[-empyre-] Reclaiming creativity as agent of change

[magnus at ditch.org.uk]

Hi Simon,

Yes, indeed. I trust my post doesn't appear ambivalent; The Guardian
article concludes by stating that, "In 2004, Phoenix was fined $9.8m (£6m)
for unethical practices in recruiting students."

Best wishes,

Magnus

> Except that the BPP is a for profit American outfit (owns University of
> Phoenix) which is in trouble with the regulators in the States.
> Nevertheless, the UK government has opened the door to them to setup over
> here as part of their privatisation of UK HE.
>
> Best
>
> Simon
>
>
> On 20/07/2011 10:51, "magnus at ditch.org.uk" <magnus at ditch.org.uk> wrote:
>
>> Hi Saul,
>>
>> Regarding the Copenhagen Free University, at about the same time, there
>> was this article:
>>
>> http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2011/jun/21/bpp-private-bid-run-public-uni
>> versities
>>
>> ...according to which, the definition of university is being widened in
>> the UK. This seems to be in contrast to the Danish situation.
>>
>> In regard to melting away, perhaps motley self-institution is best made
>> homeless?
>>
>> Best wishes,
>>
>> Magnus
>>
>>> On Tue, Jul 19, 2011 at 11:09:33AM +0100, Simon Biggs wrote:
>>>> The jester worked up close and dirty with authority, right by the
>>>> monarch's side, but often in conflict with them.
>>>
>>> Mongrel http://www.mongrel.org.uk/ used the word 'motley' to describe
>>> their social/technical cultural practice and group identity.  It's a
>>> word derived from the mixed colours of the 16th C court jester's
>>> clothes, which was also used to describe colourful naval uniforms of
>>> the
>>> 'motley crew'. It has a literary heritage as the heroic or anti-heroic
>>> group, facing adversity using their varied skills and characteristics.
>>>
>>> This seems to be an integral part of the figure of the pirate: a
>>> heroic,
>>> oppositional posture, flagrantly adopting the ethos of nomadic
>>> pragmatism that Jussi brought up earlier via Rosi Braidotti.
>>>
>>> The discussion so far has outlined the ontology of the posture:
>>> kingdoms, republics, corporations and unions that adopt this ethos
>>> become 'vandals'. The moral archetype must remain embattled.
>>>
>>> 'Autonomous' practices may adopt similar strategies, but unopposed
>>> pirate practices have nothing to 'reclaim'. Infrastructure art may be
>>> very interesting, but only becomes sexy when it gets in trouble.
>>>
>>> Mongrel remained embattled by being embattled, not seeking opposition,
>>> but encountering it in language, technocracies, and the operations of
>>> the markets it was involved with, and its own motley subjectivity.
>>>
>>> This is not to say that dandy pirates are gentrifying the discourse.
>>> It's to say that Lulz did the right thing by melting away in the face
>>> of
>>> opposition. Not getting caught was a great strategy. So far at least.
>>>
>>> I was really disappointed to hear about the Danish government banning
>>> the operations of the Copenhagen Free University.
>>> http://www.nettime.org/Lists-Archives/nettime-l-1106/msg00079.html
>>>
>>> My disappointed wasn't because they were banned, I was disappointed
>>> that
>>> they came out of victorious retirement to announce their re-instatement
>>> in the face of opposition. The CFU had shown a thousand pirate
>>> universities how to take power simply through motley self-institution.
>>> http://copenhagenfreeuniversity.dk/sisuk.html The Free U Resistance
>>> Committee of June 18 2011 were the first to frame this as an intention.
>>>
>>>
>>> X
>>>
>>> Saul.
>>>
>>> --
>>> mob: +44(0)7941255210 / @saul
>>> sip: +44(0)2071007915 / skype:saulalbert
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> empyre forum
>>> empyre at lists.cofa.unsw.edu.au
>>> http://www.subtle.net/empyre
>>>
>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> empyre forum
>> empyre at lists.cofa.unsw.edu.au
>> http://www.subtle.net/empyre
>
>
> Simon Biggs | simon at littlepig.org.uk | www.littlepig.org.uk
>
> s.biggs at eca.ac.uk | Edinburgh College of Art
> www.eca.ac.uk/circle | www.elmcip.net | www.movingtargets.co.uk
>
>
>
> Edinburgh College of Art (eca) is a charity registered in Scotland, number
> SC009201
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> empyre forum
> empyre at lists.cofa.unsw.edu.au
> http://www.subtle.net/empyre
>