All WE WERE SAYING

A happening on December 21
Apartment
Manchester, UK

Performance-based installation | 2005

first image | installation view of bedroom
Same sex civil partnerships were legally recognized in England and Wales on 21 December 2005.

All We Were Saying was a one-day performance work with two men in bed knitting for peace. Saying provided a public forum for ordinary queer citizens and their friends to mark this momentous occasion. The participants were Matt Bamber and his partner, Andy Hardman.

second image | detail of television broadcast
The work was referenced the Yoko Ono/John Lennon 1969 Amsterdam 'bed-in' for peace.

Saying was well received by the local media, including NW Television, the local affiliate of BBC. It taped us, and broadcasted the segment later that evening while the work was still in progress.

third image | detail of knitting
The knitted cap with the date: 21 DEC 2006.

All We Were Saying was mounted in the bedroom of Apartment, an artist-led project and exhibition space in a one-bedroom council flat in central Manchester. The space is co-run by artists Hilary Jack and Paul Harfleet; the current resident.

All We Were Saying was a first ever grassroots effort facilitated by Apartment, Castlefield Gallery, Chinese Arts Centre, and queerupnorth.

Photos by David Hancock, David Williams, and Ken Chu