Founded in 2006 by Tom Andrews, PU was established to ‘create a kinder world’ championing the movement of arts and creativity to elicit and support positive health and wellbeing, create deeper social connections, and encourage experimentation.

Underpinned by 3 pieces of research, PU’s work evidenced that the arts could create the conditions for kindness to flourish.

From Kindness to Care
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Over the years the world changed, and the organisation and our practice responded. Kindness became Care and Care became Radical Care in a shift which recognises the complexity of the social, political, environmental and economic challenges we face

‘Instead of only acting as a force for self-preservation, care is about the survival of marginal communities because it is intimately connected to modern radical politics and activism. As Maria Puig de la Bellacasa notes, caring is “an ethically and politically charged practice.” (Hobart and Kneese 2020)

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Key Elements of Radical Care:

1. Interdependence: Radical care acknowledges that all individuals and communities are interconnected, and that care should not be an isolated act but part of a broader commitment to collective well-being.

2. Justice-Oriented: It is deeply rooted in social justice, aiming to address and dismantle systemic inequalities that affect marginalized communities. This includes care that is anti-racist, anti-capitalist, and against other forms of oppression.

3. Community-Centred: Radical care prioritizes community needs and voices, particularly those of marginalized groups, and seeks to build solidarity and mutual aid networks that empower these communities.

4. Sustainability: It considers the long-term impact of care practices, advocating for approaches that are sustainable both for the caregivers and those receiving care, as well as for the environment.

5. Transformative: The goal of radical care is not just to provide support within existing systems but to transform those systems to be more equitable and caring. It seeks to create new ways of relating to each other and to the world that foster greater justice and compassion.

6. Self-Care as Resistance: Radical care also includes self-care, but it reframes self-care as an act of resistance against burnout and exploitation, especially for those engaged in activism and social justice work.
These 6 guiding principles of radical care manifest in our 10 positions. This is how you will encounter us and our work.

 

 

 

Our Positions

Created as an authentic and living, breathing alternative to a formal vision, mission and values statement, these positions outline the way we work and the difference we want to make.  As the world around us changes, so may our 10 Positions.  What you read right now is how we feel right now and is grounded in our approach to Radical Care.

We are an arts organisation

We believe that everyone is an artist. That’s why we want to make art with you, not for you.

Our work is human-centred

Our work is relational. We recognise the importance of being vulnerable and the effect that may have on the communities we work with. When appropriate we work with trauma conscious artists.

We make intentional choices

We pride ourselves on making bold, brave decisions about how we work and are not led by funding priorities or trends.

We lead/participate in strategic conversations

These conversations lead to partnerships, understanding, and build foundations for effective and lasting collaboration.

We learn and change

As a learning organisation we aim to create, acquire and transfer knowledge, enabling us to think holistically and systemically. Reflection and sharing within the creative sector and beyond are central to our practice.

We establish trust through slow relationship-building, working in solidarity with our local communities

We work with communities who are most affected by inequality, recognising power imbalances and, using our co-design methodology, strive for a more equal platform.

We are mindful of our place and impact in the world

We make collaborative art where our communities are (from people’s homes to public spaces), working with what’s already there.

We acknowledge there is a climate crisis

We want to do more than produce policies; we are actively creating programmes and practice which lead to a net zero future.

We embrace the unknown

We stay curious and brave, creating space for self-expression and a place to be more honest, joyful and celebratory.

We are building a positive legacy

What we leave behind matters; we have an ongoing commitment to create positive and lasting impact through the ‘ripple effect’ and cross sector working.

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