Collaboration Station - DAYS 2 + 3

As Platform BK we can’t repeat ourselves often enough: create solidarity and collectivise! As cultural workers, we suffer from larger societal problems, such as, but not limited to, housing struggles, fair pay, gender equality, discrimination, and racism. Whilst the understanding of the importance of solidarity is growing, more often than not artists are still portrayed as the individual in their studio. In reality, we see a plethora of active collectivising happening on multiple levels in solidarity and alongside other precarious groups. These acts of collectivising are a reaction to the larger societal problems and we find it important to amplify the artist as a collective to prevent isolation and create exchange.

We see that collective work encourages artists to find support with each other and that it challenges them to grow and reflect, to stand stronger as a group, and to make themselves visible. Furthermore, collectivising is a response to the social reality where existing societal systems are lacking or are not supportive enough. In reaction to these lacking systems we see emerging bottom-up approaches, such as setting up social insurance (broodfonds) and social security, but also in new ways of living and working. To support these efforts we want to delve deeper into the question: what does it mean to collectivise, and how do you work together?

Collaboration Station will be a 3-day event which will attempt to answer these questions and create a deeper understanding of the role of collaboration and collective work of artists and organisations on artistic and societal levels in the Netherlands. We want to address three topics: collectives (collective work), financial realms of collectives (financial work) and unionising (existing work).

Day 2 (Saturday 9th of November): Financial work will focus on how collective work relates to financing and alternative economies. How can a collective apply for money, and what happens with the payment? How can the Guideline for Artists Fees support this? What kinds of alternative economies do exist that collectives use to prevent exploitation and unhealthy conditions? But we will also step outside of the capitalistic realm and discover ways to create new systems. We will partner with Hackers and Designers and the Institute of Network Cultures to consider the economics of collective work. In the morning there will be a working session on alternative economies provided by Katie Ceekay. In the afternoon session we will work with Hackers and Designers to develop terms and conditions for alternative economies in collaborative practices. This will include a panel discussion including Kate Rich, Benjamin Earl and Kuba Szreder.

Day 3 (Sunday 10th of November): Existing work will focus on how current examples of collectivising, such as unions, function and work towards long-term structural change within the field. What does lobbying or policymaking mean, and how can you participate? How do we implement collective urgencies into lobbying and policymaking? To answer these questions we will partner with the Creatieve Coalitie to consider the importance of unions and policy-making for artists and organisations alike. In the morning there will be a workshop run by Lobby Lokaal about what lobbying is and how to feel empowered as artists. Alongside this workshop, Koen Bartijn and Sepp Eckenhaussen will run a ‘How to write an open letter’ workshop. In the afternoon, artist and expert Mia van den Bos will introduce us to the history of self-organisation and artist unions through a talk. Following this historical context, there will be a talk by Marije Baalman. Through her years of experience with multiple artist collectives and dealing with policy, she has a good insight on how to formalise a collective or union on a practical level. Afterwards, there will be a panel discussion led by researcher and writer Zoë Dankert on how to be and become a union, or what is needed to become a member. By inviting a broad array of organisations (Kunstenbond, NAA (Netherlands Anrgy Architects), iii, and representatives of Platform BK and the Creatieve Coalitie), we can see the scale of what is possible for unionisation, from grassroots and DIY to larger types of Unions.

SCHEDULE:

Saturday 9th: Alternative economies for collective work

Morning
10:00 → walk in
10:30 - 13:00 → Let's get vulnerable! - diving into resources, needs, participation and compensation(s) - Worksession by Katie Ceekay (alternative economies, commoning) (language: English)

Afternoon
14:00 - 14:15 → Introduction to Hackers & Designers
14:15 - 15:00 → Talk by Kate Rich
15:15 - 17:00 → Panel discussion Hackers & Designers with Platform BK, Kuba Szreder (Platform for Plausible Economies), and Benjamin Earl (Varia), Kate Rich (...) (language: English)

Sunday 10th: Become a member! Unionisation in the cultural field

Morning
10:00 → walk in
10:30 - 13:00 → Workshop on how to lobby with Lobby Lokaal (Language: Dutch)
10:30 - 13:00 → Open Letter workshop with Sepp Eckenhaussen and Koen Bartijn (language: English)

Afternoon
14:00 - 14:45 → Presentation by Mia van den Bos about the history of unions (language: English)
15:00 - 15:45 → Talk by Marije Baalman (artist, researcher, iii financial director) (language: English)
16:00 - 17:00 → Panel Discussion - Zoë Dankert (moderation) conversation with Charlie Clemoes (NAA), Fenneke Voorsluis (BBK), Peter van den Bunder (Kunstenbond), Ezequiel Menalled (iii) and Koen Bartijn (De Creatieve Coalitie). (language: English)

Host or Publisher Platform BK