Strategies for Endless Days by Platform Young Company by Platform Glasgow

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Strategies for Endless Days

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... > Platform Young Company Daily Practice/ 2021

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Strategies for Endless Days was an invitation for the artists in Platform Young Company to engage in an ongoing practice that marked the passing of time, creating poetic reflections and insights within the context of an ongoing pandemic. Inspired by artists such as Tehching Hsieh, Francis Alys, and Richard Long; the artists were tasked with creating actions which could be repeated in a performative mode and documented for a publication.

We hope that this publication offers you an insight into the process and offers a series of artworks that reflect the resilience of creativity in the face of adversity. Perhaps you can take some of these tasks – or create your own – and use them within your own day-to-day lives. Eoin + Gudrun Co-Directors Platform Young Company

Lauren Elliott 6 Bryn Jones 20 Kirsty Black

Jennifer Steele 38 Ewan Allan

Tighe Wylie-Freegard John Reader

Becky Wilkieson Sean McGarvey

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Lauren Elliott I felt most drawn to the sense of touch, and so my practice shifted towards a focus on what I was able to feel, which I started accompanying with a sketch of the part of my body that experiences the sensation. I felt drawn to the idea of tuning into what I am able to feel with my hands as I find focussing on what I can feel to be very grounding and comforting, and I think searching for something that I can feel each day makes me approach my environment in a more playful way.

My daily practice over the last few weeks has been to spend time each day paying attention to something that I am able to feel with my hand and document the sensation alongside a sketch of my hand. This evolved from the first form of my practice which was to spend a moment each day documenting something that I could hear, see, touch, and smell, attempting to paint a picture of a moment in time. This practice made me think about how there is so much around us in each small moment that engages our senses, and how our experience from moment to moment is more complex than what we are often consciously aware of.

I find the process of drawing frustrating at times, and hands can be a challenging thing to draw, so I was interested in the idea of engaging with this practice each day and wondered how it might make me feel. Some of the drawings seem to reflect how I’m feeling that day, or seem to reflect the patience (or lack of patience) that I had in that moment to fully focus on the task. I’ve been trying to stay open to the idea that the memory of touch could somehow influence the position that my hand chooses to rest in. I think allowing space for the memories to manifest within the drawings of my hand speaks to the absence of touch in our lives in this moment.

monday 8th february 6.33pm i can hear the crunching of snow under my feet i can see the reflections of car headlights on a wet road i can feel the cold wind brushing against my skin i can smell the freshly fallen snow

My practice has made me think a lot about the complexities of touch, of different textures and sensations, and how they can interact with and influence our emotions. I have been thinking about memories of touch and questioning whether the things that I feel each day are in any way retained within my hand, body, or mind. I wonder if the drawings of my hand could ever hold these tactile memories.

Bryn Jones My daily practice began as a misunderstanding. One of the initial prompts we were given was to throw something out each day; removing it utterly from your life. I had misunderstood this as a metaphorical letting go of something for just a day at a time. And thus the core concept for my daily practice was born.

It was quite an intense month and brought up these core ideas for me but also acted as sort of meditative fasts. It tested my endurance and sense of self with an almost monk like adherence to my own defined rules. It made me more aware of how much I am a creature of habit and how much the mind, if properly forced to do so, can break even the most biological of habits.

From there it became a question of what could I go a day without. What kind of thing did I use, or do, everyday that I would notice was missing. I could have easily not had a specific food for example but it wouldn’t have been notable enough. On the other extreme I couldn’t do things that would prevent me from still living my life. As such, finding the balance to these tasks, between losing something significant or meaningful but not too impactful, or even dangerous, became a core focus of my development.

For me, doing my practice, I often felt that what I was missing each day became a focal thought, whether it was consciously trying to avoid doing something or craving something. As such, I didn’t reflect as much during the process but found that after the fact, in hindsight, the ideas of the practice came out. This created a mental atmosphere of just getting through the task each day. A focus on pushing through time as quickly as possible. A strong desire to return to normal, to everyday. The image of human behaviour as almost rubber like; that I could stretch elements of repetitive patterns past their limits but the desire would always be to return. This brought up that although we can force ourselves out of habit, it is in fact intensely difficult to make a long term change on our elastic behaviours, especially those at the core of our being.

Through the experimentation process, this escalated from minor things like actively avoiding habits or snacks to essential human functions such as food or sleep. When developing the final practices, for which I needed almost a month of different ideas, I looked to things like Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, on top of what I observed as my own habits, for inspiration. Also of influence was the Taiwanese performance artist Tehching Hsieh, several of who’s durational pieces I used for my days. To better fill the time I stretched some of these over more than one day and several of my final ideas became quite abstract, as I ran out of core habitual or necessary things I could realistically go without.

Ultimately, throughout the process, I was constantly hinking about a particular paraphrased quote of Hsieh’s that I think sums up both his work and, to a lesser extent, mine: “Whatever I do, I spend time.” This idea highlighted the pieces of this work that reflect on the nature of needing and desire. How the very idea of the everyday, our individual daily practices, what we feel we need to do, is all in a sense just ways of filling the time and can always be replaced by something else. If we make a massive effort we can resist almost all these things and, as is said, just spend time.

My daily practice therefore ultimately became rather extreme and explored ideas of what we view as necessary, as well as dissecting the sense of “the everyday” or routine.

day 1/ Thursday 01/April/2021 food 22:30 Wed - 23:59 Thu I did not eat any food from around 1030 the previous evening, although I was allowed water. Physically I feel: A light ache in my gut and a lack of energy that began at around 7 in the evening. Mentally I feel: Quite tired and therefore a bit hazy and unfocused. Again, this only started to get bad around dinner time.

day 2/ Friday 02/April/2021 food 2 00:00 - 22:30 I continued to not have any food from the previous day. Physically I feel: A constant ache in the gut with occasional cramps and weaker than usual; taking noticeably somewhat more effort to move around. The weakness wasn't noticeable until the evening. Mentally I feel: Exhausted as though from a lack of sleep with accompanying lack of focus. Resisting the temptation to eat through out the day was particularly difficult.

day 3/ Monday 05/April/2021 water 23:45 Sun - 23:45 Mon I did not drink water or any other liquids from around 1145 the previous evening, although I was allowed to eat. Physically I feel: A very unpleasant dry and cakey feel in my mouth accompanied by a light headache. These generally got slowly worse thru the day and eating dinner was particularly unpleasant. Mentally I feel: Distracted by the unpleasant physical feelings and the constant thought to go get a drink but otherwise fine.

day 4/ Thursday 06/April/2021 N/A I did not give up anything today to serve as a rest day and a control. Physically I feel: A touch achey but otherwise well rested. Mentally I feel: Calm and relaxed. Relieved I can eat and drink as normal.

day 5/ Wednesday 07/April/2021 sleep 11:00 Tue - 23:59 Wed I did not sleep the previous evening and will not for the next few days. Physically I feel: Very low energy but otherwise fine. The physical effects were not particularly noticeable during the day only towards the later half of this evening. Mentally I feel: Tired and therefore a little hazy and unfocused. The tiredness has tended to dip in and out (being particularly bad in the late evening when I should have been sleeping) but ending after a while at around 3 am.

day 6/ Thursday 08/April/2021 sleep 2 00:00 - 23:59 I continued to not have slept; at this point for two nights in a row. Physically I feel: Even lower energy than yesterday but food has helped during the day to keep me going. The evenings are again particularly bad for energy levels. Mentally I feel: A continued tiredness that has not dipped in level t hroughout the day. I have had to be very conscious of not drifting off which is quite distracting.

day 7/ Friday 09/April/2021 sleep 3 00:00 - 22:00 I continued to not have slept; at this final point for 3 nights. Physically I feel: Continuously no energy throughout the day with a noticeable weakness and slowness. I feel that I may have drifted off against my will a couple of times as I had small bursts of energy at a few points in the day Mentally I feel: Wildly exhausted with very little ability to focus on anything for too long. Some activities such as reading that required focus sent me into micro sleeps. Forcing myself not to drift off when even remotely comfortable was incredibly difficult.

day 8/ Monday 12/April/2021 comfort 11:00 - 23:59 I did not allow myself any general comforts today which included: sitting on the floor rather than on anything soft, no blankets or soft covers, no comfortable clothing, and I only ate foods I don’t like. Physically I feel: A little sore and a touch chilly from sitting on a cold floor all day. Forcing down dinner was physically unpleasant but fine once it was done. Overall, not too physically tasking. Mentally I feel: A higher sense of irritation and irritability than usual. Unclear whether this was because of the practice but not having comfort to retreat into certainly didn’t help and made moments of irritation last longer.

day 9/ Tuesday 13/April/2021 warmth 11:00 - 23:59 I wore very little today and did not allow myself any additional warmth from the likes of blankets or heaters. Physically I feel: A general chill all day that neither worsened nor bettered all day. Thankfully the weather was quite warm so it generally made it a lot easier. Mentally I feel: Largely normal. A lack of warmth for one day doesn’t seem to have much effect mentally.

day 10/ Wednesday 14/April/2021 warmth 2 00:00 - 23:00 I continued the same practice from the previous day, including sleeping only under a thin blanket that provided little warmth. Physically I feel: Sporadic shivering and quite low energy as I slept terribly. Again the chill was continuous throughout the day. Mentally I feel: More tired and drained than yesterday. The desire to seek warmth was distracting and unpleasant all day.

day 11/ Thursday 15/April/2021 N/A I did not give up anything today to serve as a rest day and a control. Physically I feel: Comfortable and well rested. Mentally I feel: A little tired but otherwise stable.

day 12/ Friday 16/April/2021 shelter 08:00 - 20:00 I left my house at 0800 and will not go inside any building until the evening. Physically I feel: Very physically drained from a lot of walking and overly warm and sweaty. The weather was thankfully pleasant all day but I dressed up too warm. Mentally I feel: A touch headachy and feeling a bit mentally strained. Mentally the day didn’t seem to be too draining until the last hour or two when it became noticeable.

day 13/ Monday 19/April/2021 socialising 11:00-23:59 I will not interact with any other person, whether online or in person, including browsing social media. Physically I feel: Fine and rested. No significant differences over a control day. Mentally I feel: Good. I kept myself busy all day and didn’t particularly feel the desire to be in contact with anyone.

day 14/ Tuesday 20/April/2021 socialising 2 00:00-23:00 I will continue to not have any human interaction. Physically I feel: Again, largely unaffected. Mentally I feel: A little stressed from having to ignore my partner who I live with. This particular practice has seemed to challenge her more than me which in turn has made me quite stressed.

day 15/ Thursday 22/April/2021 stimulation 10:30-23:59 I will shut myself in the spare room without anything to do; I will not be allowed to write, read, or in any way distract myself from being alone with my thoughts. (Other than writing my status at 00:00) Physically I feel: Physically restless; I keep moving and pacing and feel the need to be physically active and somehow expend energy. Mentally I feel: Quite focused and mentally well but also buzzing and desiring to Do something. Focusing on distracting myself all day was somewhat easier than expected.

day 16/ Friday 23/April/2021 stimulation 2 00:00 - 10:00 I will repeat yesterday’s practice for a second day. Physically I feel: Well rested (I had a nap) but, again, also restless and a bit fidgety. I kept myself more physically active during the day with some exercise which helped. Mentally I feel: Very isolated and insular with a lot of need to do something. Even doing this writing feels like relief and getting thought out of my head is something I have been craving strongly all day.

day 17/ Monday 26/April/2021 everything 11:00 Sun - 23:59 Mon (sleep) 22:00 Sun - 23:59 Mon (food) 10:45 - 23:59 (comfort, stimulation) I will combine several previous days practices including: food, sleep, comfort, and stimulation. Physically I feel: Utterly lacking in energy and quite sore. During the day I tried to do some exercise to pass the time and it took what little energy I had and I have not recovered. Mentally I feel: Immensely tired and so unfocused I can’t decide whether I need to eat or sleep or sit down first. Found myself very easily irritable at several points during the day.

day 18/ Tuesday 27/April/2021 art 09:40 - 23:59 I will not engage in art in any capacity; whether creating or experiencing/viewing. Physically I feel: A normal level of tired but otherwise physically unaffected. Mentally I feel: Quite good. Felt like I was pretty productive with my time; doing lots of practical things like cleaning helped pass the time.

day 19/ Thursday 29/April/2021 art 2 00:00 - 10:00 I will continue to not have any engagement with art on any level. Physically I feel: A little tired and notably fidgety. I found myself pacing, and fiddling with objects all day. Mentally I feel: Restless and quite bored. Trying to focus on doing work became more and more mentally draining over the course of the day.

day 20/ Friday 30/April/2021 emotion 10:30 - 22:30 I will try to dampen my emotions throughout the day and avoid things that might evoke a strong emotional reaction l. Physically I feel: Quite tense. I noticed myself holding myself tensely through the day and had to consciously relax. Mentally I feel: Very drained. It was difficult to be constantly focused and vigilant throughout the day whilst being continuously aware of what emotions I was feeling and how strongly.

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Kirsty Black My daily practice was to photograph my hand each night and couple this image with a documentation of everything that my hand had touched throughout the day.

The idea behind this was to remember each physical encounter I had had each day. In an age where many (myself included) now open doors with their elbows rather than their hands; what is absolutely necessary to touch? This also extended into what is good and bad to touch. There is a noticeable difference in the pictures of my hands depending on where I had to take them each day. For example on working days in a job that involves a lot of food preparation and hand washing they are often red and sore from the day. The days which note moisturizer in the list of things my hands encountered are usually paired with an image of a healthier looking hand.

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Jennifer Steele I started this daily practice task with the idea of creating a collage of my week using images I’d cutout of magazines 6 months ago, to give them a purpose. Realising there wasn’t much longevity in that task, I then decided to use fellow PYC member John’s “find an object and remove it” strategy as inspiration for creating my own daily practice. After 2 weeks I was able to refine my task down to “finding an object that stands out to me or looks out of place, and researching new and different uses for the object”. The more I researched, the more I realised how ridiculous and inventive I could be and the lighter the task became. After writing down every practical and function for the object, I took a mugshot-style picture of it. This added another light-hearted element to what initially started as a seemingly clinical looking documentation method.

What I have been trying to do, essentially, is find the significance in the insignificant. Through searching for, working with and focusing on inanimate and potentially mundane objects, I have been trying to see the potential that each object holds. I looked around my house with conscious eyes, searching for items which would otherwise be lost in the background of daily life. By using the hands-on, experimental process of trying to find a new job for the object to fulfil, there is more of a connection made to the object and therefore I’m able to let my creativity run wild with absurd and new ideas. I realised that the objects appear to have a kind of human element about them, as they’re put in the intense “mugshot” spotlight, as though being interrogated and accused of committing criminal acts. Adding the list of uses beside these images looks like a compilation of crimes committed by the object, again bringing these forgotten objects to life through a comedic lens. By giving each object some time and space to spark my imagination, I think I was able to find the significance in the insignificant.

Doing this task has made me more conscious of the materialistic nature of our daily existence and how we, consciously or not, have the tendency to accumulate and keep things we don’t necessarily use or need. By screening each unused object that I found, it was clear that some had in fact some had indeed no practical use at all and have therefore been made purely for aesthetic or decorative purposes. On the other hand, I was able to take something that was stagnant and lifeless and give it a new purpose, regardless of the practicality. In doing this, it highlighted for me how “serious” or boring an object can seem before you begin exploring the creative and nonsensical opportunities for a sense of purpose.

27.02.21 Boat village picture

28.02.21 Exercise band

Wall décor Bench plank Dog ramp for step Afternoon tea tray Leg splint

Resistance muscle work Scarf Eye mask Belt Dog lead

01.03.21 Half finished knitting project

02.03.21 Small Venetian masks

Potential scarf Curtain for dog bed Dinner placemat Flare for trouser leg Oven mitt

Radiator magnet Door knob Hair accessory Table leg floor protector

03.03.21 Origami figures

04.03.21 Broken tripod

Desk décor Fire fuel Bookmarks Napkins Jewellery

Phone stand Clothes horse (dryer) Hat stand Maths compass

05.03.21 Carrot plush Décor Dog neck support Door stop Shoe horn Knee pad

07.03.21 Polaroid images Décor Playing cards Coaster Bug tent

08.03.21 Plastic cat alien Collectible Ring holder Finger weight

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15.03.21 Nando’s chicken stick Restaurant décor Plant décor Chopstick Wand Conductors stick

16.03.21 Sephora tub

17.03.21 Mixing bowl

Moisturiser container Tennis ball Massage ball Apple decor

Holds hair dye Cereal bowl Baby hat Bird bath Trinket bowl

19.03.21 Glasses case

21.03.21 Driftwood

Sunglasses storage Razor holder Snack bowl Musical instrument

Décor Golf club Knitting needle Rolling pin Mixing spoon

24.03.21 Glass gem

25.03.21 Wooden stump

Ornament Paper weight Kaleidoscope Magnifying glass Camera filter

Door stop Hat stand Stool Lifting weight

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26.03.21 Fairy door Entrance for magical beings Bookmark Cheese board Coaster

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30.03.21 Tree bark

Sentimental décor Sand paper Phone holder Drawer separator

01.04.21 Small tennis ball

02.04.21 Tiny spoon

Dog toy Face massage tool Spirit level checker Table tennis ball

Vintage toy Yogurt spoon Makeup applicator Baking measuring spoon Catapult

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05.04.21 Candle holder

06.04.21 Vogue magazines

Hold candle Incense holder Shot glass Light saber handle

Fashion updates Papier-mâché Fire pit fuel Posters Step

07.04.21 Weighted squirrel

08.04.21 Bell

Paper weight Cupboard door stop Duster

Décor Alarm Door knocker Bike bell Ring holder Fly catcher

09.04.21 Elder wand

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12.04.21 Diabolo (without sticks)

Memorabilia Back scratcher Pointing stick Conducting baton Skewer

Circus equipment Cereal bowl Pastry cutter Neck massager Wine glass

13.04.21 Inflatable rings

14.04.21 Gnome and pot

Frisbees Arm floats Hair scrunchie Bracelet Water bottle

Plant pot Cake tin Hairbrush holder Measuring cup

15.04.21 Gold letter “J”

16.04.21 Plastic spider

Christmas tree décor Key ring Bottle opener Coat hook Key

Prank toy Hair accessory Stamp Fly and arachnophobe deterrent

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Ewan Allan My daily practice has been all about taking a picture of me in a costume for every day and making a list on how to recreate these pictures.

For me this was an easy task to get involved with as I don’t take myself massively seriously which had allowed me to laugh at myself and not be scared to show myself in really random and sometimes silly costumes, but I would have to say there have been one or two characters that I feel like I am angry as I could have done more than what I gave on that day. personally, when creating a character, I feel like I can give most of them a story to them.

I like to believe that I show through my work being on the verge of adulthood in which I am 19 but I feel like yes, I know I should take opportunities and events more seriously but another part of me wants to induce play and just sheer creativity. This could also represent being an artist who has Asperger’sseeing the world through a different frame of mind and just an all-round difference in the way I feel I perceive things.

When I had originally began my first 2 pictures referenced feelings and events of those days with the first one being the safe Ewan where I had put 3 face masks on which was meant to represent my anxiety from going out shopping for the first time in a while and the fear of the virus looming over the situation. While being out I wanted to be as safe as I could be which then escalated to the invention of safe Ewan.

The idea of costumes came from the start of this year I had decided to come to the platform young company calls in costume and since then I have came in a different costume for every single week. Originally it was a test to see how long I could do it without getting yelled at really but then over time it became the part of an empty week that I’d look forward to.

My second one was timekeeping Ewan which was based around me being a college student and having literally 6 deadlines over the upcoming week which prompted me to gather objects which had connotations of the theme “time” and decorated myself with watches and a clock and I had made timekeeping Ewan. Since then, the pictures hadn’t really had stories to them which explained the reason as to why they were made.

My work has given me the ability to escape and change from someone stuck at home to a different person or even putting my name at the end of a titled character just because it’s me but just in a costume and I can realise that but it allows me to express myself and create a brand-new character each day sometimes they are not majorly creative but I try my hardest to put my mind to it.

I want someone to look at my work and to feel many different feelings with every different character and I want It to show that everyone has that creativity inside of them it’s just what you make with it. The main theme of my work I would have to say is a sense of escapism and the idea of a mind letting loose all of the thoughts of what someone can be or what they can do. I also want my work to represent me as a person. Showing that even though things can happen in life you just have to look at the world and smile.

Over this time, I have found the experience to be more difficult the further it got on as I had been running out of ideas nearing the end. I had also found that this experience has allowed me to explore zoom and what can be made as a technological costume (using the green screen function and using different devices to create duplicates of myself). I have used my technological knowledge specially to add effects and edit pictures using the most basic of programs as well but only to add in certain items into the screen.

16:08 28/02/2021 Extra safe Ewan

13:52 01/03/2021 Time management Ewan

16:07 02/03/2021 Prepared Ewan

20:56 03/03/2021 Lighteye Ewan

21:38 04/03/2021 The great ewdini The world’s greatest worst magician

For this you’ll need 3 different face masks A jumper 2 socks A shirt A pair of trousers A pair of pants

To pull off the look black trousers A green boston Celtics shirt 2 watches to put on the right arm An alarm clock

For this you will need 2 black socks A pair of tracksuit bottoms A pair of pants A black gym shirt A school Blazer over the black gym shirt A pair of glasses unpescribed A notepad with writing on it A pen to be put over the right ear

For this you will need A head torch but it becomes an eye torch A black shirt A pair of pants A pair of tracksuit bottoms

To pull this off you will need Pair of pants Pair of tracksuit bottom A thermal black shirt A black cape A top hat with red ribbon and orange skulls The 8 of hearts in card form

22:07 05/03/2021 Young 4 arms Ewan

13:10 06/03/2021 Amazon guy Ewan

14:42 07/03/2021 Hairy Ewan

20:00 08/03/2021 Invisible Ewan

For this you’ll need A pair of pants Some camouflage shorts A black shirt 2 plastic right hands

To pull this off A black wig A white buttoned up shirt A pair of pants Black tracksuit bottoms

For this you’ll need A A A A

pair of pants blackshirt pair of jogging bottoms brown furry blanket

For this you’ll need A red polo shirt A pair of pants A pair of tracksuit bottoms

X 18:18 10/03/2021 Disco Ewan

To pull this off you’ll need A A A A

black shirt pair of black trousers tiny disco speaker pair of pants

14:42 11/03/2021 Wired Ewan

14:16 12/03/2021 Ghost Ewan

13:20 13/03/2021 Double Ewan

For this you’ll need 2 headsets with wires 2 microphone wires A wire for a air cooler A black shirt A pair of pants A black pair of trousers Black pair of socks

To pull off the look A A A A

white cloth over the head pair of sunglasses dark t shirt pair of black trousers

For this you’ll need A black shirt A pair of black trousers A pair of pants

XX X X X 18:22 20/03/2021 E-mail Ewan

For this you’ll need A A A A

postbox black shirt black pair of trousers pair of pants

XX X 20:48 24/03/2021 Conference Ewan

For this you’ll need 2 microphones A black shirt A pair of pants A black pair of tracksuit bottoms

X 20:25 26/03/2021 Educational Ewan

17:19 27/03/2021 Budget cut Thor

For this you’ll need A book of how to pass maths A book of how to pass English A book of how to pass Administration and IT The collins english dictionary A black shirt A black pair of trousers A pair of socks A pair of pants

For this you’ll need A A A A A

hammer hat that covers your ears black shirt black pair of trousers pair of pants

X 20:54 29/03/2021 Ewaniam rhapsody

21:34 30/03/2021 Cool Ewan

For this you’ll need A A A A

torch black shirt black pair of trousers pair of pants

For this you’ll need A A A A A

pair of black sunglasses cap black shirt pair of black trousers pair of pants

X 22:51 02/04/2021 Clearman

For this you’ll need A A A A A

clear big tub microphone holder/ tub thing green shirt pair of pants grey pair of shorts

17:12 03/04/2021 The Hatman

22:41 04/04/2021 Clone trooper Ewan

22:40 05/04/2021 The Camperman

20:22 06/04/2021 The Interdimensional Ewan

For this you’ll need A top hat A black and wide skeleton hat from a skeleton mariachi costume A baseball cap An ushanka-hat A black hoodie A black shirt A pair of grey shorts A pair of pants

For this you’ll need A A A A A

clone trooper helmet star wars blaster black shirt black pair of trousers pair of pants

For this you’ll need 2 camping stools 1 dark green the other dark blue A camping lantern (electronic) A black shirt A black pair of trousers A pair of pants A pair of black socks

For this you’ll need A A A A A

black shirt black pair of trousers pair of pants mobile phone zoom background

X 21:50 08/04/2021 The cupman of cambuslang

For this you’ll need A dark blue shirt A pair of black trousers 7 cups A pair of pants A pair of socks

X 22:40 10/04/2021 Ewan the Observer

For this you’ll need A red nose The green screen function on zoom A las vegas nightclub background A black shirt A black pair of trousers A pair of pants

X 17:31 12/04/2021 Fireman

For this you’ll need A black shirt A pair of trousers A pair of pants Microsoft photos

X 20:07 14/04/2021 Mr Lightside

20:41 15/04/2021 Photographer Ewan

14:01 16/04/2021 Ewan the Floating Head

For this you’ll need A A A A A A

grey shirt pair of black trousers pair of pants pair of black socks long grey torch electronic camping lantern

For this you’ll need A A A A A

grey shirt pair of black trousers pair of pants camera bag camera

For this you’ll need A A A A A

white bedsheet pair of black trousers green boston Celtics shirt pair of pants pair of black socks

21:07 17/04/2021 Musical Ewan

20:33 18/04/2021 Strong Ewan

21:25 19/04/2021 Bagman Ewan

21:32 20/04/2021 The Cushionman

21:48 21/04/2021 Jigsaw Ewan

For this you’ll need A A A A

keyboard light blue shirt pair of black trousers pair of pants

For this you’ll need A A A A A

bright blue shirt pair of pants pair of trousers weight of 2KG pair of socks

For this you’ll need A black shirt A pair of pants A black pair of trousers A Lidl bag A game bag A B&M bag A sandwich bag ( hidden under the Lidl bag in photo)

For this you’ll need A A A A A A

long cushion little brown cushion black shirt black pair of trousers pair of pants pair of socks

For this you’ll need Microsoft paint A yellow object A black shirt A black pair of trousers A pair of pants

21:23 22/04/2021 Sausage Roll Ewan

21:37 23/04/2021 Elf Ewan

15:41 24/04/2021 Cuphead

For this you’ll need A A A A

sausage roll costume black shirt pair of black trousers pair of pants

For this you’ll need A A A A

green elf Christmas jumper grey shirt pair of black trousers pair of pants

For this you’ll need 2 brown mugs A metal star wars mug A black shirt A pair of pants A black pair of trousers

XX 22:20 27/04/2021 Drawn Ewan

20:21 28/04/2021 3W4N

For this you’ll need A A A A A

whiteboard black pen green shirt grey pair of tracksuit bottoms pair of pants

For this you’ll need A black shirt An air cooler A pair of black jogging bottoms A pair of pants

Tighe Wylie-Freegard You can never truly know another person, so I am told, as they are so deeply aquatinted with the themselves that if you were to strip them down from body to soul you could only ever understand them through a lens of your own, altered with the intimacy that you have with your own mind, and perceived closeness with theirs. We connect with people in an attempt to evade this fate, yet are too painfully aware of it to escape from this realisation. In the Bible, it is said that Eve was split from the soul of Adam, removed was one of his ribs to form her body, making it impossible to merge himself with her ever again.

I have never spoken to anyone who works for Deliveroo besides other riders. I applied for the job online and got my kit delivered to me by post, a cold efficiency devoid of any humanity. Loneliness is a sad affair, and for the past year, it has extended itself across the world with national lockdowns that we are only just seeing come to an end. During this time I rode my bike on empty roads and through barren high streets, only looking another person in the eye when I opened the door to give them their food. These moments allow for brief connections, an acknowledgement of two strangers recognising each other for the first time. Instead of letting these moments fade away into obscurity, I have written them here to solidify them, as to outwardly attempt to connect with whoever reads them. Perhaps I want to believe that everything I experienced with each customer was not just imaginary and this entire collection only serves to enable my delusions. Nonetheless, I have tried to portray these people here to be as real as when I met them, to try and see another person as they are for just a moment.

Over the past year, I have taken a job as a courier for the food delivery corporation known as ‘Deliveroo’, one of the largest services to act as a middle man for restaurants and supermarkets to deliver their food among the hungry masses that are willing to pay extra to avoid being seen in public. Instead, they rely on the pedal pushers and mopeds of the world to bring their family bucket of KFC through the sleet, wind and rain. Just a knock on the door from a man wrapped in polyester and body warmers is the only human interaction they are made to endure.

“We live together, we act on, and react to, one another; but always and in all circumstances we are by ourselves. The martyrs go hand in hand into the arena; they are crucified alone. Embraced, the lovers desperately try to fuse their insulated ecstasies into a single self-transcendence; in vain. By its very nature every embodied spirit is doomed to suffer and enjoy in solitude. Sensations, feelings, insights, fancies - all these are private and, except through symbols and at second hand, incommunicable. We can pool information about experiences, but never the experiences themselves. From family to nation, every human group is a society of island universes.”

Unfortunately for Deliveroo technology is too far behind in robotics and artificial intelligence to have the whole process completely automated. We are required to be the meat bearing the packaging and are treated as such by the company we work for. Every rider is considered ‘self-employed’, only in the sense they are free to work for any other of the mega-corporations that will exploit them, they still must adhere to all of Deliveroo’s standards otherwise or risk termination. Only recently has Deliveroo has been forced to consider their couriers as workers by the supreme court, as many make below minimum wage and rely on tips to make ends meet. Pushed by the invisible hand of the Deliveroo algorithm, your orders and payments are determined by imaginary numbers and chance. Not to say it is the worst job in the world but is definitely one of the most tedious. Between waiting in a restaurant for 30 minutes to accidentally accepting an order that will take you to the other end of Glasgow, there is a feeling of indignity to it all.

Aldous Huxley, The Doors of Perception, 1954

“Be pleased, O Lord, to deliver me!” by Tighe Wylie - Freegard

(Based on real people)

THIS IS A NON-CONTACT DELIVERY Rolling high down the street on my ridgeback bike and blue diamond jacket, cruising for the next restaurant to serve me someone else food so I can take it to them on Deliveroo’s dime. A pristine algorithm counting up the pennies it takes per mile to get a Nando’s wrap to a student village, deciding that without a tip I deserve £3.83 for my efforts. I know that tip isn’t coming as soon as reach the door, she is in a pink fuzzy dressing gown, with makeup rubbed vaguely into her eyes as if she was expecting a visitor. She can’t be much older than me, she’s still got a feigned expression of a hangover from the months of zoom based learning she’s had to endure. Poor thing, I wonder if she came from another city, only to be locked in her room for the rest of her course. ‘Sorry it took so long, the maps they give us are shite.’ I say half joking, more annoyed that I spent ten minutes trying to find her address because Deliveroo dropped a pin in the middle of Ruchill park. She laughs a little too much out of pity, it crosses my mind that this might look like a pathetic attempt to flirt with her, this kind of patter is too personal from the human component to the Deliveroo machine. She is strikingly attractive, they did not tell us how to handle that in the training videos. I hand her the food and she goes, ’Oh my god thank you so much.’ in one breath. She must have been raised to have be polite to those serving you but only tip if the service was exceptional, maybe if had better chat I could knock off my shift early. As I leave I spot two parents saying goodbye to her son, handing him boxes of food and beer, they’re all teary eyed caught in the moment as they’ve realised that they are still going to be finically responsible for him for a least another four years. As I unlock my bike, the mother looks at me as if to say ‘Thank you for your essential services during this harsh time’. I slightly resent this, I am not a paramedic, I’m just trying to make money delivering food to those who can afford it, I’m merely a cog in the wheel designed for you to live more comfortably. Hell, a couple of pounds more and I’d spoon feed you the food myself. I set off, back out to the west, leaving the student village behind me. The day has only just begun.

FADE IN: EXT. HOUSING ESTATE - DAY TIGHE Here you go. Tighe unzips bag, delivers food. STRANGER Thank you. TIGHE Enjoy your night. STRANGER You too. END SCENE

FADE IN: INT. FLAT BLOCK - NIGHT TIGHE Hello, here you go. Tighe unzips bag, delivers food. STRANGER Thanks, is that everything? TIGHE Yeah, that’s it. STRANGER Oh ok, have a good night. END SCENE

FADE IN: EXT. HOUSE - NIGHT TIGHE Hello, here’s your food. Tighe unzips bag, delivers food. STRANGER Great, thank you so much. TIGHE Do you have an ID? Tighe mimics holding ID card. STRANGER Do I really need one? Stranger points at wrinkles. TIGHE Yeah, sorry. STRANGER Ok, let me get go and get it then. TIGHE Sorry, they’re really strict about it. STRANGER Here you go. Strangers hands passport to Tighe. TIGHE Thanks, enjoy your night. Tighe hands passport back. STRANGER You too. END SCENE

FADE IN: EXT. STUDENT ACCOMMODATION - DAY TIGHE (Silence) Tighe unzips bag, delivers food. STRANGER (Silence) END SCENE

FADE IN: INT. FLAT BLOCK DAY TIGHE Here you go. Tighe unzips bag, delivers food. STRANGER Thanks, is that everything? TIGHE Yeah. STRANGER What about the drink? TIGHE Oh right. Tighe unzips bag, delivers drink. Sorry, about that. STRANGER It’s okay. END SCENE

FADE IN: INT. LOOP AND SCOOP - DAY TIGHE Order #0769? STAFF That’ll be five minutes. Is that okay? TIGHE Yeah that’s fine. FIFTEEN MINUTES LATER

Staff hands food over.

END SCENE

STAFF Here you go. TIGHE Thanks.

DIGITS I sit outside of Waitrose next to a homeless woman waiting for my first delivery. I tend to stay near the upmarket shops when waiting on orders, people who buy their shopping online tend to tip. If I’m lucky, it will be a delivery of berries around the corner to someone willing to pay more to skip the queue. If I’m unlucky, it will be a weeks worth of shopping for someone who lives on the top floor of their flat-block. I am yet to make a penny today. Orders are slow and I can see more riders coming out every minute. I suppose they’re the same as me, we all are united by that Kangaroo on our backpack. Occasionally you will acknowledge each other for a moment in passing, they will nod at you and you will nod back. Occasionally you will talk to another one at restaurants and complain about how busy it is and that you can’t get any orders, or that you’ve been waiting at this restaurant for so long that you’ve haven’t seen your family in weeks. Normally you just sit in silence waiting for your number to be called, when it does you are allowed to leave.

FADE IN: INT. FLAT BLOCK DAY

Tighe unzips bag.

TIGHE Hello, here’s you go.

Shit. The soup spilled everywhere. STRANGER Don’t worry about that, is your bag alright? TIGHE It’s fine, it’ll wash out. Sorry about your food. STRANGER Don’t be, Pret a Manger’s fault for not packing it properly. TIGHE Yeah, most of the time they don’t wrap containers with liquid nearly enough. Here, your sandwich is still okay. Tighe delivers food. STRANGER Aha, thank you very much. TIGHE Thanks for the tip. STRANGER No worries, you have a good day. END SCENE

ZERO Lowering the minimum wage is made possible by the fact that each courier is ‘self employed’ and works for there own wages while Deliveroo is just a means to facilitate them, there is little responsibility for them to pay you properly as you work for yourself. However, if you violate your contract with the company, by taking too long to deliver food or get too many ‘thumbs down’ by customers, Deliveroo has every right to terminate your contract without appeal with seven days notice. This emotionally abusive relationship between worker and employer is made possible by the gig economy, the greatest work of contemporary capitalism to date. FADE IN: EXT. CITY - NIGHT TIGHE (Riding Bicycle) STRANGER (Shouting) I see you! TIGHE (Looks behind him) STRANGER I see you bro. I see you! TIGHE What? STRANGER I SEE YOU. Stranger begins fist pumping. TIGHE I see you too! STRANGER Yeah! TIGHE Yeah! STRANGER (Fist pumping) YEAH! TIGHE (Fist pumping) YEAH! END SCENE

FADE IN: EXT. CITY CENTRE - NIGHT TIGHE (On phone) I can’t find your address STRANGER It’s the high-rise with sliding double doors, it’s right next the gym. You can’t miss it. TIGHE Great, thanks. (Hangs up) CUT TO: EXT: FLATBLOCK - NIGHT STRANGER 2 You trying to get in son? TIGHE Yeah, I keep pressing the buzzer but I don’t think it’s working. STRANGER 2 Ah I’ve been asking them to fix that for ages, they never get ‘round tae it. Stranger 2 opens door. There you go lad. TIGHE Thanks, I appreciate it. STRANGER 2 No worries pal! Can’t have you standing out there in the cold freezing yer baws off now, can we? TIGHE It’s absolutely baltic! STRANGER 2 It certainly is! END SCENE

FADE IN: FLATBLOCK INT. DAY TIGHE Here you go. Do you mind checking if that’s what you ordered? I’ve got a couple of orders in here and all the labels fell off STRANGER Yeah that’s fine - wait aren’t pizzas meant to be kept flat? TIGHE What. STRANGER So the topping’s don’t slide off The stranger opens the the pizza box, revealing a mangled and ruined pizza, with cheese and pepperoni sticking to the top of the box. Look at this. TIGHE Ah shit. STRANGER What am I meant to do with this? TIGHE Uh. STRANGER (Astonished Silence) TIGHE If you call Deliveroo they will will give you a refund. STRANGER Alright, that’s fine I guess. But dude, this is my dinner. TIGHE My bad. STRANGER You didn’t even get it right. I didn’t order a pepperoni. TIGHE Yeah, the orders got mixed up. STRANGER What? TIGHE Here’s your margarita. Stranger takes the new, but just as ruined pizza, and shuts the door. END SCENE

FADE IN: EXT. AMBASSADOR HOTEL - DAY Tighe cycles past the hotel, searching for the stranger STRANGER (Whistles) Over here! Tighe slams the brakes on his bikes and looks over. STRANGER Can you no see the fuckin’ sign? Points to the sign of the ambassador hotel, where Tighe is supposed to be delivering to. TIGHE No, I didn’t. STRANGER Right then. TIGHE (Silence) Tighe Unzips bag, delivers food. STRANGER Thanks. Thank you so much. TIGHE (Silence) STRANGER Here, you have a good night, alright? TIGHE (Silence) END SCENE

FADE IN: EXT. ARGYLE STREET - DAY TIGHE (On Phone) Yeah, hello? DELIVEROO Hello. What is the problem? TIGHE Hey, I can’t finish the delivery, my phone is about to die. DELIVEROO I understand your concern.

TIGHE I finished the first delivery, but there’s no way I can get to the second one before it goes. DELIVEROO Don’t you have a power bank? TIGHE I do, but it stopped working. DELIVEROO Can you return the food to the restaurant? TIGHE I can’t. It’s too far away. DELIVEROO I see. We will cancel the delivery and put your account offline until you resolve this issue. TIGHE Can I still get paid for the first delivery? DELIVEROO Of course. Take care. (Deliveroo hangs up)

I found it hard not to be a little defeated at first, the day had just began and the only technology I relied on had failed me. Locked out of my phone I ceased to have a purpose, I was no longer needed, someone else would be reassigned the order I failed to deliver. People walked past me and I suddenly realised they could not see me, like a blackhole in space. Yet, I was no longer bound by a path that would direct me to the next order, I was free to go wherever I wanted. I chose to go to the park. I sat there for hours, thinking about the money I had lost by not being able to work today, but it was serene knowing I had nowhere to be, and if I had been working I would have lost that too. Unzipping my bag I see my next stranger had ordered a spicy beef burger and a strawberry milkshake. Eating it made me feel like royalty. After I finished my meal, I walked further into the park, I walked over a hill and over a fence. Behind the clouds Dunkin’ Donuts vanished and the Dominos disappeared. I tried to turn back but the entire western world had floated away. It was such a beautiful day. END

John Reader Being confined to a singular space for a full year, I was made aware of how much “stuff” surrounded my environment. At the time I’d been watching videos on Marie Kondo and her methodology of organisation (in terms of sparking joy). I became interested in this idea, of the relevance and usefulness an object had to me and my personal life, and what choosing to let go of these objects would result in (even if it was just a tidier space).

A Children’s Paint Set (used)

Date Of Documentation:

01/03/2021

Date Of Receiving:

December 2020

Date Of Release:

01/03/2021

A Children’s Paint Set bought off of Amazon.com (now used). The paint set wasn’t ever intended to be used for a traditional canvas. My boyfriend wanted to create a paint splattered outfit paying homage to one of his favourite drag queens. The paint set was useless in creating vivid enough splats (we resorted to watercolour paints) but it stayed around long enough that it became a fixture in the flat. One of the paint spots (?) went missing but I’m not sure when or how. Until now neither of us attributed it enough importance to warrant dealing with it despite the important space it was taking up. I finally found a use for it in the Easter camp I’m working at this april. I wonder what other ‘useless’ things clinging to my present will come to light? How many of them could have been dealt with sooner?

A Set of Joycons (With Slight Drift)

Date Of Documentation:

15/03/2021

Date Of Receiving:

2017

Date Of Release:

01/04/2021

A set of Joycons (with slight drift). The first big purchase I ever made with money earnt from my first job. Part of a games console (still in use) these controllers were a part of one of my first financially independent experiences and some of my earlier next gen gaming ones. The console came with a copy of The Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild (singlehandedly the best instalment in the series and in the genre of open world games I will die on this hill) that took up the majority of August. The purchase came right before I moved out of my parent’s for university so despite being broken (the blue joystick was stuck constantly pushing left) they were a positive reminder of the first transition to being an ‘adult’. Sadly I’ve yet to transition to the financially savvy aspect of adulthood, though if I’m being honest I’m not sure I ever will since my next big purchase was an immediate replacement for these instead of food for that week.

A Keyboard Kit (Never Played)

Date Of Documentation:

26/04/2021

Date Of Receiving:

22/12/2020

Date Of Release:

01/05/2021

A Keyboard Kit and accompanying books (never played). An early Christmas gift from my mum. It had been the first time I’d seen her in person since the original lockdown in march. Despite how happy the meeting was, I was saddened that we couldn’t have any direct physical contact outside of an elbow touch (she works in a warehouse and couldn’t risk it). I hadn’t felt such a strong need for a hug since waking up from a nightmare when I was 5. It really reinforced how starved of physical touch and connection from my community this pandemic had made me. The Keyboard Kit was a useless gift (my mums words, though i don’t disagree with them) due to the lack of weighted keys: when learning piano and having the choice between weightless or weighted keys you should always go for the weighted keys since that will be the most common feature of any piano you play. The keyboard still needs to be returned but suffice to say when I told my boyfriend that he looked at me as if I was insane for rejecting such a luxury gift. I felt a bit guilty; even if my mum agreed with me, at how un-Christmas my feelings were, but I’m still glad I got to have a conversation with my mum that wasn’t over a phone.

A “With Love” Candle (scented)

Date Of Documentation:

02/04/2021

Date Of Receiving:

14/02/2020

Date Of Release:

02/04/2021

A “With Love” scented candle, well used. A gift from my boyfriend’s mum for our Valentines. A year in lockdown together had left little of the ‘spark’ that valentines would normally bring. We didn’t do anything special for the day really but survived. Some nights we’d snuggle on the couch and watch the candlelight flicker. The wicks burnt and faded now after over a full year of use (and of living together with him) but I still remember the moments of peace the candle brought us, with love.

A Box Of Antidepressants (empty)

Date Of Documentation:

14/03/2021

Date Of Receiving:

18/12/2018

Date Of Release:

14/03/2021

An empty box of antidepressants: 100mg Sertraline. There’s enough in one box to last 2 weeks. Taking them has become a daily part of my routine for the past 3 years - wake up, pour a glass of Orange juice (or Irn Bru if i’m out), push out two pills and swallow. It’s the same mouth they fall into, but not the same person. When I started the course I was in the worst place my life had ever been, I was mentally and emotionally distraught. Now I’m stable and more secure with what my life is; but the empty boxes are always a reminder of what was, and still could happen if I forgot to do my routine.

A Pair Of Blue Jeans (too small)

Date Of Documentation:

05/03/2021

Date Of Receiving:

2013

Date Of Release:

05/03/2021

A Pair of Blue Jeans (waist 34, length 31). When I first got these Jeans they were too big and uncomfy. I hated (and still do) the way they constricted my legs and scratched my skin but they were my only pair at the time so I had to wear them for events where I was expected to look nice. I can barely zip them up now and can’t even button them. I had never cared much about my looks until I realised I couldn’t button these Jeans up. There’s a certain sense of grief that comes with this change in weight but I wonder if it’s because of how my body feels when moving or how I’ve been told to feel about getting fat. The next pair of Jeans I get will be comfier and I’ll be kinder to myself.

A DIY Rabbit Toy (stuffed with uncooked rice)

Date Of Documentation:

30/04/2021

Date Of Receiving:

09/04/2021

Date Of Release:

14/04/2021

A Rabbit made from a sock, rubber bands, pom poms and rice. This was the first arts and crafts I made at the Easter day camp I worked at. It’s a simple creation but trying to achieve it with 12 7-9 year olds made it a lot harder than it had to be. It felt weird being in a physically close environment while having to maintain a strict social distance. Legally children don’t have to wear masks and the different groups we were in were split across the camp regarding guidelines but it still felt illegal, like there was some grave taboo or rule we were breaking by having several people in one space. Every morning the news had a new update on COVID cases worldwide and I had a new activity planned for the kids.

A Black Douche (Never used)

Date Of Documentation:

27/04/2021

Date Of Receiving:

2019

Date Of Release:

20/04/2021

A Black Douche (Never Used). As part of a hygienic practice from a medical standpoint the Douche is used to clean out the Vagina and Anus in order to ensure a healthy functioning body. From my standpoint its a tool I need to use as a precursor to sex (at least when I’m bottoming). I ordered this off of Amazon right before we went into lockdown expecting a semi-frequent use out of it considering all the free-time we were going to have. Turns out living through a pandemic can be a real mood killer for anything pushing remotely past PG 13 romantic hand holding.

A Foldable Paper Art cutout (Artist unknown)

Date Of Documentation:

25/04/2021

Date Of Receiving:

10/04/2021

Date Of Release:

30/04/2021

A foldable paper art cutout (artist unknown). A simple, artistic pattern made from a single sheet of paper during one of the free-times we had at Camp. I feel bad since it was a gift but I cannot for the life of me remember which child gave it to me. In my defence this was also the same day that we learnt one of the kids in another cabin, who had come in with a hearty cough, came from an anti-vax household that refused to have them tested at camp and supposedly tested them at home instead. With a full week and no testing for any of the staff it was a bit of a stressful time. There’s never been many times when I’ve felt how expendable as a worker you can be, but this definitely counts as one of the more recent reminders that if it’ll save a bottom line then any business will do it.

A Plate of Salt-Dough (Hardened)

Date Of Documentation:

25/04/2021

Date Of Receiving:

13/04/2021

Date Of Release:

30/04/2021

A plate of Salt-Dough (hardened). A very messy activity we did at camp (which I thankfully did not have to clean up after). It was by far the most hated activity for the kids which really surprised me. Out of everything that we did I thought the one activity where they got to be intentionally messy and creative but it was the one where I had to pull the most teeth just to get them engaged. This ended up in my possession after one of them announced that their parents would not in fact allow this in their home right before they left. I thought it would be a fun chance to play and create something but as soon as I got home I had no motivation to play with it, and gained a better understanding of why the kids weren’t all too enthused to play with a wet, sticky mass of dough.

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Becky Wilkieson My daily practise was to plant a seed and document its growth every day for a month. I also looked up quotes of motivation and selfgrowth and attached these to each new photo of my plant. I decided to plant a new seed instead of using a plant I already owned as I liked the idea of dedicating something from scratch to the daily exercise, and that the whole purpose for the plant’s existence was for this exercise.

I included the quotes of self-growth and motivation as I felt that during the pandemic especially a lot of people including myself felt unfulfilled with their potential and not motivated. By having to look up these daily affirmations it reminded me to stay positive and that even though there was little change that I could physically see, it didn’t mean that there wasn’t change happening. By going back to this task every day for a few months it kept me grounded and allowed me to keep a routine. It also reinforced the positive messages that I could find in these quotes and helped to keep my outlook on life a bit more positive.

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Sean McGarvey My daily practice came from an interest in looking out of my windows.

I found many moments that made me feel appreciation, gratitude and joy within this practice, as well as moments that were difficult or nonexistent.

I like the ever changing sites outside but also the comfort of those things, flats, trees, grass, sky, that don’t change. It came from an interest in being and practicing an interest in the area, situation, place i am in. Instead of trying to find escape during a difficult time, i sought to seek beautiful things within this stagnant and still time.

The outside sometimes reflected my thoughts and feelings and that made me feel part of something. Instead of being outside looking in, i was inside looking out and being with that.

March 2021

April 2021

May 2021

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to be associated with the group and their work. Whenever I visited sessions during the Daily Practices process I was interested to learn what they had been up to and am delighted we can share this work with you too.

Huge thanks to each and every person that attended sessions during this project, to Gudrun and Eoin who led the process and Valerie Reid for collating everyone’s work and bringing everything together to produce this beautiful publication. Matt Addicott Arts Manager, Platform

Strategies for Endless Days by Platform Young Company

Articles inside

John Reader