The first iteration of Everyday Superpowers is a PhD research project run by artist Nikki Pugh (she/her), studying at Lancaster University in the UK. Rather than falling back on extractive methods of data gathering, the intention is to build a resource that’s genuinely useful to local and wider communities, hopefully continuing beyond the end of the PhD (2022-ish).
Everyday Superpowers aims to blend approaches from existing community bike hubs/kitchens with participatory art practices with theory from Mobilities Studies and Sociology. Not having to be a commercially viable enterprise gives us an opportunity to experiment and take creative risks in a way that wouldn’t be possible for other organisations.
We’ll be sharing what works well and what doesn’t work quite so well with our wider communities so others can build on what we do. Keep an eye on our Instagram account and zine pages to follow along.
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The name Everyday Superpowers has been zestfully lifted from the opening pages of Tiffany Lam‘s zine Mind the Gender Gap, which in turn references a programme run in 2014 by the Washington Area Bicyclist Association.
Whilst we appreciate the thrill of speed and the satisfaction of a hard-won view, we also want to acknowledge the skill and hard work that goes into getting the groceries in, doing the school run or just getting in the saddle when policies, infrastructure and retail don’t really see you.