'Buy less, choose well, make it last'. Vivienne Westwood (2014)

Westwood’s call to action echoes a growing trend within art and design practices to move away from “constant consumption”. Viewing this move within the broader context of degrowth and diverse economies this talk explores notions of repair, care and maintenance as sites of artistic practice and action.

Asking how can we ‘stay with the trouble’ and create new forms of living and livelihoods that nourish, heal and build restorative futures? This talk draws on my work as programme leader for Repair Acts and research into the history of repair economies in Bristol as well as artistic practices that look towards the disconnect and the discarded, what is in ruin and broken as means to reimagine what we define as growth.

Ref: Haraway, Donna. Staying with the Trouble: Making Kin in the Chthulucene. Durham: Duke University, 2016.

Westwood quote from Oct, 2014 Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/membership/video/2014/oct/29/vivienne-westwood-capitalism-clothing-video

The talk will be followed by a free workshop on “Mending  - the practice of radical thrift” by artist, maker and producer Dawn Giles from 2:30pm - 4:30pm. You can reserve a place on the workshop here.

Read more about the work Repair Acts does here.

This Lunchtime Talk is part of Open Studio Friday, which takes place at the Studio every week.

Do you want to find out what is going on at the Pervasive Media Studio? Are you interested in meeting our residents, talking about a specific project or curious about pervasive media? Why not pack a sandwich and join us for one of our Lunchtime Talks and Open Studio Friday. Lunchtime Talks are informal presentations by Studio residents and associates. They normally take place at 1pm on Friday, are free and open to everybody who’s interested in what we do. After the Talk, we also invite you to stay with us for the afternoon to continue the conversation or work on your own projects. We provide chairs, tables, wireless and a great space. You bring what you need to work with (laptop/mobile). Our open afternoons close at 5pm. Let us know if you’d like a tour of the space and we'll be happy to show you around just before the talk. Send an email to: studio@watershed.co.uk to book your place on a tour.