+ See images of the event on Flickr.
+ Research material from the workshop available here.
+ LONDON SITUATION e-waste Questionnaire: Tell us what you think here!

We have a situation! is a series of live, trans-border, online-offline participatory performances addressing current cross-cultural European issues and concerns. Between March and May 2013 four “situations” will be created in four countries – France, Netherlands, UK and Austria. For the London Situation the focus will be on electronic waste.

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What is We Have A Situation! going to be in London?

A 4 day workshop exploring the problem of e-waste and the creative potential of digital and online technologies, culminating in a networked event on Saturday 23 March for a local and online audience. The event will be streamed live through the UpStage platform with an online discussion about e-waste between Furtherfield Gallery and kunstGarten Graz (AT) at the end of the event.

What will happen?

• Research the issue of e-waste in your local area;
• Experiment with digital technology in live performance: online spaces, web cams, graphics, animations and sounds;
• Collaborate with artists Helen Varley Jamieson and Tom Keene, and Bright Sparks, a local recycling/fixing/making project;
• Learn about online audience interaction and online-offline discussions;
• Develop and present a 20 minute performance about the problem of e-waste.

WHO IS THIS FOR?

• Anyone interested in researching and discussing e-waste
• Anyone interested in the creative potential digital technology
• Anyone open to experimenting and playing
• No prior experience necessary, just an open attitude!

Why should you get involved?

• Increased understanding of e-waste issues, and possible solutions;
• New skills and knowledge about digital/online tools for performance;
• Creation and presentation of a “cyberformance” – live online event;
• Creative exchange with Helen, Tom, Bright Sparks and other workshop participants.

WHERE AND WHEN?

• Introductory Event: Sat 16 March 2013, 2-4pm
• Workshop Series (afternoon and evening sessions): Tue 19 – Fri 22 March 2013, 12-6:30pm
• Public Networked Performance: Sat 23 March 2013, 1:45pm

Live link here

Find your local time here

Please contact Alessandra (Furtherfield) for information about times and location.

Ideally participants should be able to take part in the whole process but we welcome anyone who might wish to contribute even just for a few sessions or the final event.

ABOUT THE LONDON SITUATION: Working with Electronic Waste

Media artist Tom Keene (Furtherfield) has been setting up the “situation” for the arrival of Helen Varley Jamieson (We Have a Situation! lead artist) and the other project partners. Tom will work with Bright Sparks, a local recycling/fixing/making project, situated in the middle of a housing estate in Islington, not far from where Furtherfield Gallery is located, on researching the topic. Bright Sparks has been working with local people to re-use, repair and recycle electronics & furniture.

The underlying theme that we are planning to explore through the London Situation and that has certainly strong resonance everywhere in Europe as well as worldwide, tackles current issues around the social & economic relationships with material things, and how these alternative counter-economies are evolving alongside the materialistic obsolescence of capitalist consumption.

New EU regulations will soon require member states to collect 45 tonnes of e-waste for every 100 tonnes of electronic goods put on sale during the previous three years, with a target of 4kg of e-waste per person. That’s about 2 million tonnes of e-waste to be collected every year – out of a total of 8 million tonnes generated annually in the EU. Who will be doing this collecting? Who will pay for it? Where and how will the e-waste be recycled? And what happens to the 8 million tonnes not collected for recycling?

ABOUT THE PROJECT

We have a situation! is a collaboration between four European arts organisations – APO33 (FR), Furtherfield (UK), MAD emergent art centre (NL), and Schaumbad Freies Atelierhaus Graz (AT) – and two individuals, Helen Varley Jamieson and Martin Eisenbarth. It is funded by the European Cultural Foundation.

FIND OUT MORE

+ For more information about the London Situation and to get involved please contact Alessandra (Furtherfield).

+ More information about this project:
http://www.wehaveasituation.net/

Location

Furtherfield Gallery
McKenzie Pavilion, Finsbury Park
London N4 2NQ
T: +44 (0)20 8802 2827
E: info@furtherfield.org

Visiting information