Justin and I are very excited by the enthusiastic response to the call for contributions to our upcoming Mobilities Workshop – Performing the city: mobility, space and subjectivity.
Thankyou to everyone who registered their interest to be a participant or submitted abstracts/positioning statements for talks. The quality was high and it was difficult to make the final selection of speakers. We were impressed by how many people rose to the challenge set in the brief. We had banned powerpoint and the conventional idea of a single/static workshop location and instead asked speakers to talk/walk through themes central to their work. We encouraged people to think about incorporating places, movement, forms of mobility and/or materials in their presentations.
We have selected ten fascinating talks/tours that cover topics such as the History of Crossing the Road, Horse Cabs in Victorian London and Mobility Scooters and Electromobilities. Each talk will take place in, around or on the way to specific locations which means that speakers will tell stories about moving things on the move. In total 25 of us will take to the streets in early December. Justin and I have our fingers crossed that it works!
It has been a challenge to piece together a schedule that accommodates the range of talks and attends to the logistics of a mobile workshop. Currently the event takes place in two main journeys; in the morning (north/central London) and afternoon (south-ish London). We will make out way between places on various forms of mobility, with some of these journeys providing the space/subject matter for talks. We will stop for sustenance and a well earned beverage at the end. Everyone will enjoy themselves and no one will get lost or run over. That is the plan at least. There are many variables, notwithstanding the weather in early December and the reality of trying to present research to 25 people while walking or travelling on a moving vehicle….. Overall though, people seem excited and open to the idea of the experimental nature of the event.
The program will be made available shortly.