Project Description
The REPAIR CAMP project is in fact a political pressure campaign where phallocratic individuals and institutions will be under social pressure to participate in REPAIR CAMP ME2 Edition. We will do this by designing a campaign, a prospectus, and an intervention and vetting procedure for eradicating interpersonal and systemic phallocratic toxic behaviours and structures. REPAIR CAMP ME2 project is in fact a political pressure campaign in the guise of a camp-format re-education programme comprising: an open call on social media nominating either phallocratic individuals and institutions, a secret international jury of 40 eco feminists selecting the 'final' 50 nominees, a publicised election on the social media platform of the 50 nominees to determine a final 15 nominees asked to take part in the programme, a public invitation of the nominees to participate in the programme delivered with a motivation, if nominees decline the invitation, they will be asked to publicly explain why.
To explain the REPAIR CAMP project, we offer some background information. Ecofeminism posits that because the systemic extraction of women (e.g. free reproduction and domestic labour) and the plundering of nature's 'free' resources, are one and the same, only a feminist approach can prevent the further destruction of the planet. Recognising that patriarchal structure produces systemic planetary destruction, REPAIR CAMP (re)educates participants in the effects of their toxic behaviour, institutional policies and patterns. Who are the participants? Participants (predominantly CIS-genered white men in positions of power and institutions carrying a phallocratic legacy) are nominated for REPAIR CAMP through an international open call. The call invites people to name men in power and phallocratic institutions who urgently need tools, policy instruments and scripts that repair past damage and produce the future We desire both socially and ecologically. Who fields the nominations? Nominations from the open call will be judged by a secret, international society of more than 40 women and LGBTQ people. This jury is ever-expanding and bound by oath.
Why would a nominee ever participate in such a damning programme? There are two main reasons why it would be attractive to participate in REPAIR CAMP. Participation and successful completion of the programme signal a desire to enact change. As well, can you imagine who would be attending? Who wouldn't want to spend 7 days reflecting on the patriarchy with a group of famous oligarchs (e.g. Bezos, Erdogan, Musk, Orban, Putin and Berlusconi)? Kidding aside, the participating group will comprise a powerful and influential group of men. This is in itself an attractive prospect to less famous dickheads. But really, what's in it for the participants? Upon completion of REPAIR CAMP, participants receive a certificate/diploma which, due to institutional importance of the jury, is professionally valuable if not essential. Acquisition of a REPAIR CAMP certificate represents a material ecofeminist achievement that one can put on their CV and which can positively affect one's admission in academic programmes and professional tracks, convince a potential partner that you're worthy, convince stakeholders that you can be trusted. Institutional affiliations honouring the REPAIR CAMP certificate will be listed in the prospectus.
Possible ways to expand the project
REPAIR CAMP programming can be adjusted to suit other cultural events and platforms including biennials (art, design, and architecture), academy programmes, academic conferences, and hacker camps - all of which are great sources of potential patriarchs and reformed REPAIR CAMP trainers. Teasers (1-2 day programmes and ½ day skills workshops) at venues such as these, can form part of the communication campaign. REPAIR CAMP will be closely aligned to use and expand its sister project, NODES.
Personal introduction
Debra Solomon is an artist and researcher. In her professional life as an artist working in the public space, she carries out action research and multispecies infrastructure activism within several urban agroecology projects, developing expertise on the subjects of urban food forestry, urban soil-building and the governance of public space greens. Her vision of urban public space as an ecologically coherent landscape posits a productive, radically greened and socio-natural city. Solomon’s foundation Urbaniahoeve is producing a 56 hectare public space food forest in Amsterdam Zuidoost, supported and in collaboration with municipal partners and a local community of praxis (VBAZO). Solomon exhibited this artwork and her vision, Multispecies Urbanism, in the Dutch Pavilion at the 2021 Venice Architecture Biennial. Currently Debra is working on the Regenerative NFT Manifesto with Lucia Babina in a project supported by the Stimuleringsfonds.
Estimated costs
REPAIR CAMP - STARTUP COSTS (= € 35.000,-)
€ 4.800 (6 weeks 2pp half time) project timeline scripting and identification/jury recruitment and copy production and programme production.
€ 4.800 design and production of the call for nomination campaign through varied media platforms (4 weeks 2pp full time: 1 full time communications worker, 2x ½ time project managers (AA&G) curating jury, speakers/trainers and nominees. €
4.000 travel budget
€ 8.000 design and production printed matter
€ 12.000 web platform design (€8k web designer, €2k AA&G content production, €2k infra)
€ 1.400,- Amiche Arx & Gram TruePrice collaboration and continuity fee (15% of artist fees)
REPAIR CAMP - RUNNING COSTS PER WORKSHOP (= € 22.750,-)
€ 5.000 workshop content design and production fee (AA&G)
€ 750 Amiche Arx & Gram TruePrice collaboration and continuity fees = 15% of total AA&G
€ 12.000 speaker fees (staff incl. chef)during workshop period
€ 3.000 location fee (wear and tear plus cleaning. REPAIR CAMP will use NODES locations)
€ 2.000 communication and coordination pre-during-post workshop
TOTAL: € 57.750,-
This proposal is part of the 'Penny for your Thoughts' project 2022.
