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If you have a question email info@opencouncil.co.uk

What is the Open Council?

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The Open Council is an alternative context to experiment with culture and community issues in public.

Can I join the Open Council?

You’re already a member!  Everyone that lives in Newcastle and surrounding wards are automatically members but there is no clear line or border where the Open Council no longer operates. People that read or hear about the Open Council project or its policies also automatically become members.

Is the Open Council an art project?

Yes and no. The Open Council is a space in which many things can happen including art.
 

What is the Open Council based on?

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The Open Council is based on ideas of self-institution and musical improvisation.

Are Open Council experimental policies real?

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Yes and no. Open Council policies are not burdened by reality and they do not have to function or be realized but at the same time they do function conceptually as part of the Open Council. The policies are often fictional in terms of the schemes and activity they describe but they are nonetheless the genuine policies of the Open Council institution.

What is an experimental policy?

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An experimental policy is a game where the object is to make absurd and impossible ideas seem plausible within the context of the Open Council using techniques borrowed from Newcastle City Council public information leaflets. The experimental policy framework is designed to provide a space for social comment on life, culture and the powers that be in Newcastle.

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What is the ultimate aim of the Open Council?

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To re-create itself.

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Can I really participate in the Open Council?

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Yes. The Open Council welcomes the participation in various ways:

You can submit content for one of the call for work projects.

You can create your own experimental policy.