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| Urgent Pedagogies UP—Reader picks up after the summer break, presenting another contribution from Issue #10: PolyVocalCity. Markas Fortunatas Klisius, Betty Owoo, Robin Finch Pickering, Rebecca Sainsot-Reynolds share a series of audio pieces which are invitations to experience Croydon from the perspective of those who inhabit it and animate it, offering a refuge, a place of care, a home to a diversity of voices and life experiences.
From the Archive re-surfaces pieces that have previously been published as part of Urgent Pedagogies Issues.
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| PolyVocalCity: Restaging Croydon Festival, Croydon, 2023. Photo: Betty Owoo. Image: courtesy of Betty Owoo
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| Sounding Croydon
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| Markas Fortunatas Klisius, Betty Owoo, Robin Finch Pickering, Rebecca Sainsot-Reynolds
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LOCATION London/Croydon, United Kingdom CATEGORY Commoning, Ecology, Educational programme, Research, Urbanism |
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| Routine, Ritual and Improvisation are three audio works emerging from within Markas Fortunatas Klisius and Rebecca Sainsot-Reynolds research during the PolyVocalCity programme, and act as examples of the power of ‘routine, ritual, and improvisation’ in central Croydon.
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| In addition to natural hazard vulnerability, the lack of access to basic infrastructure and financial services imposes restricted production and consumption conditions for this population, as well as limits technological innovations that for some privileged experts, would be promising for reducing our environmental degradation [2]. Hence, when thinking along the United Nation’s promise of “leaving no one behind” for a sustainable future, one must think – What is really possible in marginalized, peripheral, poor contexts?
In my diverse experiences in social projects in Brazil, I came to face situations where from the lack of options, these populations have been actively resisting their existence through informal and creative ways of production, consumption and education. Ways that have been excluded from the respect of government officials and policymakers, but that we can learn from to ressignify our modus operandis that have overpassed the bearable impact on the planet.
I bring to the discussion the practice of mutirão, a word with indigenous roots from Tupi-Guarani mutyrõ (within many other variations), freely translated to English as “common work”. The practice, with debated origin [3], has been present in diverse cultural contexts and geographical regions, suggesting a common intrinsic human trace of solidarity [3], but that aggregates different layers of political and social challenges. Deteriorated by the growing individualization of work configuration, some practices of mutual help survive their remote past’s heritage [3], yet incorporating new complexities of contemporary urban configuration.
In Brazilian cities, despite the legal effort to make cities accessible [4], these challenges include housing deficit, lack of basic services such as sanitation and electricity, and restricted land access [5]. In the overall neglect of this urban ill by some government officials, it creates a condition that obliges people to find informal ways of occupying the city – usually in configurations such as favelas, and ocupações. In these scenarios of poor infrastructure assistance, climate vulnerability is enhanced, being common phenomena of landslides, extreme rainfall and floods that cause significant dwelling damage and human loss. Yet invisibilized by officials, the segregated people find political and social strength by unification of their voices, knowledge and workforce abilities in a territory that is not assisted by formal governance. They collectively construct housing, infrastructure, and collective spaces in labor that are generally non-remunerated, non-hierarchical, and do not aim for a financial profit. Therefore, the mutirão incorporates a political view of anti-hegemonic activity that is contrary to capitalist work relations [6].
To bring this into practical terms, I share a practice of an informal occupation located in Santa Maria, a city in south of Brazil, that is in a current legislative process for the State to formally allow 53 families to live where they have been for the past seven years – “Vila Resistência” – in direct translation – “Villa of Resistance”. The name coherently suggests their will of power, as 15 of the pioneer families came from a situation of eviction from a past land they occupied, and in the current site, they have already been through at least three direct threats of removal [7]. The disputatious situation introduces other various conflicts these organizations encounter, and their need to urgently resist to be able to live.
In addition to natural hazard vulnerability, the lack of access to basic infrastructure and financial services imposes restricted production and consumption conditions for this population, as well as limits technological innovations that for some privileged experts, would be promising for reducing our environmental degradation [2]. Hence, when thinking along the United Nation’s promise of “leaving no one behind” for a sustainable future, one must think – What is really possible in marginalized, peripheral, poor contexts?In my diverse experiences in social projects in Brazil, I came to face situations where from the lack of options, these populations have been actively resisting their existence through informal and creative ways of production, consumption and education. Ways that have been excluded from the respect of government officials and policymakers, but that we can learn from to ressignify our modus operandis that have overpassed the bearable impact on the planet.
I bring to the discussion the practice of mutirão, a word with indigenous roots from Tupi-Guarani mutyrõ (within many other variations), freely translated to English as “common work”. The practice, with debated origin [3], has been present in diverse cultural contexts and geographical regions, suggesting a common intrinsic human trace of solidarity [3], but that aggregates different layers of political and social challenges. Deteriorated by the growing individualization of work configuration, some practices of mutual help survive their remote past’s heritage [3], yet incorporating new complexities of contemporary urban configuration.
In Brazilian cities, despite the legal effort to make cities accessible [4], these challenges include housing deficit, lack of basic services such as sanitation and electricity, and restricted land access [5]. In the overall neglect of this urban ill by some government officials, it creates a condition that obliges people to find informal ways of occupying the city – usually in configurations such as favelas, and ocupações. In these scenarios of poor infrastructure assistance, climate vulnerability is enhanced, being common phenomena of landslides, extreme rainfall and floods that cause significant dwelling damage and human loss. Yet invisibilized by officials, the segregated people find political and social strength by unification of their voices, knowledge and workforce abilities in a territory that is not assisted by formal governance. They collectively construct housing, infrastructure, and collective spaces in labor that are generally non-remunerated, non-hierarchical, and do not aim for a financial profit. Therefore, the mutirão incorporates a political view of anti-hegemonic activity that is contrary to capitalist work relations [6].
To bring this into practical terms, I share a practice of an informal occupation located in Santa Maria, a city in south of Brazil, that is in a current legislative process for the State to formally allow 53 families to live where they have been for the past seven years – “Vila Resistência” – in direct translation – “Villa of Resistance”. The name coherently suggests their will of power, as 15 of the pioneer families came from a situation of eviction from a past land they occupied, and in the current site, they have already been through at least three direct threats of removal [7]. The disputatious situation introduces other various conflicts these organizations encounter, and their need to urgently resist to be able to live.
In addition to natural hazard vulnerability, the lack of access to basic infrastructure and financial services imposes restricted production and consumption conditions for this population, as well as limits technological innovations that for some privileged experts, would be promising for reducing our environmental degradation [2]. Hence, when thinking along the United Nation’s promise of “leaving no one behind” for a sustainable future, one must think – What is really possible in marginalized, peripheral, poor contexts?
In my diverse experiences in social projects in Brazil, I came to face situations where from the lack of options, these populations have been actively resisting their existence through informal and creative ways of production, consumption and education. Ways that have been excluded from the respect of government officials and policymakers, but that we can learn from to ressignify our modus operandis that have overpassed the bearable impact on the planet.
I bring to the discussion the practice of mutirão, a word with indigenous roots from Tupi-Guarani mutyrõ (within many other variations), freely translated to English as “common work”. The practice, with debated origin [3], has been present in diverse cultural contexts and geographical regions, suggesting a common intrinsic human trace of solidarity [3], but that aggregates different layers of political and social challenges. Deteriorated by the growing individualization of work configuration, some practices of mutual help survive their remote past’s heritage [3], yet incorporating new complexities of contemporary urban configuration.
In Brazilian cities, despite the legal effort to make cities accessible [4], these challenges include housing deficit, lack of basic services such as sanitation and electricity, and restricted land access [5]. In the overall neglect of this urban ill by some government officials, it creates a condition that obliges people to find informal ways of occupying the city – usually in configurations such as favelas, and ocupações. In these scenarios of poor infrastructure assistance, climate vulnerability is enhanced, being common phenomena of landslides, extreme rainfall and floods that cause significant dwelling damage and human loss. Yet invisibilized by officials, the segregated people find political and social strength by unification of their voices, knowledge and workforce abilities in a territory that is not assisted by formal governance. They collectively construct housing, infrastructure, and collective spaces in labor that are generally non-remunerated, non-hierarchical, and do not aim for a financial profit. Therefore, the mutirão incorporates a political view of anti-hegemonic activity that is contrary to capitalist work relations [6].
To bring this into practical terms, I share a practice of an informal occupation located in Santa Maria, a city in south of Brazil, that is in a current legislative process for the State to formally allow 53 families to live where they have been for the past seven years – “Vila Resistência” – in direct translation – “Villa of Resistance”. The name coherently suggests their will of power, as 15 of the pioneer families came from a situation of eviction from a past land they occupied, and in the current site, they have already been through at least three direct threats of removal [7]. The disputatious situation introduces other various conflicts these organizations encounter, and their need to urgently resist to be able to live.
In the 60s and 70s the ‘grand’ masculine eurocentric visions dreamt up by the modernists were being challenged by an uprising of non-traditional collectives. A revolutionary spirit of resistance found groups experimenting with furniture design, music, installations and visual art. These methods were used to critique the architecture of the era and its position in a socio-political landscape of war, austerity and inequality.
During this time, a post-independence renaissance was unfolding in Khartoum Sudan. In the 60’s and 70’s, the rise of several modernist movements radically transformed the artistic scene, resulting in a flurry of dynamic creative and experimental outputs in literature, music, theatre, visual arts and architecture. Masjid at Nileen, (The 2 Niles mosque) is a landmark example of the era. The impressive and futuristic design of the mosque was a thesis project by Gamer Eldawla Eltahir, a student at the University of Khartoum.
Featuring collaborative writing and edits of field work from the programme, interviews with Gillian Turner from the Croydon Quaker organisation, and Kyle Thomas from the HomeWork Club.
Routine; ‘listening is an act of reaching out’ is a local history lesson with Gillian Turner, caretaker of the Quaker Adult School Hall. Recorded in the summer of 2023 during the PolyVocalCity programme. Featuring field recording from outside the hall during a steel band practice [Croydon Steel Orchestra].
Ritual; ‘the golden rules about mistakes’ is a conversation with Croydon local, Kyle Thomas, who runs a Saturday HomeWork Club in Croydon for young people in his wider community. Markas and Rebecca met Kyle, four of his students and their families at Turf Projects in January, 2024.
Improvisation; a chorus to close; voices and words from text collaged into audio chorus. Voices of Taiba Alnassar, Markas Fortunatas Klisius, Rebecca Sainsot-Reynolds and Martin Osman.
Recordings, research and development by Markas Fortunatas Klisius and Rebecca Sainsot-Reynolds. Audio production by dot.i [Martin Osman // @dot.i.stuff ].
Crafting Croydon is a conversation between director of Turf Projects B Atherton and Betty Owoo, reflecting on the shared processes they have both explored as creatives trying to conceive of alternative futures for Croydon. The conversation touches on the intersections of their recent projects at Turf (Desire Paths, Solastalgia), Theatrum Mundi (Restaging Croydon) and with Croydon Council (Croydon Urban Room), the utilisation of a creative practice to build new worlds and propose alternative futures for a place, and the contribution lived experiences can bring to shaping and healing Croydon.
‘Croyden’ is a looking and building exercise to prompt new conversations about your local area. In this recording Robin Finch Pickering wanders around a small section of the vast borough that is Croydon, noticing architectural oddities and potentially going off the beaten track. Each site holds a clue to a future that we can create or a past we wish to replicate. This recording is an initial instalment, something to be added to by you, the listener.
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| This is a commission from Theatrum Mundi as Part of PolyVocalCity: Restaging Croydon. All copyright reserved to Theatrum Mundi and the artists. Funded by The City Bridge Trust and first published as part of Urgent Pedagogies Issue #10: PolyVocalCity
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| Betty Owoo is a Croydon-based spatial designer and writer interested in the complex challenges of designing in an urban environment. Trained in architecture, she uses design and communication to tell stories and solve problems in the physical and digital realm. She was a member of the Theatrum Mundi PolyVocalCity: Restaging Croydon cohort, 2023.
Markas Fortunatas Klisius is a migrant researcher, educator, writer, and curator. Positioned at the intersection of migration studies, situated learning and architecture, their practice attempts to encapsulate the spatial, educational and technological parameters of infrastructural and systemic inequality, state violence and environmental transformations. Their academic background is in anthropological and curatorial studies, having received MA in Material and Visual Cultures at UCL and BA in Culture Criticism and Curation at CSM.
Rebecca Sainsot-Reynolds is an artist, educator and researcher working with site, story, play and object making processes through the lens of the work existing in the ‘being-together’. Unearthing stories through in depth investigations into the physical, historical, imagined and social histories of place and being. Rebecca delivers the young people’s programmes at Company Drinks in Barking, and is researching histories of urban play through work with Triangle Adventure Playground.
Robin Finch Pickering is a visual artist from Croydon, currently on the Conditions studio course. He is the recipient of the Vanguard Studio award 2022 and has recently completed a solo show in Camberwell space that involved 6 workshops led by visiting artists. Selected exhibitions include Stolen Goods at Filet gallery, Good day, big miss stake at Kate, Amsterdam, Valve in Waterloo, Rites of spring in Lewisham Arthouse and the Bauhaus 100 festival in Dessau.
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Urgent Pedagogies is an IASPIS project.
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