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How do we know?

imc-notts features | 20.02.2007 23:17

Over 50 people came together at Nottingham University for an event called 'the Knowledge Lab'. The event was aimed at bridging the gap between activism and academia and to provide a collective space for anti-capitalist reflection. It was the 4th time the event was organised and focussed on 'Knowledge' this time. Workshops were based around questions such as 'how do we know'? what is knowledge'? 'where do we gain our knowledge from'? 'does someone hold control over our knowledge'? 'how does gender affect knowledge'? 'how does education effect knowledge'? 'how are our senses affected by advertising and the media'? and 'how can suppressed knowledge be released into the mainstream'? Other sessions included a presentation and discussion on an alternative education project called 'Travelling School of Life', an experiment in anarchism and concensus decision making called 'SOMA' and an Open Spaces for Dialogue and Enquiry session aimed at looking at what knowledge is and what controls, thus affects it.

Audio: Organiser explains about the 4th Knowledge Lab | Chat with a Knowledge Lab regular about its history and aims | Audio of part of the Open Spaces for Dialogue and Enquiry session on 'Knowledge' | Affective Knowledge & Alternative Media (part 1) + (part 2)

Links: Knowledge Lab website | Peace Conference & Knowledge Lab :: some photos | Travelling School of Life Workshop at Knowledge Lab 4 in Nottingham | Audio reports and background from the 4th Knowledge Lab | Affective Knowledge & Alternative Media, some audio

how do we know?

What is the Knowledge Lab?

The Knowledge Lab is an attempt to provide a collective space for anti-capitalist reflection. It is located at the margin of the university, an institution essentially geared towards the production of knowledge as a resource for corporate interest and as justification for particular constellations of power relations. The Knowledge Lab is hence also an attempt to claim back some of the university's space, resources and know-how from the military-industrial complex and make them available for people concerned about and working against the status quo of unceasing commodification, exploitation, war, and biospherical destruction.

The knowledge lab grew out of conversations at the anarchist bookfair in 2004, where the "anarchist academics" session featured on the programme for the second time. So many people came to both sessions that all that could be done was intros and quick networking - those sessions made it very clear that more time and space was needed for socially and politically engaged people and those on the margin of the institutionalised "knowledge factories" to (be able to) get together, somehow. Join the mailing knowledge lab mailing list to help nurturing collective spaces for anti-capitalist reflection. You can also add yourself to the volunteer network of the Autonomous University of Lancaster with which the Knowledge Lab works closely. See the website for more info.

imc-notts features

Comments

Hide the following 6 comments

come the revolution...?

21.02.2007 17:37

It would be nice to claim back activism from pretentious academic twits and people looking for a carrer in NGO's, bullshit universities, and publishing careers. Patronising overpaid snobs who think they know it all?
Cake and eat it?
Is activism in the UK a career path for NGOs and bourgouis lifestylists?
Discuss.
Would you let these people watch your back in a riot situation?
What's your role in the community besides parachuting in with your theories?
You haven't got a clue...

care worker

why is this a middle column feature on imc uk?

22.02.2007 11:24

A feature on epistemology and academics in Nottingham - hardly middle column material for imc uk is it?

I'd also like to echo the concerns voiced in the post above about academic/careerist parasites versus activism.
We've already seen the co-option of activism through so-called art-activists using the arts council, now it looks like wannabe academic careerists and NGO's have their teeth ready.

Repel them while you can - at least indymedia is safe!

content?!

two real intellectuals - the vangaurd

22.02.2007 16:24

The above two comments reveal two "activists" who have no real causes at all other than having a bee in their bonnet about life in general and a “believing in the efficacy of action” – which means they get a buzz out of protest and being pseudo-militant and hav enothign to offer.

I expect they can’t articulate what higher specific good their actions supposedly serves (like the “riot” one mentions?). If they were capable of engaging the grey matter rather just dissent for the sake of it, they would be taken much more seriously and see the value in academic debate and intellectual discourse. Trouble is they show that they aren’t worth listening to, so they justify their actions because no one is listening to them. idiotas.. The worst thing is they bring legitimate protest down to their level. I also love the dig one of them makes about "lifestyle" when for them activism IS a lifestyle, they are just too arrogant to admit it (assuming of course they are aware enough to realise). Also I love the dig about “careerists” i.e. people who have talent and drive and intelligence to be in a position to make real change, not living in a f*ckin squat, moaning about everything, get arrested, and in the end achieving nothing because the decision makers are the careerists. Grow up.

bob

Contradict yourself bob why don't you?

23.02.2007 18:07

"Also I love the dig about “careerists” i.e. people who have talent and drive and intelligence to be in a position to make real change, not living in a f*ckin squat, moaning about everything, get arrested, and in the end achieving nothing because the decision makers are the careerists. Grow up."

O oh! So careerists are go-getter agents of social change but they're also the 'decision makers' (presumably the people who make decisions about us?). Aren't you getting a bit mixed up here bob?

Don't forget to get your 'expression' sorted for your next funding proposal!

class struggle @

A useful article - I'm pleased it's in the middle column

25.02.2007 12:26

Bridging the gap between academia and activism has got to be a good thing for all parties. I may not have become an activist if I hadn't gone to uni. I did an english and history of art BA (and english MA) and learnt about power relations (class, colonial, economic etc) - stuff I didn't know. So in the build up to the 2003 iraq attack I knew blair etc were lying because I recognised their imperialist rhetoric. My lecturers weren't pretentious. They recognised the limitations of purely academic study (One of them addressed the 'literature makes you a better more aware sensitive person' using the argument that 'while you attend to the cry in the book you don't notice the cry in the street'.

As increasing numbers of folk are attending universities we need to make sure they're as radical as possible, and also in touch with practical activism (demonstrations etc), so students see the value of knowledge and action.

I found this article also useful:

http://www.euromovements.info/e-library/autorsview.php?id_autore=283&PHPSESSID=95b329fded7c825b4338e07f9f5aacbe.
(you could go to the euromovements e-library and look up: Academia activism: what might they offer each other?

Tracy

tracy york

classy

16.03.2007 19:16

To be fair a lot of the student activists are well involved in some good stuff here in Nottingham, and to be intelectual doesn't mean you have to be middle class, I have a freind from a council estate who has a PHD - some people like to learn. some class struggle anarchism is based on the situationists, most of whom were university intelectuals. i would agree that knowledge lab would hold little interest to most the people in working class areas in Nottingham, and it may have been quite middle class, and maybe even predominately white, but I reckon there was some good in it, I am going to go to the next one to see what it's all about, even if it has a right cheesy name.

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