REPAIR ACTS: tactically hopeful, in an age of radical climate transitions

Established in 2018, Repair Acts is an artist-led research programme focused on material cultures of repair, care, maintenance and healing. 

We define such cultures, as the habits, knowledge and skills, the traditions and craft that underline visible and invisible mending. This encompasses the regulations, laws and policies that sit behind everyday decisions about why and how we can afford to mend something in the first place and who does such work, what human, species, and machines, organisations and labours are involved. We unpack these choices and decisions, by bringing attention to the values that underpin such decisions, exposing the inner workings of things and infrastructures. We think about this as a form of care and healing work, that can support new imaginaries or demonstrate how do to things differently.

We explore such ideas by making and building art installations, performances and exhibitions and community events. We publish texts (academic and other) and carry out desk-based research.  

We view the things we make, and the events we organise, as modes of inquiry, ways of producing knowledge through configurations with materials, space, people and places. This includes curating public events, gatherings and happenings, making art installations and performances, carrying out desk-based research, writing and developing and doing-things with others.

We focus on repair cultures, because we are interested in what happens when things break down, are discarded and in ruin. 

We have a specialist interest in existing and emerging digital forms of repair and maintenance, including how online, robotic, algorithmic and other machine-based methods and devices, can support collective reparative action and common good.

For the last decade much of our work is placed-based and created with people, artists, researchers, makers, trades people, communities, councillors, charities, activists, small businesses, people working in waste management and logistics, concerned citizens and professionals whose knowledge sits outside recognised fields.

Our work sits across and between disciplines, to name but a few media archaeology, environmental humanities, ecopedagogy, critical making and design, art and society, craft and heritage, situated knowledges, design and manufacturing, governance, policy and law, responsible production and consumption, circular economies and just transitions.

We view our work as tactically hopeful, in an age of radical climate transitions.