by Tash Cowley

I think we exist in a culture of immediacy, and it encourages intense, narrow examination of the issues that end too quickly. They stop us being able to examine the root of our problems. For instance, when we talk about race, ableism, feminism, the safety of women, all these things that we should be addressing, the problem gets placed under a microscope for a short amount of time, and then we just move on. These issues deserve better than two minutes in the spotlight, before being forgotten.

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The post-show discussions were always going to be part of the piece, even before it changed format. It was essential to me that this wasn’t another instance of performative activism. Theatre and entertainment are well practiced at going, “Look at this issue, isn’t that bad? Ok, peace out.” And that’s it. I just had no interest in doing that. From its inception, Can I live? needed to be a body of work that connected people, like a directory.

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It’s about giving people the tools and the permission they need to begin, and that’s specifically why we did a digital tour of these UK venues. Each venue’s online event was facilitated by someone local to that area who is part of a grassroots group. We encouraged people to find confidence in their capability, and importantly, helped them to find kinfolk in those spaces. I encouraged people to swap details, to talk to each other, and to arm themselves, together.

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We also fail to highlight the intersectionality between issues, which is a problem; they all seem like separate things, and as a result people feel overloaded by multiple issues, thinking they aren’t linked, when a lot of the time they are. We’re too quick to reward, and too quick to forget, and it leads nowhere. What we’re in desperate need of is a sense of community and guidance, spaces to keep the conversation flowing, and practical things to do. Slow, supported growth, with roots.