The Loiterers Resistance Movement (2006–present) is a ‘

Manchester Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of City of Salford, Salford to ...

-based collective of artists and activists interested in

psychogeography Psychogeography is the exploration of urban environments that emphasizes interpersonal connections to places and arbitrary routes. It was developed by members of the Letterist International and Situationist International, which were revolutio ...

and public space.’ They host a free monthly

dérive The ''dérive'' (, "drift") is a revolutionary strategy originally put forward in the "Theory of the Dérive" (1956) by Guy Debord, a member at the time of the Letterist International. Debord defines the ''dérive'' as "a mode of experimenta ...

on the first Sunday of every month that is open to the public. They are considered core contributors to the tradition of British psychogeography, and part of what Tina Richardson has identified as the 'new psychogeography'. The LRM have also been identified as contributing to the visibility and practices of walking women: they were featured on the

BBC Radio 4 BBC Radio 4 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC that replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. It broadcasts a wide variety of Talk radio, spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history fro ...

broadcast, 'The Art of Now: Women Who Walk' (2018), and are also included in the Live Art Development Agency's ''Study Room Guide on WALKING WOMEN'' (2015).

History

Founded in 2006 by

Morag Rose Morag may refer to: Fiction * Morag Bellingham, a character on ''Home and Away'' * Mòrag Ladair, a character from the video game '' Xenoblade Chronicles 2'' * Morag the Tulgah Witch, a character on the animated series ''Ewoks'' * Morag, a charact ...

, the Loiterers Resistance Movement (LRM) is ‘a

Situationist The Situationist International (SI) was an international organization of social revolutionaries made up of avant-garde artists, intellectuals, and political theorists. It was prominent in Europe from its formation in 1957 to its dissolution ...

-inspired psychogeography group that roams the city sharing knowledge and experiences of the ever-changing urban environment.' On the first Sunday of every month they facilitate ‘a free communal wander, open to anyone curious about the potential of public space and unravelling stories hidden within our everyday landscape.’ The LRM does not have requirement for consistent membership and ‘people float in and out and define their own level of commitment. Rose identifies it ‘as a free floating community’, stating, ‘People don’t tend to show up every month like clockwork, but it’s also rare to only see a face once.’ Rose founded the group 'motivated by love and curiosity for Manchester and a concern, sometimes rage, at the damage neoliberalism causes to our communities.' The LRM is part of the Walking Artists Network, and participates in network discussions and events. During the COVID-19 pandemic, which limited people's ability to walk together in person, the LRM expanded to use digital methods to allow people to walk together at a distance. In 2017, Rose was awarded the

Living Streets A living street is a street designed with the interests of pedestrians and cyclists in mind by providing enriching and experiential spaces. Living streets also act as social spaces, allowing children to play and encouraging social interactions o ...

Charles Maher Award for her work with the LRM and her contributions to and engagement with the public space of Manchester.

Theory and Practice

The LRM draws on the practice of the

and the concept of psychogeography, first theorised by the

Letterist International The Letterist International (LI) was a Paris-based collective of radical artists and cultural theorists between 1952 and 1957. It was created by Guy Debord and Gil J. Wolman rejoined by Jean-Louis Brau and Serge Berna as a schism from Isido ...

, and further developed by the

Situationist International The Situationist International (SI) was an international organization of social revolutionaries made up of avant-garde artists, intellectuals, and political theorists. It was prominent in Europe from its formation in 1957 to its dissolutio ...

. The LRM describes the

as 'a way of walking across the city which ignores normal conventions of going from A to B. Instead heroute is guided by playfulness, feeling and instinct.' They note that a 'variety of methods can be used to shape a wander' and that each exploration is unique and 'shaped by whoever turns up on the day'. Following the Situationist focus on practice, Rose states, 'the LRM do agree that psychogeography has to be practice as well as theory; that

praxis Praxis may refer to: Philosophy and religion * Praxis (process), the process by which a theory, lesson, or skill is enacted, practised, embodied, or realised *Praxis model, a way of doing theology * Praxis (Byzantine Rite), the practice of fai ...

belongs on the street and is shaped by our footsteps.' For Rose, 'the

'offers alternative ways to think about space and walking together helps to connect, interrogate and explore our city.' The group looks to ‘complicate the official narrative and deviate from the official tour’ and explore the city as a site of multiple narratives, diversity and personal history’ Over their ten year history the LRM has engaged the city in a variety of ways. These include 'an attempt to “dematerialise” the new Beetham Tower', and 'impromptu concert with kazoos and tambourines' in an underground car park.

LRM Manifesto

The LRM is guided by a

manifesto A manifesto is a published declaration of the intentions, motives, or views of the issuer, be it an individual, group, political party or government. A manifesto usually accepts a previously published opinion or public consensus or promotes a ...

, founded on the principle that ‘the Streets belong to everyone’, which Rose identifies as ‘an aspiration, not a statement of fact.’

We can’t agree on what psychogeography means but we all like plants growing out of the side of buildings, looking at things from new angles, radical history, drinking tea and getting lost; having fun and feeling like a tourist in your home town.
Gentrification Gentrification is the process of changing the character of a neighborhood through the influx of more affluent residents and businesses. It is a common and controversial topic in urban politics and planning. Gentrification often increases the ...
, advertising and blandness makes us sad. We believe there is magic in the
Mancunian Mancunian is the associated adjective and demonym of Manchester, a city in North West England. It may refer to: *Anything from or related to the city of Manchester or the county of Greater Manchester, in particular: **The people of Manchester (see ...
rain. Our city is wonderful and made for more than shopping. The streets belong to everyone and we want to reclaim them for play and revolutionary fun.

Loitering With Intent (2016)

In 2016 the LRM curated the Arts Council England funded exhibition ''Loitering with Intent'' at the People’s History Museum in Manchester. The exhibition had ‘an explicit political agenda to uncover the powerful dynamics that shape Manchester and offer an alternative way to view them.’ The exhibition featured 'material from The LRM archive, documenting heirexpeditions as well as posters, found objects and handcrafted items used to guide walks such as CCTV Bingo Cards, game pieces made from metal salvaged from car manufacturing and maps transformed into fortune tellers', as well as 'contributions from local, national and international artists inspired by psychogeography' in the form of 'film, drawing, painting, DIY maps, photographs' and a variety of other media.

References

{{reflist Organisations based in England 2006 establishments in England Walking art