ECA meeting in London (Tate proposal by Torange)

As Torange was having issues with loomio, I'm starting a thread so we can follow up talking on her proposal (copied below). Of course, key issues of governance need to be resolved so we can make some decisions on our 2017 timeline and upcoming events.

In Brussels I recommended a meeting of the commons in Tate modern as part of their Tate exchange program which is about education and grassroots engagement. I know the Tate would not be the best institutional organisation for ideas of commons but what it does is to distribute and communicate the ideas of the movement of the commons widely. Having for 20 years operated in the margins initiating and running grass roots projects, I believe such platforms to be used to disseminate alternatives is important. We also have 4 commoning projects that are currently running in London which can be visited plus other initiatives and commoners who were not in Brussels but are operating in London. I know wonderful projects are happening in Italy and Spain and Greece but economically challenging (for commoners at least) contexts such as London and how Commoners try to operate in such a tough context is also really interesting supporting challenges they face are very different, nature of activism to create change is very different and the support structures that are negotiated.

For your interest I have attached the projects we are involved in that can be visited but additionally areas such as hackney wick being erased by Olympic developments and meeting the groups who are challenging and promoting Common methods of living and working.

Anyway I thought I put it out there again....

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THE PUBLIC LAND GRAB
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As public land in London is swallowed up in private investment there is a need for its citizens to rethink common and
public ownership models. public works is involved in three long term projects that address this issue in very different ways.
Every single one uses government policies, the power of a strong community development with spatial tactics and strategies
to implement public land grab.

LJ Works | Interact Roman Road | Trade Deptford

LJ Works, in collaboration with Architecture 00, will provide affordable workspace that both safeguards an inspiring
community growing project, The Loughborough Farm, and begins to address local youth unemployment.
InterAct, in collaboration with the Roman Road Trust is re-framing the area around the Roman Road in East end of London as a spine
to a ‘Civic Neighbourhood’. The project explores the relationships we construct and values we hold in construction of a ‘Civic Neighbourhood’.
Trade Deptford, in collaboration with Assembly SE8 a local platform hosting events and debate,
exploring the theme of local identity, gentrification and role of an active citizen in Deptford

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ECO-CIVIC COMMONS
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What new forms of environmental and civic practices do we need to invent to deal with climate change and the ongoing
dismantling of Eco-civic infrastructure in favour of market driven solutions. public works continues to explore the commons
through collaborative and environmental projects involving citizens in re-imagining how we want to live and work together
foregrounding use of closed loop systems.

R-Urban Wick | Glut Field & Glut Barn | DIY Commons

R-Urban Wick is a movable, community and cultural facility that demonstrates closed loop principles. Established via
fortnightly self-build workshops the project is in the process of completing a cafe run on energy generated from
organic waste through a 800 litre anaerobic digester.
The Glut Field & Glut Barn, is a collaboration with Somewhere as part of ‘A Fair Land’, the flagship summer
exhibition in 2016 curated by Grizedale Arts for the Irish Museum of Modern Art in Dublin, Ireland. A Fair Land
aimed to create an artist led functional system for living - a model village.
At a time where councils are seeing cuts and can’t maintain parks DIY Commons attempted a method to save them.
Located in a declining park in North Manchester, this project tries to turn the park into a common resource for the local community.

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CIVIC UNIVERSITY
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The ‘Civic University’ is a research and pilot project
taking place over three years as part of Tate Moderns new Tate Exchange programme. We will explore the idea
of a university embedded within the discourse of knowledge commons with the purpose of teaching, the construction
of new urban commons. In addition to five classrooms situated in different projects across London we have set up
class rooms at Roskilde festival and linked up with similar initiatives such as in Urban school Ruhr set up by Raumlabor Berlin.