Our Flow.Walk.Drag. co-creators gathered on a cold Saturday afternoon at Margate’s People Dem Collective HQ. Sharing ginger tea and vegan buns, we dipped our toes into deep conversations about our relationships with the sea, the everydayness of sewage pollution, local ecologies and activist strategies.
The workshop began with an introduction from the Flow.Walk.Drag team. They spoke about the purpose of the project, pointed co-creators towards the live ethics document and offered recent (shocking) data about sewage releases by Southern Water. They introduced E. coli – describing the microbe’s key characteristics, its impact on human bodies (positive and negative) and contributions to science and ecology and asked questions like ‘is E. coli misunderstood?’
The group took some time to imagine ourselves as microbes, playfully imagining what our microbial characteristics would be and the conditions we would need to thrive. One co-creator would be a mossy multi-tasker with multiple hands, thriving in the freshness of the lungs. Another would be a hot, sweaty, shy little microbe, always the last to leave the party. Others were characterised by their faith in collective action, inspired by mycelium and collective care. Rest, recharging and hibernation were important for some, and some would be catalysts for action. Life spans ranged from 2-3 weeks (short and sweet) to forever. One microbe was actually ‘the oldest.’
Co-creators were asked to bring an object with them to represent their relationship with the sea. From a grandmother’s paperweight to ceramics to seaweed soap to found objects crafted into talismans, the objects opened up personal and moving conversations around resilience, swimming and mental health, embodiment, and the call of and constancy of the sea. We talked about the sea as inspiring and full of treasures, as offering an edge to the land that we crave, as a social and nourishing space. We shared stories about feeling the water through our bodies and its impact on our minds, feeling held and free, feeling ease and discomfort.
Throughout the conversation, it was clear that the everydayness of sewage pollution is disrupting local relationships with the sea. One co-creator had not swum in over a year because of the sewage and another spoke about wanting to wash the water off their body immediately. We talked about the wonder of seaweed as food, as skincare, as a means of developing film. But wondered where it might be safe to forage, unaffected by sewage overflows. Pollution was a live consideration for all co-creators – sewage and rubbish were described as heart-breaking and anxiety-inducing. The sea offers us so much yet is mistreated.
As our time came to an end, we talked about the next session, which will focus on sewage and illness. Co-creators are asked to think about a place in Margate that represents sewage and/or E. coli to them and to message the FWD team in advance. We will map out these stories and learn more about E. coli’s impact on our bodies.
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