I Must Decline for Secret Reasons

Image Description: A print declaring 'SELF CARE IS WAR FARE' is hung up in front of a window, condensation brewing underneath.

i must decline

for secret reasons

Image Description: A hand hlding up a negative in slide holder depicting a woman beaming with her arms crossed in front of a sign saying 'special guest.'

Image Description: Handwritten words in ink on tissue entitled 'SELF CARE tactics lol'

I Must Decline for Secret Reasons was a two day conference about self care in an unequal artworld. It was organised with Rosalie Schweiker, held in and around AND studios, London in March, 2016. The activity consisted of...

dinners, sleep ins, vodka, laughs, swimming and queueing for the toilet.

It involved a number of amazing people who work their arses off making big changes on a small scale. Contributors* were invited to share their knowledge and tactics in whatever way they liked and provocations took the form of performances, cooking, sharing, reading, playing, singing, skyping and dancing together. The conference used money from Rosalie’s Artsadmin bursary and responded to the need for collective interrogation and respite.

On the day everyone was instructed to leave their phone in a box at the door and to collect a pair of socks knitted by Rosalie’s mum. Disposable cameras were shared and different people documented the days from various perspectives. We made the film into slides and these are available to share as a small archive.

*final list of contributors were: Kathrin Bohm, Camilla Canocchi, Chloe Cooper, Leonie Cronin, Valeria Graziano, Alexandrina Hemsley, Margherita Huntly, Idle Women (Rachel Anderson and Cis O’Boyle), Evan Ifekoya, Harun Morrison, Open Barbers, Eva Rowson and Susannah Worth.

Image Description: A group of people sitting on throws and cushions with a vodka bottle and a circle of glasses around it in the centre.