The Critical Community

Image (C) Open Dialogues

Open Dialogues and New Work Network are pleased to announce the participants of the collaborative critical writing project Critical Communities.

The London Critical Community includes Emma Bennett, David Berridge, Chloe Dechery, Rikke Hansen, Tim Jeeves, Emma Leach, Bill Leslie, Johanna Linsley, Mary Paterson, Jim Prevett and Cally Spooner.

The Yorkshire Critical Community includes Rachel Lois Clapham, Emma Cocker, Amelia Crouch, Joanna Loveday, Charlotte Morgan and Nathan Walker. With special guest provocateurs Alfredo Cramerotti and Derek Horton.

Together the participants represent a community of new work/writing practitioners who will meet regularly in London and Yorkshire to discuss notions of 'the critical' in relation to critical writing both on and as new work. We will be critiquing our own art/writing and that of others, examining alternate critical modes both on and off the page and collaboratively developing a publication. The community will also act as a sustained network for experimental writing/new work practitioners in the London and Yorkshire areas.

The Critical Community and its members are profiled on New Work Network http://www.newworknetwork.org.uk/index.php

Click here to read more about the publication.

About Open Dialogues
Open Dialogues is a UK based collaboration that produces critical writing and debate on contemporary interdisciplinary and live art. http://www.opendialogues.com

About New Work Network
New Work Network supports the development of new performance, live and interdisciplinary arts practice by providing networking support for arts practitioners. http://www.newworknetwork.org.uk/index.php

Critical Communities has been developed by Open Dialogues and New Work Network (NWN) and is supported by East Street Arts, The London Consortium and Space.

ICA Live Art Programme - True Riches

True Riches
Artists re-open ICA Live Art Department
4th Feb 2009

Artists Tim Etchells and Ant Hampton have re-opened London’s ICA Department of Live Art with an independent curatorial project True Riches including virtual contributions from an international group of artists, curators and thinkers working in and around Live Art.

The True Riches programme – downloadable from the web-address below - shows off the range, energy and dynamism of contemporary live art practice and belies ICA Director Ekow Eshun’s move in November 2008 to close the Live Art Department.

“Filling a gap, and always willing to lend a hand when major arts organisations fail to do their jobs properly, we are delighted to announce the re-opening of the ICA Live Art Department in the form of the project True Riches.

ICA’s Live Arts and Media Department was closed by Ekow Eshun, late last year with an accompanying email statement in which he described the area of practice as lacking the 'depth and cultural urgency' necessary to command the continued resources and focus of the institution. On the contrary we believe that Live Art and performance are highly significant and relevant forms with unique powers to speak to the contemporary situation and to engage the public in the most extraordinary, thought-provoking and challenging ways. In a city as big, culturally rich and varied in its makeup and history as London is, it is important that an arts centre like the ICA should give adequate space to this important area of art practice.

The ICA in London, positioned at the city’s geographical centre and as its experimental vanguard, should embrace and champion the possibilities of Live Art. ICA is perceived by many on the international scene as a model contemporary arts space. Live Art - with all of its hybrid tendencies, its blurring of boundaries, its fun, vitality, energy and relevance really should be there with the full weight and resources of the institution.”

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The project True Riches – a season which runs from now until the end of the year at the ICA - arises from our invitations to around 25 individuals to make proposals for works, seasons and themed and un-themed programmes. It gathers materials which stem from a variety of approaches, tendencies, and impulses in the live art sector – from the satirical critical to the archival, from the comical subversive to the theoretical investigative. A second season is already in the planning stages.

True Riches features contributions from: Geraldine Pilgrim, José Antonio Sánchez, La Ribot, Gary Stevens, Vivi Tellas, Nicolás Goldberg, Christine Peters, Yara El-Sherbini, David Rosenberg / Shunt, Rajni Shah, Bill Aitchison, Goran Sergej Pristas, Frauke Requardt, Momus, The Centre of Attention, Duckie, Lois Keidan, Borrowers-International-Network, Hannah Hurtzig, Home, Zhana Ivanova, Station House Opera, Janez Janša and Stefan Kaegi.





TO DOWNLOAD THE PROGRAMME AND FOR MORE INFORMATION:
www.ica-liveart.org.uk


Contact:
mail@ica-liveart.org.uk


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TIM ETCHELLS
is an artist, writer and performance maker known for his work with the Sheffield-based group Forced Entertainment and for his solo works in visual art, collaborations in different areas and his fiction.

timetchells.com &
forcedentertainment.com

ANT HAMPTON
is a performance maker, based in London UK, working since 1998 in / as Rotozaza as well as on solo projects, collaborations etc.

rotozaza.co.uk &
guessbook.wordpress.com

Free Press

Open Dialogues has been selected to take part in 'Free Press', the collaborative writing project run by Trade Union at Plan 9 in Bristol. Other Free Press participants are Karen Di Franco and Sophie Mellor (Trade Union), Matthew MacKisack, David Berridge, Ashkan Sepahvand, Pippa Koszerek and Hilary Jack.

Trade Union is a project initiated to explore ideas around late capitalism - in particular the economies of contemporary art and the possiblities that could arise from the current geopolitical climate.

The Free Press project is a critical collaborative project where participants decide the form and content of a Free Press publication, produce the final document and decide how it will be distributed.

The production of Free Press will happen 6-8 March 2009, at Plan 9 in Bristol when the participants meet for a three day collaborative workshop. At that workshop we will be working through several issues such as;

* What critical models are currently available to artists/writers?
* What would a ‘free press’ be in relation to contemporary art?
* How could we all write responsively, collaboratively and critically in a free press publication?
* Where is the radical edge now situated? - And are its motives and politics different from our artistic predecessors of 1968 and the early 20th century avant-gardes?


To see individual introductions and bios, and the groups' dialogue on Free Press see http://freepressdialogue.blogspot.com/

Critical Communities

What does being critical mean to you?

Are you an artist/writer involved in new work?
Are you interested in developing your critical skills?

Critical Communities is a dialogue, discussion and writing project that will explore and expand what it means to be critical in writing on and as new work (live and interdisciplinary art). We are looking for 10 local practitioners who want to explore critical writing in relation to their writing/artistic practice, to take part in each of two regional hubs: London & Yorkshire.

Critical Communities will run from February to May 2009, and will take place through face to face meetings and online. Together, we will discuss contemporary notions of the critical and the role of critical writing in relation to new work. The project will culminate in a print-on-demand publication, produced by the writers and artists involved in Critical Communities, to be published in 2009.

Critical Communities is designed to generate debate around the ways we critically engage and communicate live and interdisciplinary arts practices. At the end of the project, participants will have participated in group discussions and feedback about their work, have developed their skills as writers and editors, and had the opportunity to be selected for the Critical Communities publication, edited by Open Dialogues.

Critical Communities is looking for people who are willing to develop the project collaboratively, work as a team and take an active role in creating a Critical Community.

Critical Communities has been developed by Open Dialogues and New Work Network (NWN) and is supported by East Street Arts, The London Consortium and Space Studios.

Commitment and Selection criteria: It is essential that each Critical Communities participant commit to attending all 3 discussion events, the 1 day editorial workshop and contribute to the NWN online forum space. It is also anticipated that you work to develop and submit a text to the final publication.

For further details and an application pack see: www.newworknetwork.org.uk, or http://open-dialogues.blogspot.com/2009/01/critical-communities_7506.html. Or email: info@newworknetwork.org.uk with ‘Critical Communities’ as the subject line.

Application Deadline: 10.00 am 9th February 2009

Critical Communities participants must be NWN members to take part in the project and online forums. To find out more about membership benefits and to join online, please see:www.newworknetwork.org.uk. (Membership costs £15)



About Open Dialogues
Open Dialogues is a UK based collaboration that produces critical writing and debate on contemporary interdisciplinary and live art. For more details see http://www.opendialogues.com/ and http://open-dialogues.blogspot.com/

About New Work Network
New Work Network supports the development of new performance, live and interdisciplinary arts practice by providing networking support for arts practitioners. http://www.newworknetwork.org.uk/index.php


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Application Information


1. What is Critical Communities?
2. What will we do?
3. Who are we looking for?
4. Commitment and Schedule
5. How to apply


1. What is Critical Communities?
Critical Communities is a practical project that will explore and expand what it means to be ‘critical’ in writing on and as new work. Taking place in two regional ‘hubs’ – London and Yorkshire – Critical Communities will run from February to May 2009 through face to face meetings and online. The project will culminate in a print-on-demand publication which will include the writing produced by the participants involved in Critical Communities, edited by Open Dialogues, to be published in 2009.

Application Deadline: 10.00 am 9th February 2009


2. What will we do?
Critical Communities will bring together two small groups of artist/writers to explore the notion of the ‘critical’ in relation to new work and critical writing. Together, we will discuss the practice of critical writing on, and as, new work. Some of the writing generated in Critical Communities will be published in a print-on-demand publication, 2009.

Critical Communities is designed to generate debate around the ways we critically engage and communicate live and interdisciplinary arts practice as artist/writers. At the end of the project, participants will have participated in group discussions, gained feedback about their work, developed their skills as writers and editors, and had the opportunity to be selected for publication.


3. Who are we looking for?
Critical Communities is looking for people who are willing to develop the project collaboratively, work as a team and take an active role in creating a Critical Community.

In each hub (London & Yorkshire), we are looking for a group of up to 10 local practitioners. To participate you must be interested in exploring the notion of the ‘critical’ in relation to new work and critical writing, and be willing to take an active role in the development of your group. All participants must commit to the schedule of events (see below), to using the NWN forum as a virtual meeting point in between discussion events and to developing a text submission for the final publication.

Practitioners
Calling all practising artist/writers whose work deals in critical perspectives, who have experience working with writing or text, and who want to explore critical writing in relation to new work.

To participate you must have a proven enthusiasm and professional experience in the production of new work that involves writing or text, or be able to demonstrate that you are an experienced critical writer with knowledge of new work.

To take part in Critical Communities and use the NWN online forums, all participants need to be members of NWN. NWN Membership enables access to NWN activities and events, ticket discounts and full use of the NWN website. For more on membership benefits, please see:http://www.newworknetwork.org.uk/modules/membership/viewmembership.php?aid=3 and join online. (Membership costs £15)

4. Commitment and Schedule

Application Deadline: 9th February 2009

It is important that all participants attend all discussion events and the editorial summit. The following dates are set as:

London Critical Community

Venue: Clore Management Centre, 2 Malet Street, London, WC1E 7HXS and Space Studios, 129 - 131 Mare St, London, E8 3RH
Evening meetings: 24th Feb, 10th March, 24th March 6.30 pm – 8.30 pm
1 day (editorial summit): Saturday 9th May, 10.00 am – 6.00pm



Yorkshire Critical Community

Venue: East Street Arts, Patrick Studios, Leeds, LS9 7EH
3 Wednesdays: 25 February, 11 March and 25 March, 6.30 pm – 8.30 pm
1 day (editorial summit), Saturday 9th May, 10.00 am – 6.00pm

Regular contributions to the NWN Critical Communities online forum will be encouraged in between live meetings, as a virtual space to connect the two regional hubs and turn live conversations into written form.

The editorial summit will be a one day workshop in which final drafts of texts will be discussed and collaboratively edited. The texts worked on here, and throughout the project, can be submitted for inclusion in the Critical Communities publication.

The deadline for submitting work for the Critical Communities publication will follow the editorial summit (date tbc). The publication will be launched by end of May 2009

Throughout:
Visits to local exhibitions, artists studios and performances, as necessary
Continuing dialogue on the NWN Critical Communities online forum
Regular feedback of your own and other participants’ work
Develop a text for the final publication

5. How to Apply
Please send a brief CV (no more than 2 pages) outlining your experience in relation to new work, critical perspectives, and critical writing. Please also answer the Applicants Questions. Send your application to: info@newworknetwork.org.uk, and include ‘Critical Communities Application’ in the title by 10.00am on Monday 9th February.



Applicants Questions:


These questions are designed to help us understand why you are interested to take part in Critical Communities and to help us build a compatible group of participants. We want to find out about you, and your relation to new work and critical writing, and there are no right or wrong answers.

• What interests you about Critical Communities and why do you want to take part in the project?

• Can you tell us briefly (no more than 200 words) about a piece of work that you made that is relevant to this project? (include examples or web links to any relevant written, and/or artistic work as necessary).

• What experience do you have of people responding publicly to your work?

• What does the term ‘critical’ mean to you?

• What would you hope to gain from taking part in this project?

• If you could invite any 3 people from history or the present day to respond to, or have a conversation with you, about your work, who would you invite and why?

PSi #15 in Zagreb, Croatia

The fifteenth Performance Studies International (PSI) conference, Misperformance: Misfiring, Misfitting, Misreading, will take place in Zagreb, Croatia, June 24 - 28 2009. It is being hosted by the Centre for Drama Arts, which is the main organizer of the conference, and several other research and cultural institutions: Faculty of Philosophy and Academy of Drama Arts (Dramaturgy Department) of the University of Zagreb, Teatar &TD and Student Centre of the University of Zagreb and Institute for Ethnology and Folklore Studies.

The Organizing Committee of PSi # 15 has decided to propose a new conference format this year, combining both the traditional and various non-conventional, open and flexible models of presenting, discussing and performing. While in the morning and the early afternoon conference participants present their papers in panel discussions, in the evening and late night slots they will be invited to participate in a program of practical and artistic ‘shifts’. Shifts are designed to accomplish a higher level of interaction between the participants in the conference, and, more specifically, between artistic and theoretical work.


For registration, programme details etc see http://www.psi15.com