RepairActs, International Network Meeting & Conversation, Bristol 2019
Repair Acts is an international and multidisciplinary network of people working on topics relating to repair, care, maintenance and reuse cultures. Questioning the rhetoric of the ‘new’ as a means of progression and innovation, our work addresses everyday material relations with a focus on tools, devices and the built environment. Examining the implications of current consumption and production patterns, and the broader consequences of our material lives on the environment and other species, we explore issues relating to, for example: planned obsolescence and circular design; labour systems, manufacturing processes, resource limitations and waste; craft practices, qualities and standards; our right to repair; failure and breakdown; and, the care necessary to attend to and maintain systems. To date these topics have been explored through a range of public conversations, workshops and events, which have taken place in Bristol, London, New Delhi, Penryn, Berlin and Accra.
On 7th Feb 2019 we will be hosting a one-day event and exhibition at CREATE, Centre for Sustainability Bristol. The event brings together national and international artists, scholars, policy makers, designers, engineers, architects and social entrepreneurs to discuss a series a interrelated questions relating to topics of repair, care and maintenance.
Schedule:
Wednesday 6th Feb 2019: Workshops and Site Visits
13.00-17.00: eWaste Workshop with artist Ben Gaulon This workshop is open to UWE students only.
13.00-17.00: What Remains Workshop with artist Marloes de Valk. This workshop is free and open to to the public but limited with limited places (15). For full details and to book your spot, go to: What Remains, Repair Acts 2019
13.00-17.00: Site visits to repair and reuse locations in Bristol including Bristol Wood Recycling Project, SOFA and the Children’s Scrap Store. Hosts Teresa Dillon and Jane Stephenson (invite only)
Thursday 7th Feb 2019
Free/Open Public Programme
Location: CREATE, Smeaton Road, Spike Island, Bristol, BS1 6XN
Registration necessary via EventBrite: Repair Acts 2019
9.30-10.00: Register and refreshments at CREATE.
10.00-10.15: Welcome: Teresa Dillon, UWE and Caitlin DeSilvey, Uni of Exeter, Jane Stephenson, Resource Futures and Michelle Scoplin, CREATE
10.15-10.30: The Parasitic Reading Room: Repair Acts readings led by Rosario Talevi, Architect, Soft Agency
10.30-11.15: Conversation 1: CRAFT with Linda Brothwell, David Paton and Staffan Appelgren. Moderator, Caitlin DeSilvey.
11.15-11.30: Break
11.30-12.15: Conversation 2: CRITICAL with Kim Trogel, Uni of the Creative Arts; Theo Reeves-Evison, Birmingham School of Art and Francisco Martínez, Uni of Helsinki. Moderator, Anna Bohlin
12.15-13.00: Selected presentation: Lara Houston, Sociologist. Moderator, Teresa Dillon
13.00-13.45: Lunch
13.45-14.00: Short walk (around CREATE)
14.00-14.15: Overview of local bridge repair/Ashton Ave Swing Bridge
14.15-15.00: Group Activity (with refreshments)
15.00-15.30: Report back on activity
15.30-16.15: Conversation 3: ECONOMIC with Siddhartha Hande, Kabadiwalla Connect and Jane Stephenson, Resource Futures. Moderator, Alma Clavin
16.15-17.00: Conversation 4: ESSENTIAL with Ravi Agarwal, Artist and and Director of Toxic Links, and Janet Gunter, Co-Founder Restart. Moderator Teresa Dillon
17.00-17.30: Summary/close and thanks: Teresa Dillon and Cailtin DeSilvey
Thur 7th Feb 2019: Repair Acts, Exhibition
17.30-18.00: Drinks reception and exhibition opening with Ravi Agarwal, Teresa Dillon , Carmela Pietrangelo, Arthur Buxton, Steve Bond, Caitlin De Silvey, Robert Leadbeater, Nick Hand and Ben Gaulon
19.30: Close
Fri 8th Feb 2019: Curricula Meeting
9.00-12.30: International Meeting: Developing Repair, Care & Maintenance Curricula with presentations from Ben Gaulon, Rosario Talevi , Alma Clavin and Sarah Chave (invite only)
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Repair Acts is funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC), UK under the Network grant scheme.
The programme is led by artist and Professor of City Futures Teresa Dillon (Principle Investigator) from the School of Art and Design and DCRC at the University of the West of England, and Associate Professor of Cultural Geography Caitlin DeSilvey (Co-Investigator) from the Environment and Sustainability Institute at the University of Exeter.
Our partners in the project include the environmental organisations Toxics Link, Delhi and Resource Futures, Bristol. Supporting the delivery of the programme is DCRC, University of the West of England and Environment and Sustainability Institute, University of Exeter. For the 2019 symposium our venue partners are CREATE, Centre for Sustainability Bristol.
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Credit: Repair Acts, registration key ring was created using discarded materials donated by Mulberry Design Office and made in collaboration with colleagues from Fashion/Textiles at UWE, Jo Barnfield and Zarya Moskovits.