The Commons: Re-Enchanting the World was curated by Catherine Morland and Amanda Couch at the Museum of English Rural Life (The MERL), University of Reading, UK, from March 2020 – April 2022 with artists, Sigrid Holmwood, Kelechi Anucha and Carl Gent, and Sam Wallman. Alongside Amanda Couch, Josefin Vargö co-designed the Commons Feasts, and Kristen Fraser designed the graphics and publication. It was funded by Arts Council England, with additional support from the University for the Creative Arts and the Swedish Arts Grants Committee.

The ‘commons’ describes things we all share, such as air, water, and land. Loss of vital resources like these is happening in many parts of the world, often without our knowledge. The project focuses on how the social and ecological challenges we currently face link back to complex histories of land ownership, gender rights, labour, and the wage economy, as well as a decline in communal life and subsistence living. As well as the legacies of colonialism and the impact of neocolonialism, the concept of commons also serves as a rallying cry to raise awareness of homegrown inequalities.

The Commons: Re-enchanting the World explicitly makes homage to the title, ethos and vision of Federici’s 2019 book Re-enchanting the World: Feminism and the Politics of the Commons. Federici who does not advocate ‘an impossible return to the past (Federici, 2019:8). She urges us to reflect on the knowledges and practices of our ancestors to claim, salvage and make reparations, to enable us to mutually look to the future, in order that we “recover the power of collectively deciding our fate on this earth”. She looks ahead to “a new world, reenchanted” (Linebaugh, 2019:xiii).

The project consists of the following activities:
2020-22: Co-curation (with Catherine Morland) of The Commons: Re-enchanting the World, an ACE & UCA funded project at the University of Reading’s Museum of English Rural Life (The MERL). It consists of the following:

mid-July 2021 until 3 April 2022: New artwork commissioned for installations within The MERL galleries by artists, Kelechi Anucha and Carl Gent, Sam Wallman, Catherine Morland, Amanda Couch and Sigrid Holmwood.

Sunday 25 July 2021: AIMA Congress AIMA 2021- Past and Future Agricultures – Virtual Gallery Tour for The Commons: Re-Enchanting the World with Ollie Douglas, President of the AIMA / Curator of MERL Collections.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TWohoVUkNII

Friday 30 July 2021, 6 - 7.30pm: The Virtual Launch event including ‘The Virtual Commons Feast’ (co-designed by Amanda Couch and Josefin Vargö).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QmUqnbXeUfg

Saturday 18 September 2021, 12 - 4pm: ‘The Commons Feast' part of Heritage Open Days. The first In-Person event at The MERL – curated demonstrations, workshops, activities.
https://merl.reading.ac.uk/event/the-commons-feast/#:~:text=Learn%20more%20about%20the%20installation,the%20theme%20is%20Edible%20England

31 March 2022, 9.30 – 5pm: ‘The Commons: A Gathering’. A hybrid in-person and online symposium. There is a recording, I am still waiting in this from The MERL.

11 March 2020 until 9 September 2022: ‘Becoming with Wheat Companions’ (BwWC) Monthly Meet-ups, (community growing group) convened by Amanda Couch, 3.30 – 4.30pm.

16 October 2021: Anthotype Workshop by Amanda Couch.

19 March 2022: Dispersed Song Workshop by Carl Gent.

19 March 2022: Cordage Workshop by Catherine Morland.

February 2020 – ongoing: ‘Grow Beer Reading’ – We initiated Grow Beer Reading in February 2020 as a community “patchwork farm” with local people growing hops in their back gardens, on their patios and balconies, in allotments and community gardens, with the goal of growing, harvesting and brewing a beer to enjoy communally.

After The MERL:

2 July 2022, 5pm – 7pm: The Commons Publication and Launch at South London Botanical Institute. The book is also now with Art Data distributers and is on sale at The Whitechapel Bookshop and Arnolfini Bookshop.

24 – 26 August 2023: Re-enchanting the Commons: Malmö at Celsius Projects, Malmö, Sweden. Group exhibition, with artists, Amanda Couch, Catherine Morland, Francis Brady, Josefin Vargö/Levande Arkivet, Sara Trillo, Carl Gent & Kelechi Anucha, Sigrid Holmwood, and Samaneh Rhoghani.