How might we compost “climate justice” with the feminist, queer and decolonial ambits of this group? This set of texts and podcasts address issues of race, gender and political ontology that arise in attempts to ‘decolonise’ climate activism. They might lead us to discuss how fossil capitalism is being enacted and enforced via social-cultural and economic means.
Date: March 11, 2020 4-5:30 pm
Lead Composter: Sumugan Sivanesan
Sumugan Sivanesan’s practice turns around art, activism and theory. Often working collaboratively, his interests include minority politics, activist media, artist infrastructures and more-than-human rights. Prior to moving to Berlin in 2017, he was part of a range of art-activist collectives in Sydney including: boat-people.org, theweathergroup_U and Yurt Empire. He is currently organising with the BIPoC climate justice collective, Black Earth. www.sivanesan.net
Where: Kevin Lee Room* Main Quad H604, the University of Sydney
*NOTE ON ACCESSIBILITY: The Kevin Lee Room is accessible by elevator from the Main Quad – enter at Lobby H and take the lift to the 6th floor, turn left. However, accessibility on campus is frustrating and insufficient. The only way to access the Quad without any small steps in the way is to enter at Lobby A (front, under the clock tower) or Lobby P (north side, from Science Road). If you are coming from the South, you can enter Brennan McCallum on Manning Road (this entrance is already on floor 3), then take the lift to the 8th floor of Brennan. Exit the elevator, turn left and travel to the end of the hallway, and go through the doors that adjoin Brennan and the Main Quad. Voila, you are on 6th floor of the Quad (floor numbers don’t match up!) right at Kevin Lee.
If you have any other questions about accessibility, or anything else that would better facilitate your participation in the group, please contact Astrida at astrida.neimanis[at]sydney.edu.au
Read:
- Nigel Clarke and Kathryn Yusoff “queer fire: ecology, combustion and pyrosexual desire”
- Paola Balla “Tyirrem; the end of the world as we knew it“
Listen:
- Sumugan Sivanesan, “Whose Solutions?”
- Mihir Sharma’s “An Open Letter on the Unthought Contradictions of Doing Climate Activism”
- Podcast: ‘Drilled’ (on the fabrication of climate denials)
As always:
BYOM (Bring your own mug – I will supply tea!)
BASTS (Bring a snack to share. We love eating!)
CWAQ (Come with a question! As always we will launch the session by going around the table to hear from everyone who would like to share)
The COMPOSTING reading group is open to bodies of all genders, professions, and walks of life, including but not limited to academics, postgrad students, undergrads, artists, poets, activists, grandmas, multispecies companions, and the odd ghost. We are an inclusive intersectional feminist space, and together we are figuring out what that means, in practice.
composting 