protocol expires in 2012. Thousands of social change activists, indigenous people, environmental justice movements will be going too, to add their calls for an end to business as usual, where people and our environment comes second to profit and short term gains, and to demand climate justice. But all around the world, there are thousands of projects and people working from the bottom up, creating and resisting the system that is causing climate change and building a more just and sustainable world, right here and now. We don't believe that governments and corporations can solve the climate crisis, because they are responsible for it! We believe in doing it ourselves, using our creativity and building truly sustainable solutions from the bottom up. So whether you are planning to go to Copenhagen or not, we hope there is something in our programme that can inspire you to take action for everyday revolutions, closer to home.

This weekend is the first of three dayschools at Arnolfini Bristol.
Come to just one workshops or the whole three days. Check out our mid week film programme. Join the real green (grassroots) shoots.

DAY 1- Saturday 17th October 2009
LIVING SUSTAINABLY, ORGANISING CO-OPERATIVELY.
10.30- 11.30 am Opening session:
“Autonomous Futures and Direct Democracy” - Paul Chatterton, (Trapese) talks about creative
possibilities of direct action and autonomy for a sustainable future.
BREAK
WORKSHOPS 12- 2pm Choose between:
* Community Gardening– How to use urban space to green up our local ecologies, strengthen
existing communities AND get local food! Featuring Eastside Roots and local permaculturists Ruth
O Brien and Mike Feingold.
*Economics v Ecology? - with Steve stuffit and Paul Chatterton explaining the way the economy works. A discussion on
the false choice between 'jobs vs environment'.
*Consensus Decision Making and Facilitation. A training of tools and methods to break down
hierarchies and work effectively in groups. With Alice Cutler and Kim Bryan.
(Not drop in.)
2pm-3pm LUNCH
WORKSHOPS 3-5pm Choose between:
*Crash technologies in urban settings- Marvel at a grey water and water filtration systems. Create a
floating Rubbish Islands, portable bio-remediation devices constructed from urban detritus. With
Steve Stuffit.
* The voice of dissent with the 'The Feral Choir': Whatever you want to communicate, find ways to work together to imaginatively interpret words of passion, to open out the issues to everyone. Led by Mel McCree
* Creative ways of juicing the politics from apples: Food and Climate Chaos. participatory
workshop with Natasha Machin.
5-6pm
Closing-feedback from all workshops and what next?

When? Saturdays 17th October, 31st October, 14th November 2009, 10.30 – 6pm.
Where? Arnolfini, 16 Narrow Quay, Bristol BS1 4QA www.arnolfini.org.uk

How? Register via Arnolfini box office or phone, T: +44 (0)117 9172300 / 01
E: boxoffice@arnolfini.org.uk .

Please say which session(s) you plan to attend. Or simply turn up and register on the day. Some sessions are 'closed' once they start, others are 'drop in', (see programme)

How much? Participation is not dependent on paying but we suggest a donations from ｣5 to ｣15 per person, per day, depending on income. This will go to the workshop facilitators, who are offering these sessions for free, or to the projects of their choosing.

Food? Bring food to share or there are plenty of local eateries.

Who? Trapese are a popular education collective who among other projects edited the Do It Yourself -handbook for changing our world, in 2007. This project which draws on the themes from the book will be co-ordinated by Alice Cutler, Natasha Machin and Steve Stuffit, from Bristol with input from Paul Chatterton, and Kim Bryan and many other Trapese friends.

The energy and climate-change crisis stands as a unique social and ecological challenge.Those least responsible for climate change are the worst affected by it...
(Vandana Shiva, Indian Activist, 2008)

We are part of:
C Words, C Words: carbon, climate, capital, culture, How did you get here and where are we going? A major exhibition and season of 50 events in the run-up to COP 15, at leading contemporary arts centre Arnolfini, Bristol from 3.10.09 – 29.11.09, co-ordinated by PLATFROM. 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. (http://blog.platformlondon.org/cwords) This is part of a major season of events marking the Countdown to the U.N Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen (COP15). The season includes exhibitions, performance, film, debate and courses around issues of climate change, social justice and the relationship between art and activism. This season encourages everyone to come together to share projects, ideas and plans
http://www.100days.org.uk