Radical Contact Gatherings 2018

Bastardize This!*

We are planning three gatherings for 2018: an extended weekend in Göteborg (16 – 18 February), a slightly longer event in southern Sweden (30 March – 2 April), and a week-long gathering in the countryside east of Göteborg (13 – 19 August).

The main theme of these gatherings will be the (class, race, gender…) politics of cultural mixing. We want to organise encounters between contact improvisation and, for example, hip hop, parkour, vogue and capoeira. What exactly the mix will look like will depend on who comes and what they bring. There will be movement classes, jams, performances, film showings, discussions, theory workshops and parties.

We will use different modes of movement and touch, particularly contact improvisation, as ways of exploring body politics. One of our main questions is: how can physical culture, touch and movement, be useful in sustaining community, dealing with trauma, resisting oppression?

If that sounds interesting and you might want to join us, please take a few minutes to read the rest of this short text!

Who and what

We welcome both people familiar with movement and bodywork who are interested in body politics, and political activists who are interested in movement and bodywork. When we say we are interested in movement we mean not only dance and martial arts but also everyday movement: non-verbal languages, how people greet each other with gesture and touch, express wishes non-verbally, use space.

We want to practice clear and honest communication, learn more about sensing and respecting the boundaries of others, as well as our own. We want to create safer spaces, especially for people who do not usually enjoy the privilege of having their wishes and boundaries respected, who are not usually shielded from abuse and insult. We hope that on this basis we will be able to challenge ourselves, and extend the range of what is possible in interactions between people.

Our politics

In the long run, we want a society based on equality, autonomy and reciprocity. We want a free association of all human beings. We are committed to an intersectional, anti-capitalist, anti-racist, feminist, trans and queer liberationist politics that is radically critical of state and nation. A politics that takes the legacies of colonialism and slavery seriously, questions ties of blood, family, clan and caste, seeks alternatives to the domination of the young by adults, as well as the contempt of the old, and rejects mainstream norms of beauty and ability. A politics that questions the rule of humans over other living beings and the world at large.

Contact improvisation

At the basis of this practice are the physical contact between two or more partners, the relation to gravity, and to the momentum of moving bodies. It’s about letting go of excess tension, waking up the reflexes and sense of balance, and working with weight. It is a very subtle way of interacting and negotiating through touch and movement. We think contact improvisation would make a great addition to the culture of various political scenes we feel close to. We also believe it can be a useful tool for personal change, and for investigating issues of body politics.

Body politics

Some examples of body political questions are: cultural constructions of health; disability, fat, body image, beauty, body norms in general; the objectification of bodies in art, advertising and daily life; sexualisation and desexualisation of bodies; how society ascribes meaning to different zones of the human body; how experiences of violence and oppression differentially tune people’s autonomic nervous systems; how domination takes root in the body.

Communication and conflict

We would like methods for conflict resolution and better communication, like co-counselling, to be part of the mix of practices at these gatherings. We hope to be able to provide some introductions.

Practicalities

We will have some experienced people teaching daily, and other people – you? – will propose and facilitate workshops, labs (more or less prepared and facilitated, experimental, collaborative meetings) or discussions.

We will leave plenty of space in the schedule for ideas that might come up during the meeting. There will also be smaller groups for discussion and sharing. Children are welcome and we intend to make the events as child- and parent-inclusive as possible. There will be childcare, a children’s programme and a children’s play space. We will have a discussion with people bringing children before each gathering.

These events are not commercial projects, and we are trying to make them as affordable as possible. The fees we ask are on a sliding scale. Of course this is only going to work if everyone is really honest about their resources. Please pay as much as you possibly can, so that people who have less can also participate! If money is a problem, talk to us, maybe we can find a solution. We are applying for grants, and if we receive funding, the cost could be lower.

Dates, Times, Venues, Cost

1. February Gathering

Times: Starts Friday 16 February 11:00, ends Sunday 18 February 16:00 (Thu eve arrival possible)

Venue: Fräntorps Folkets Hus, Fräntorpsgatan 10, 41676 Göteborg, Sweden

Cost: 700 – 1100 SEK – includes food and lodging

Deadline for personal statements: 31 January

2. Spring Gathering

Times: Starts Friday 30 March 11:00, ends Monday 2 April 13:00 (Thu eve arrival possible)

Venue: Blekinge folkhögskola, Folkhögskolevägen 6, 372 60 Bräkne-Hoby, Sweden

Cost: 900 – 1500 SEK – includes food and lodging

Deadline for personal statements: 28 February

3. Summer Gathering

Times: Starts Monday 13 August 18:00, ends Sunday 19 August 13:00 (arrival any time on Monday)

Venue: Råddehult Lägergård, Arås Råddehult, 504 94 Borås, Sweden

Cost: 1500 – 2500 SEK – includes food and lodging

Deadline for personal statements: 31 July

Personal statement

If you are interested in participating in one, two, or all three of the gatherings, please write a few words about your background, politically and in terms of physical practices, about what interests you about this project and what you would like to contribute to it. It doesn’t have to be long and any style is welcome. While you are at it, please also tell us if you are allergic to specific foods or have any special needs. Send it all to [email protected] as soon as possible. We will get back to you as soon as we can and send you more information.

Contact

Don’t hesitate to contact us if you have questions.

By email at [email protected], or by phone at:

+46 765841901 (Aurora in Malmö, speaks Swedish and English)

+46 765973209 (Daniel in Göteborg, speaks English, German, French and Swedish)

+358 465375030 (Vishnu in Helsinki, speaks English, French, Telugu, Urdu and Hindi)

www.radicalcontact.org

* bastardize: verb 1. to reduce from a higher to a lower state or condition, to debase; 2. to modify, especially by introducing discordant or disparate elements. bastard: noun 1. a person born out of wedlock, an illegitimate child; 2. a mongrel, a cross between different breeds, groups or varieties.