Hi, what creative dissent is differs to different people.
bellow I’ve answered some questions for a project putting together a zine map of different community groups out there in sydney, and put these answers up to describe Creative Dissent. If you are want to add to or edit these could you keep them in the question answer format and add comments or eddit the text if you know the password. Sweet.
What do we do?
Creative Dissent is a loose collective of people. We put on Creative Dissent, a community based performance night running on the last Wednesday of every month at Push Gallery (see www.figureight.org). On the night you can expect open mic/stage, a couple pre-organised performance acts (drama, dance, music, spoken word…) a DIY art space where you can paint your own works on the night, dumpstered food that you can help cook and/or eat, films projected round the place in an open minded and approachable community vibe. There is a non enforced focus on political ideas etc hence the name. Often the acts will have political content, or the night may have some issue theme, or be promoting/fundraising for some campaign, project or crew. The night is totally free flowing. Different aspects of the night are organised by different crews month to month and it all comes together on the night. Donation entry
Brief history of the project:
In 2005 a bunch of people kept visioning about a political artists network or collective. while there are such things out there, ours never happened. So JP (me) started a monthly night at the Abercrombie Hotel as a hub for such networks to form around. After two months nobody else was actively involved. So on the third month some people turned up to an empty pub and decided to get involved. A small collective was born. We wanted to have the monthly night but also do heaps outside the night like street theatre and stuff. Since then many more people have gotten involved. The night has continued but stuff outside the night hasn’t officially happened. However many amazing projects have come out of social networks developed around creative dissent. The night has now moved to Push Gallery, 67 Botany Rd. In this new space we have more freedom and possibilities to broaden Creative Dissent beyond the night. However in an organic, decentralised ripply way, I reckon this is already happening.
Motivations?
This is diverse as different people involve din creative dissent have different motivations.
To create a space where strangers meet and respect each other, where people are inspired to talk openly. To create a hub for alternative communities. To facilitate individual and community empowerment through a participatory night, and a sense of inclusion and ownership. To create a space accessible to the general public, so that our communities are not limited to the usual suspects. To have fun. To play. To provide a space for broader forms of expression than those supported by the mainstream. To build community and networks between creative and activist circles. To provide a place for community groups and projects to promote themselves and do minor fundraising. To experiment with ways of organising. To general contribute to building a sweet diverse, creative, aware, empowered and kick assly happening community in Sydney.
What is our vision of the world:
hmmm. Well once again this is diverse as many peeps are involved. So note that this is my (jp’s) impression of our collective visions of the world: a world where people are themselves. Where people respects and accept each other. A world where people get together in wicked communities and create the worlds they want around them, in harmony with others’ visions. A world full of creativity and free from soulless consumerism. a world where the everything is art, where people explore their situations, find solutions and communicate using powerful tools of art, music, spoken word, dance, drama, dreaming, play, cooking, laughing. A world where because people are in touch each other and nature, they don’t fuck over each other, or nature. A world where because people are in touch with each other and nature, where people stand up in groups, defending and creating the beauty of each other and nature.
How do we challenge neo-liberalism?
I suppose neoliberalism promotes dis-empowered individualism, where people only care about themselves, yet whose self knowledge is not facilitated, but instead distracted from a culture designed for profit and not for human need. Indeed peoples identities are not based around freedom truth and love, yet around societal function, production and consumption. Arrrgghhhh, that’s not a nice place. We seek to do the opposite. Not because its the opposite. But because its what we want to do; facilitating community, participation rather than just culture consumption, awareness and examples of action, the general approach and energy of creativity.
How can people get involved?
We are always keen for people to get involved!, if you want to lend a hand, contribute an idea, network or start a completely new aspect of creative dissent on the night or beyond that already sounds pretty ace. you can email creativedissent@gmail.com, check the web page www.creativedissent.wordpress.com, call jp on 0401 447 675 or best of all come to 67 Botany Rd Redfern on the last Wednesday of a month and talk to people who are doing stuff.
sweet.
jp
Recent Comments