The Unclandestine Commons Conference Series (UCCS) 🗝️

[Page in development]

Organised and curated by Sam WF and collaborators, the Unclandestine Commons Conference Series (UCCS) invites artists and writers to develop work in response to a growing network of sites, including a prison, a chapel, an adventure playground, a pond and a pub.

‘Artists who like to vibe out in the promiscuous interdisciplinarity that is our prerogative: submit here! Any age any stage any status, nobody gets paid and nobody pays to participate (though you’ll have to cover your own travel). What would art as a method look like if it wasn’t being squished into commodity forms and melancholy institutionalisms? Maybe a bit like this yo.’

Jesse Darling

PRINCIPLES

Internationalism. So far, 34 contributors from 11 countries*.

Any age, any stage, any status. Contributor ages have so far ranged from 20 to 66. We’ve had undergrads and Turner Prize winners.

Site-specificity. The conference site is a main character. Contributors are encouraged to make works that respond to the space(s) and/or history of the site. 

Fellowship. A central aim of the series is to foster a community of peers. Past contributors are encouraged to re-attend. Contributors may also share work in Feuer Feuer!!, the newsletter of the UCCS. Each paper issue is mailed for free to an international list of subscribers.

By contributors, for contributors. The events are not open to the general public. This is to encourage participants to experiment and take risks. 

Commitment. Everyone attends for the full day. We share work, eat, drink, discuss, hang out. 

Non-institutional. The project is completely self- and donation-funded. 

* England, China, Wales, USA, Netherlands, Finland, Italy, France, South Korea, Scotland & Russia.

PAST EVENTS

Necromancer, Gravensteen Prison, Leiden, 26 September 2026

Chokey, Gravensteen Prison, Leiden, 30 May 2026

Awkward Subjects, Gravensteen Prison, Leiden, 21 February 2026

FORTHCOMING EVENTS

Curses/Prayers (co-curated with Charlotte Saint Cullen), Chapel of St John the Evangelist, York, 15 January 2027

London Dinner (co-curated with Sam Blackwood), London, Spring 2027

Self-Organising Autonomous Province (co-curated with Jesse Darling), Oxford, Summer 2027

PAST CONTRIBUTORS

Jordan Baseman

Georgie Brinkman

Charlotte Saint Cullen

Jesse Darling

Bob Demper

Shaun Doyle

Luke Dunne

Eleri Fanshawe

James Goodwin

Mila Narjollet Guilloux

Joshua Patrick Hart

Ruben Hazenbos

Dale Holmes

Bethan Hughes

Raquel Coll Juncosa

Yelim Ki

Tash Kimmell

Jakob Thanassis van Klinken

Mark Leckey

Daisy Madden-Wells

Jaakko Myyri

Georgie Newson

Anna Patarakina

Bridget Penney

Benjamin Pompe

Annabel Quick

Livia Ribichini

Harriet Rose

John Russell

Lore Selys

Owen Vince

Yuyan Wang

Nesie Junyi Wang

Bedwyr Williams