Group Statement
Autonomous Design Group is returning to more active work, having undertaken a lengthy process which attempted to resolve internal group conflicts.
Over the past 18 months, our collective has undergone a process of reflection and analysis of our group practices. This started with a call to formally undergo a process to address grievances, calling initially upon one member, then ultimately all members, to take accountability for the fact that we weren’t working how we wanted to. With the support of Plan C’s care and justice working group (whose patience and mediation we are incredibly grateful for, and who we probably couldn’t have moved forward without) we interrogated our group culture and shared our experiences with each other, recognising that a breakdown of communication and trust had taken place.
This process has lead us to a significant amount of reflection on structural power dynamics, coalitional politics and interpersonal communication. As a result, we have undergone some clear restructuring of the way that we work and relate both to one another and the outside world going forward. As we resume our public work, the way ADG operates will look quite different. As we look forward to becoming active again in the coming months, we wanted to share a brief summary of what we have learned in this process and what our commitments are going forward.
What happened:
Dynamics that weren’t in line with our aims of collectivism and horizontality had cropped up, interpersonal wounds had been allowed to fester, mounting to a breakdown of trust and a need to put a halt to our work in order to interrogate what these issues were and work towards addressing them.
Overall recognition that we weren’t working how we wanted to
The environment of the group had become fraught and had veered off course from many of the commitments and values of the group, including horizontality, transparency, and most importantly, working together from a place of mutual respect and care for one another as comrades and colleagues.
What we did about it:
Sought outside Mediation through Plan C’s care and justice working group.
Analysed and interrogated our organising structures and how that contributed to a breakdown of working relationships.
Three members decided to leave the group, including one founding member and the only two people of colour in the group. These three people were also the ones to start the accountability process.
Some members decided to stay with the aim of transforming the nature of the group, which is already underway.
How we’re going forward:
We've spent time analysing what good working practices look like in Autonomous Design Group, and how we will keep ourselves accountable in the future - both to one another and to the wider world.
We have implemented new group meetings and working protocols and collaboratively drafted a new constitution that attempts to create more explicit structures and processes to address some of these issues.
We are also working on creating a generative culture that is based on trust and mutual support; as the old saying says “culture eats structure for breakfast”.
As part of these changes, we will be de-anonymizing our designs and ensuring clearer practices in regards to authorship and division of work. We want to acknowledge the work of those who have left the group, so work in our archive catalogue made by ex-members will also be de-anonymised.
We recommit to further actions and accountability towards procedure which we will publish in the coming period.
We are working to publish a document outlining how Autonomous Design Group seeks to practice accountability. It will focus primarily on how we will deal with concerns raised by third parties, but we know that this is not the only form of accountability. We see this work of creating a healthy culture through our internal structures and conflict resolution systems as an ongoing process.
The groundwork we have done over the past 18 months is now a core part of our practice - the way we work is as important as what we produce and is also a way of enacting the relationships and types of collaboration we want to see in the world and in the arts.
We would like to express our appreciation to those who have left, their contributions make them a part of the fabric that is Autonomous Design Group.
In solidarity,
Amanda, Celeste and Rory
(Autonomous Design Group)
This statement contains input and edits and is realised with approval from the two members who left during the process with Plan C.