Manifesto in
Absentia, 2015
This manifesto was devised over a series of workshops at the private members club, The Hospital Club, to reflect both the club's ethos to create, connect & collaborate, and its admirable sustainability agenda.
The name ‘Manifesto in Absentia’ reflects the absence of club members in the process. Although advertised via the club’s events listings and receiving member bookings for the workshops, no member joined. The answer to this absence; whether the pressures of life and work or a limited interest in the topic of sustainability remain unknown.
The final textile banner manifesto was displayed at The Hospital Club during their 2015 Sustainability Week, November 14th-November 20th.
Process of creating the manifesto
The process took part in three stages:
Workshops
Over the course of two workshops at The Hospital Club, participants (non-club members) collaborated on the words for the manifesto through exercises and brainstorming on the club’s sustainable and charitable agenda.
Collaboration with spoken word artists
The final words were created in collaboration with the spoken word collective Illustrated Minds; Kidwondr, Shak & Minkles. The invited spoken word artists responded to a brief set by the workshop facilitator. These poems were performed and filmed at The Hospital Club and published in the magazine, Communicare.
Stitch-in
The completed manifesto was made into a textile banner, made from upcycled shirts and ties. It was hand embroidered in The Hospital Club over a period of 25 hours, across 7 weeks. This method of ‘Craftivism’ was employed in an effort to engage other members of the club in the activity and purpose, and promote Sustainability Week 2015.
