With For About 2020 – A slow conference for a fast evolving crisis

Working with the artist and mental health activist ‘the vacuum cleaner’, curator and agitator Cecilia Wee and in partnership with Live Art Development Agency (UK), Create Ireland and Gessnerallee (Switzerland), the 2020 edition of Heart of Glass ‘With For About’ conference will create a vital, slow and complex space between art, activism, care and social practice in response to COVID-19.

It wilfully asks –  in facing this crisis, another ten years of austerity, ecological collapse, harsher borders, more racism and deeper ableism within deeply divided societies – how can artists, activists and organisations make vitalchange within our communities and beyond?

When?

With For About 2020 will happen over 5 weeks (20 May to 17 June 2020), lasting one hour each week.

How?

With For About 2020 will feature short video provocations, sharings of practice and projects and discussion of various responses by artists and activists, all streamed into your home. It has intentionally been designed to work around the shifting nature of these times – allowing for work care, fluctuating schedules and new contributors to be added. 

Themes

Themes will be mixed together to allow a truly intersectional understanding of CARE WORK, CLASS, COLONIALISM, DISABILITY, ECOLOGY, FEMINISM, LAW, MENTAL HEALTH, MIGRATION, MUTUAL AID, INTERNATIONAL ORGANISING, LGBTQ+, RACISM, SOCIAL PRACTICE, SURVEILLANCE  – all under the framework of Justice and Rights based approaches.

Each week of provocations will have space for ‘in the moment’ responses and be followed by a space for viewers to respond in an attempt to share and build on ways of doing, organising and making that resonate across communities and locations. ‘With For About’ aims to create a radical response to WTF is happening, and confront the increasingly distressing reality so many communities continue to face. 

Call for artistic/academic/activist contributors

With For About 2020 is looking for existing practice/projects, live projects or folx that are thinking and making the future that respond to the outline above, from anywhere in the world. The organising team is very keen to hear about things they won’t have heard about, the unchampioned, undiscovered and low-key. Projects and practice from marginalised people that are urgent, honest, tender and vital. 

They are asking for short films, interviews or descriptions directly to camera for which they are paying £300. 

They are especially keen to hear from places where COVID-19 has had a dramatic impact, including but not limited to: China, South Korea, Italy, Spain, Iran, USA, Indonesia, India, Palestine, Brazil, Australia, Japan, Thailand, Philippines, Egypt, Algeria, Russia.

Deadline to submit contributions: 8th June 2020.