Bidston Observatory Artistic Research Centre

No judgement –

There is no lengthy application process to come and work at BOARC

We trust you are the expert on your own practice and the audiences you wish to reach.

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No pressure -

Stayers decide how long they come to work for and what they work on.

There is no requirement to produce any “thing”, share your ideas or present what you’ve been doing.

There are of course ways of getting feedback from others, whether this is over a dinner conversation or a self-instigated showing.

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No capture -

BOARC doesn’t capture work that goes on in the space to promote itself, as not to accrue cultural capital off the efforts of others.

This means that work at the site can stay private, and in support of the mess and mistakes it takes to arrive somewhere new.

BOARC’s online content is volunteered by users of the site.

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No hierarchy of practice-

BOARC sees all modes of working as equally valid and doesn't allocate more resources or space to those with established careers or professional standing.

Maximum stay is a month to ensure flow through the space and that no individual voice or way of working becomes dominant.

In principle

BOARC was set up to support people working in artistic and cultural research, as many of these practices look to support communities and shift the status quo towards a more equitable future.

As the cost of formal education rises and institutions are pressured to meet imposed ideas of value, we believe providing flexible space is an important intervention. We respect our users do not need steering towards what’s important but room to innovate and instigate on their own terms.

BOARC supports this by prioritising two things:

Self-education –

where people set out what, how, and the way they wish to study

It allows for creative thinking, and often suggests a new path.

Self-organising –

where we identify what needs to be done and figure out how to do it.

It allows for adaptability and new strategies to emerge through the doing.

Both require an active participation as momentum isn't lead from a top-down perspective.

In practice

These terms of participation are ingrained in how BOARC operates; its' working methods, and attentions constantly shift to meet what users require of the space.

The project is a research practice in its own right. Our events programme and in-house projects aim to stimulate group discussions which then feedback into how BOARC is shaped. They also offer different points of entry, though it’s mainly down to others to invigorate the space and drive its content. The project likes new challenges and always tries to make things possible.

Sharing Abundance -

As users decide when they stay and how long for, people with different work needs cross over and meet. Everyone has something to offer and all bring a wealth of knowledge through personal history and experience. When recognised and valued, this abundance creates a collective energy, creating opportunities to test new ideas and attitudes together.

Taking time to notice -

Being at BOARC is an opportunity to witness and learn from the little things; the unsung gestures of daily life. When living communally, emotional, domestic and administrative labour are foundational. Sharing the space as a collective allows us to notice what resources us, figure out our boundaries, and take care of how we affect others. This is vital for generating sustainable working practices.

Making possible for others -

We understand that acts of mutual support do not always appear equal, but everyone mucking in and taking part is vital. BOARC is run on trust and the belief that anything is possible when collectives share responsibility and work together.

Researching whilst in community takes vulnerability, but practices built through doing so extend well beyond the space.

We acknowledge that power is both exerted and felt differently by different bodies. The direct and indirect effects of power and privilege, material or otherwise, are rarely equal. While being at BOARC, we try to recognise the ways that power may be asymmetrical, and take ourselves into account.

We understand that processes of accountability are collaborative. They take practice, need nourishment and willing participation in order for them to grow. Under capitalism, shame and judgement are used to divide us and reduce our power as a collective. When we accept we are all works-in-progress and pre-conditioned by wider political systems, movement can happen. When we hold space for reflection and all of its feelings, opportunities for reconnection also become possible.

We ask that everyone takes responsibility for making BOARC accessible to others; this can look like being aware of how much space we take up, reflecting on our actions, paying the higher nightly fee, giving the space additional care or helping out others where opportunity arises.

Our accountability agreement outlines the foundations for this.

Whilst we assume people have good intent, as an intersectional space with feminist principals we need to emphasise the obvious things that can’t be tolerated: Racism, Sexism, Homophobia, Transism, Ableism, Classism, Ageism, Xenophobia - in fact, any kind of ‘ism’ or ‘phobia’ where superiority over others is assumed. We promise to hear you out if your behaviour is questioned, but will ask you to leave if you intentionally inflict these forms of aggression against other people.

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TOGETHER LETS:

- Be conscious of how we take power or use privilege in the space.

- Be tolerant and make no assumptions about others.

- Speak up when others over step our boundaries.

- Be mindful that we all have blind spots and the ability to learn from them.

- Find ways of speaking for injustice, that doesn’t shame or judge others.

While transgressions may occur when different types of people meet, we want to use them as opportunities to learn. This means questioning the behaviours of others in a non-judgemental way and being open to hearing the viewpoints of others if your own behaviour is questioned.

Those running the space welcome being called in or out if our behaviours or aspects of the project cause discomfort. We recognise this is necessary for our learning and growth. We are grateful for the courage it takes to do this and have practices in place so we can reflect and make changes when needed.

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Accountability Process:

Should you need to address anything during your stay here there is an accountability process in place. If you raise an issue with a member of the BOARC team, we’ll first let you know the steps of the process, and ask out how you’d like to proceed.

You can either speak with a member of the team, or send an email to enquiries@bidstonobservatory.org

If you’d prefer to be anonymous, there are a number of email account providers which you can register with, without your name attached. We can also receive letters to: Bidston Observatory Artistic Research Centre, Wilding Way, Prenton, CH43 7RA.