Nettles: How to Disagree?

A co-creative practice initiated by artists Jo Fong and Sonia Hughes.

Nettles… is a direct descendant of the works ‘Neither Here Nor There’, ‘Ways of Being Together’, ‘How Shall We Begin Again’, ‘The Sun Has Come Out’ We have been gathering artists and people who would not always describe themselves as artists, people who each embody (maybe differently) skills and strategies for bringing people together, deeply, lightly with grace. 

We value warmth, strength, listening, softness. 

Moments for generosity, reciprocity, open-endedness.

Where have we got to?

How can I do activism without harm?
It’s not going to be solved in my life time
Courage / A matter of the heart
This is progress
An Ongoing Conversation


Coming Up

OFFTA (Montreal, CAN) and Chapter (Cardiff, Wales) have supported the gathering of four artists Jo Fong (Wales, UK), Sonia Hughes (England, UK), Marilou Craft (Montreal, CAN), Alex “Spicey” Landé (Montreal, CAN).

This Spring the artists will come together in Cardiff and then later return to Montreal to continue the development of the work, share and present at OFFTA 2025 . 



Who do we work with?

Artists, Racialised, Tired artists, Activist artists, Tricky artists, Leaders, “difficult” women / non-binary people, awkward artists or “artists”, Disabused artistic folks. 

People who are good at bringing people together. 



Co – listening, Co – composition, Conversation.

It began in lockdown, online events and workshops hosted by Arts Admin and G39. Later in person events and creative residencies.

So far, we have hosted kitchen table conversations, embodied moving and dancing, group walks, non-hierarchical cooking, live writing presentations and spoken word performances.


Artists, people and organisations who have helped to seed and develop this work.

Artists Marilou Craft (Montreal, CAN), Alex “Spicey” Landé (Montreal, CAN), Fiona Wright (UK), Rabab Ghazoul (UK) and DAR Rogers (UK). 

Chapter (Cardiff), G39 (Cardiff), Spill (Ipswich), SE Dance (Brighton), Arts Admin (London), OFFTA (Montreal, CAN) and Theatr Geneddlaethol (Wales).




Credits:
Photos by:
Jacinte Armstrong and David Wong

2025
OFFTA Festival d'arts Montreal)
29, 30, 31st May

Chapter, Cardiff
30th March

2024
OFFTA Festival d'arts Montreal

The Place, Newport

La Serre, Montreal

Theatre Geneddlaethol

Hybrid Residency

2023
Think Tank (Spill Ipswich)

2022
Undisciplined Festival
South East Dance


2021
Artsadmin online workshop

G39, online workshop