Dear friends
It’s first Sunday, This Sunday and so time for some creative walking experiments and psychogeography in action.
You can join in anywhere, anytime, from 2pm BST on Sunday 5th July when we will revisit an old favourite by sharing new clues in the metaphysical treasure hunt.
Despite the partial easing of lockdown this will still be an experiment in walking together, alone. You can be part of the live, synchronous conversation via whatsapp and, for the first time, we will also update twitter live. Of course you can also choose to use the prompts whenever and wherever you fancy. They work inside and out and we hope are suitable for any terrain.
The decision to not yet meet in person has not been undertaken lightly. I miss our monthly meanders terribly and it is true nothing quite compares to the poetry and enchantment we can find on the streets together. We are, all, finally flaneurs and, despite my boredom with that archetype, I truly believe it for the best right now. The collective was borne out of a radical utopian dream - although of course I realise most of you do not share my politics - but key to our walks is a critical engagement with issues of power and an inherent distrust of marketing. In these times of fake news and gaslighting this matters now more than ever. Creating a space to come together for conversation across various divides is one of the things I am most delighted to have emerged from The LRM. We can make new spaces to do this. Another, equally important part of my politics, and something else integral to the evolution of The LRM, is a sense of communality and a deep duty of care. That means I don’t want anyone to feel excluded or at risk, no matter how much fun we may have. We walk together. There’s pragmatic reasons too. We’ve never limited numbers on LRM Derives or required advance notice for First Sundays. I don’t want that to change but it would have to if we complied with current guidelines. I’m also mindful of blocking pavements and taking up space as a group when others need to social distance. There are also logistical issues with transport to and from our meeting place. (This is why my non-LRM tours and performances are also paused for now)
More positively, I have loved being able to welcome loiterers from across the UK, and the world, to walk with us. Its been a joy, and this accessibility to those unable to physically join us is something I want to build on even when we can be together in Manchester again. I’ve also loved friends and fellow walking artists being able to facilitate walks – thanks to Blake Morris https://thisisnotaslog.com/ and Sonia Overall, http://www.soniaoverall.net/events/distance-drifts/ both of whom also organise their own regular walks which welcome everyone
If you have an idea for a future distance walk please do get in touch and I will try and make it happen – would love to find new ways of walking together across space
In the meantime here is how to join with me on Sunday 5th July 2020 2pm BST
Whatsapp please let me have your phone number by noon on Sunday and I will add you to the group chat (I wont share the invite link on social media for spam / security reasons). You can email your number to mlrose@thelrm.org or text/SMS/whatsapp it to me 07974929589 Please don’t forget your country code if you are outside the UK
Twitter instructions will be shared by @thelrm using #LRMJuly approximately every 10 minutes from 2pm BST for approx. 90minutes
Zoom If you want to have a chat about the walk (or anything else) we will have a brew and blether on zoom at 4pm, meeting details here Meeting ID: 972 0550 8272 Password: 2B@0K8Ri
Please do share what you find on your wanders someway as its always lovely to know how, and where, loiterers are. You can use the methods above or the facebook group “the loiterers resistance movement”
Whatever you are doing please take care, stay curious and remember we can help create the future we want by the ways we choose to travel
With love and golden apples
Morag xx
