The waiting list
The project 'The Waiting List' is a striking example of how art and activism can merge to address critical issues like the climate crisis and the industrial food system's impact on it.
Photo Credit: Elizabeth Dalziel
Initiated by an artistic collective led by Dr JC Niala, she worked with Julia Utreras and Sam Skinner in collaboration with Greenpeace. ‘The Waiting List’ was inspired by a Greenpeace call ‘Bad Taste’ for ‘artists and activists to devise creative interventions that confront the role of industrial food in the climate crisis’.
At the heart of 'The Waiting List' was the Allotment Act of 1908's Section 23, highlighted by JC's doctoral research on allotments. A particularly impactful rule, known as the “rule of 6,” empowers communities to demand allotment spaces from their local council, something JC discovered was actionable through her research encounters.
Campbell and Campbell had carried out a study in 2011 to find out how many people were on allotment waiting lists and the collective wanted to update this figure. The collaboration with Greenpeace was instrumental, providing resources and support to carry out a Freedom of Information request from every council across Britain. The artists had to adapt to working secretly, a significant shift from their usual public practice, which turned out to enhance their creative journey.
The group faced the challenge of creating a large-scale artwork equivalent to an allotment plot's size. This is about the size of a doubles tennis court. They incorporated ash from the burnt Amazon rainforest into their piece, provided by Greenpeace, symbolizing the destruction caused by the industrial food system, which clears forests for cattle and crop production. This ash, while a by-product of destruction, is also a means to enrich soil, paralleling the project's dual focus on highlighting issues and seeking solutions.
The artwork itself was a living statement, infused with seeds selected to detoxify and improve soil health over the seasons. The prominent message on the artwork called out the 174,183 individuals on waiting lists, demanding the provision of allotments—a clear, legal, and urgent plea for change.
The project's zenith was a performance where the artwork was performed outside the Department of Levelling Up, followed by an attempt to present a letter to Michael Gove, underscoring the need for government action and support for local councils to fulfil allotment demands.
Ultimately, 'The Waiting List' transcended being just an art piece; it was an activist call that led to the physical reclamation of land in Liverpool. This act demonstrated community power and the potential for change, rooting the message of the project in real-world action and embodying the spirit of grassroots solutions in the face of environmental challenges.
Video Documentary about the project: https://youtu.be/3bbl0idJ5IY?feature=shared
