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Drop in sessions started last weekend. The building site is silent on Sundays, but for the electrical thrum of a huge pump house adjacent, which sends fresh water to surrounding suburbs, doing the work that the creek below did quietly for thousands of years.

Make or Break has begun a new project by inviting friends and peers down to Waterloo to help us untangle thinking, stories and processes. D!sa$$3mbly L1n3s (Disassembly Lines) considers a forced near-future where we are responsible for our own e-composting. By taking apart defunct devices together, we're reanimating the poetic and practical intimacies of e-waste, memory, holding on, and letting go.

If you'd like to join us on a Sunday in May, let us know and we can share further info. A public program will be announced for June in the coming weeks.

Drop in sessions started last weekend. The building site is silent on Sundays, but for the electrical thrum of a huge pump house adjacent, which sends fresh water to surrounding suburbs, doing the work that the creek below did quietly for thousands of years.

Make or Break has begun a new project by inviting friends and peers down to Waterloo to help us untangle thinking, stories and processes. D!sa$$3mbly L1n3s (Disassembly Lines) considers a forced near-future where we are responsible for our own e-composting. By taking apart defunct devices together, we're reanimating the poetic and practical intimacies of e-waste, memory, holding on, and letting go.

If you'd like to join us on a Sunday in May, let us know and we can share further info. A public program will be announced for June in the coming weeks.

Hello 👋 from @field.rooms on Gadigal land. We are in residence here for a few months, in the midst of an active building site, tinkering and thinking away on a new project. We look forward to sharing some of our process and thinking, and inviting people in to spend time with us here 🤝💭⚒️

Hello 👋 from @field.rooms on Gadigal land. We are in residence here for a few months, in the midst of an active building site, tinkering and thinking away on a new project. We look forward to sharing some of our process and thinking, and inviting people in to spend time with us here 🤝💭⚒️

Hello 👋 from @field.rooms on Gadigal land. We are in residence here for a few months, in the midst of an active building site, tinkering and thinking away on a new project. We look forward to sharing some of our process and thinking, and inviting people in to spend time with us here 🤝💭⚒️

Hello 👋 from @field.rooms on Gadigal land. We are in residence here for a few months, in the midst of an active building site, tinkering and thinking away on a new project. We look forward to sharing some of our process and thinking, and inviting people in to spend time with us here 🤝💭⚒️

Hello 👋 from @field.rooms on Gadigal land. We are in residence here for a few months, in the midst of an active building site, tinkering and thinking away on a new project. We look forward to sharing some of our process and thinking, and inviting people in to spend time with us here 🤝💭⚒️

Hello 👋 from @field.rooms on Gadigal land. We are in residence here for a few months, in the midst of an active building site, tinkering and thinking away on a new project. We look forward to sharing some of our process and thinking, and inviting people in to spend time with us here 🤝💭⚒️

Hello 👋 from @field.rooms on Gadigal land. We are in residence here for a few months, in the midst of an active building site, tinkering and thinking away on a new project. We look forward to sharing some of our process and thinking, and inviting people in to spend time with us here 🤝💭⚒️

Hello 👋 from @field.rooms on Gadigal land. We are in residence here for a few months, in the midst of an active building site, tinkering and thinking away on a new project. We look forward to sharing some of our process and thinking, and inviting people in to spend time with us here 🤝💭⚒️

Hello 👋 from @field.rooms on Gadigal land. We are in residence here for a few months, in the midst of an active building site, tinkering and thinking away on a new project. We look forward to sharing some of our process and thinking, and inviting people in to spend time with us here 🤝💭⚒️

Hello 👋 from @field.rooms on Gadigal land. We are in residence here for a few months, in the midst of an active building site, tinkering and thinking away on a new project. We look forward to sharing some of our process and thinking, and inviting people in to spend time with us here 🤝💭⚒️

Hello 👋 from @field.rooms on Gadigal land. We are in residence here for a few months, in the midst of an active building site, tinkering and thinking away on a new project. We look forward to sharing some of our process and thinking, and inviting people in to spend time with us here 🤝💭⚒️

Hello 👋 from @field.rooms on Gadigal land. We are in residence here for a few months, in the midst of an active building site, tinkering and thinking away on a new project. We look forward to sharing some of our process and thinking, and inviting people in to spend time with us here 🤝💭⚒️

Announcing the 2026 Placeholder residencies at the Field Rooms!Congratulations Make or Break (Connie Anthes and Bec Gallo), Ellen Ferrier and Mara Schwerdtfeger!! 🌱

A huge thank you to ALL applicants for your time, energy and ideas and to our dedicated selection panel. We wish we could have awarded so many more residencies but if you missed out this time please apply again for our 2027 round opening in August! Truly grateful for your interest and for the community of creative practice the @field.rooms is building.

Here is what the 2026 residents will be up to when working from the Field Rooms…

@make.or.break will explore the pragmatic and poetic possibilities of un-making electronic waste, collectively developing new rituals and recipes for these materials and our relationship to digital devices.

@ellen.ferrier will facilitate community exploration of regenerative biomaterials from the detritus of the Waterloo building site and its immediate surrounds by inviting people to forage, sort, grind, soak, cook and combine materials.

@mara.mara.mara will investigate noise in relation to how we construct environments. A modular sound system collectively built from recycled materials will invite a series of listening events loss of culture and knowledge as it is continuously buried under construction and machinery.

Image 1: Make or Break, photographer Dean Tirkot. Image 2: Ellen Ferrier. Image 3: Mara Schwerdtfeger photographer Zoe Baumgartner / @zoemaiaa). Image 4 selection panel at the @field.rooms @lizziethom.son , @studio__shu , Shannon Foster @bangawarra , @heidi.axelsen

#urbandevelopment #regenerativepractice #criticalspatialpractice #publicartreframed #residencies

Announcing the 2026 Placeholder residencies at the Field Rooms!Congratulations Make or Break (Connie Anthes and Bec Gallo), Ellen Ferrier and Mara Schwerdtfeger!! 🌱

A huge thank you to ALL applicants for your time, energy and ideas and to our dedicated selection panel. We wish we could have awarded so many more residencies but if you missed out this time please apply again for our 2027 round opening in August! Truly grateful for your interest and for the community of creative practice the @field.rooms is building.

Here is what the 2026 residents will be up to when working from the Field Rooms…

@make.or.break will explore the pragmatic and poetic possibilities of un-making electronic waste, collectively developing new rituals and recipes for these materials and our relationship to digital devices.

@ellen.ferrier will facilitate community exploration of regenerative biomaterials from the detritus of the Waterloo building site and its immediate surrounds by inviting people to forage, sort, grind, soak, cook and combine materials.

@mara.mara.mara will investigate noise in relation to how we construct environments. A modular sound system collectively built from recycled materials will invite a series of listening events loss of culture and knowledge as it is continuously buried under construction and machinery.

Image 1: Make or Break, photographer Dean Tirkot. Image 2: Ellen Ferrier. Image 3: Mara Schwerdtfeger photographer Zoe Baumgartner / @zoemaiaa). Image 4 selection panel at the @field.rooms @lizziethom.son , @studio__shu , Shannon Foster @bangawarra , @heidi.axelsen

#urbandevelopment #regenerativepractice #criticalspatialpractice #publicartreframed #residencies

Announcing the 2026 Placeholder residencies at the Field Rooms!Congratulations Make or Break (Connie Anthes and Bec Gallo), Ellen Ferrier and Mara Schwerdtfeger!! 🌱

A huge thank you to ALL applicants for your time, energy and ideas and to our dedicated selection panel. We wish we could have awarded so many more residencies but if you missed out this time please apply again for our 2027 round opening in August! Truly grateful for your interest and for the community of creative practice the @field.rooms is building.

Here is what the 2026 residents will be up to when working from the Field Rooms…

@make.or.break will explore the pragmatic and poetic possibilities of un-making electronic waste, collectively developing new rituals and recipes for these materials and our relationship to digital devices.

@ellen.ferrier will facilitate community exploration of regenerative biomaterials from the detritus of the Waterloo building site and its immediate surrounds by inviting people to forage, sort, grind, soak, cook and combine materials.

@mara.mara.mara will investigate noise in relation to how we construct environments. A modular sound system collectively built from recycled materials will invite a series of listening events loss of culture and knowledge as it is continuously buried under construction and machinery.

Image 1: Make or Break, photographer Dean Tirkot. Image 2: Ellen Ferrier. Image 3: Mara Schwerdtfeger photographer Zoe Baumgartner / @zoemaiaa). Image 4 selection panel at the @field.rooms @lizziethom.son , @studio__shu , Shannon Foster @bangawarra , @heidi.axelsen

#urbandevelopment #regenerativepractice #criticalspatialpractice #publicartreframed #residencies

Announcing the 2026 Placeholder residencies at the Field Rooms!Congratulations Make or Break (Connie Anthes and Bec Gallo), Ellen Ferrier and Mara Schwerdtfeger!! 🌱

A huge thank you to ALL applicants for your time, energy and ideas and to our dedicated selection panel. We wish we could have awarded so many more residencies but if you missed out this time please apply again for our 2027 round opening in August! Truly grateful for your interest and for the community of creative practice the @field.rooms is building.

Here is what the 2026 residents will be up to when working from the Field Rooms…

@make.or.break will explore the pragmatic and poetic possibilities of un-making electronic waste, collectively developing new rituals and recipes for these materials and our relationship to digital devices.

@ellen.ferrier will facilitate community exploration of regenerative biomaterials from the detritus of the Waterloo building site and its immediate surrounds by inviting people to forage, sort, grind, soak, cook and combine materials.

@mara.mara.mara will investigate noise in relation to how we construct environments. A modular sound system collectively built from recycled materials will invite a series of listening events loss of culture and knowledge as it is continuously buried under construction and machinery.

Image 1: Make or Break, photographer Dean Tirkot. Image 2: Ellen Ferrier. Image 3: Mara Schwerdtfeger photographer Zoe Baumgartner / @zoemaiaa). Image 4 selection panel at the @field.rooms @lizziethom.son , @studio__shu , Shannon Foster @bangawarra , @heidi.axelsen

#urbandevelopment #regenerativepractice #criticalspatialpractice #publicartreframed #residencies

It's been ten years – a freaking decade – since Make or Break's first project. It was actually called 'Make or Break', a one-off collab between two artists who didn't know each other all that well, but bonded over having recently lost studio space to gentrification. That, and dogs.

'Make or Break' took place on Gadigal Nura at Firstdraft in December 2015. It was an open examination of art-making as a kind of performance, and an opportunity to challenge the value of art objects and artist labour. Starting on opening night and continuing for the duration of the exhibition, we engaged in a daily art-making relay, continuing or destroying the work that the other had made during their previous session. We relied entirely on the generosity of audiences to donate materials throughout the exhibition period – and they really turned up.

For visitors, there was a reading library, a comfy chair, and a pot of tea. So many people came through to bring us materials and objects and the stories they carried. Many stayed for tea, reading, and chats. It was the start of so many connections with amazing peers, many of whom went on to become friends and collaborators.

To everyone who showed up to that first project; to those who have participated in one of our workshops or joined in a chat over the years; to the arts workers who’ve appreciated our penchant for sending back contracts with track changes – thank you.

We're grateful to be able to do what we do, even (and especially) in the midst of a deeply f*cked up world. Hopefully we get to keep doing this for a while yet.

🔊 for last 2 vids, for proof that silliness has longevity

📸 1-4, 8-9, 11-12 by Make or Break
📸 5-7, 10 by @documentphotography

IDs in comments

It's been ten years – a freaking decade – since Make or Break's first project. It was actually called 'Make or Break', a one-off collab between two artists who didn't know each other all that well, but bonded over having recently lost studio space to gentrification. That, and dogs.

'Make or Break' took place on Gadigal Nura at Firstdraft in December 2015. It was an open examination of art-making as a kind of performance, and an opportunity to challenge the value of art objects and artist labour. Starting on opening night and continuing for the duration of the exhibition, we engaged in a daily art-making relay, continuing or destroying the work that the other had made during their previous session. We relied entirely on the generosity of audiences to donate materials throughout the exhibition period – and they really turned up.

For visitors, there was a reading library, a comfy chair, and a pot of tea. So many people came through to bring us materials and objects and the stories they carried. Many stayed for tea, reading, and chats. It was the start of so many connections with amazing peers, many of whom went on to become friends and collaborators.

To everyone who showed up to that first project; to those who have participated in one of our workshops or joined in a chat over the years; to the arts workers who’ve appreciated our penchant for sending back contracts with track changes – thank you.

We're grateful to be able to do what we do, even (and especially) in the midst of a deeply f*cked up world. Hopefully we get to keep doing this for a while yet.

🔊 for last 2 vids, for proof that silliness has longevity

📸 1-4, 8-9, 11-12 by Make or Break
📸 5-7, 10 by @documentphotography

IDs in comments

It's been ten years – a freaking decade – since Make or Break's first project. It was actually called 'Make or Break', a one-off collab between two artists who didn't know each other all that well, but bonded over having recently lost studio space to gentrification. That, and dogs.

'Make or Break' took place on Gadigal Nura at Firstdraft in December 2015. It was an open examination of art-making as a kind of performance, and an opportunity to challenge the value of art objects and artist labour. Starting on opening night and continuing for the duration of the exhibition, we engaged in a daily art-making relay, continuing or destroying the work that the other had made during their previous session. We relied entirely on the generosity of audiences to donate materials throughout the exhibition period – and they really turned up.

For visitors, there was a reading library, a comfy chair, and a pot of tea. So many people came through to bring us materials and objects and the stories they carried. Many stayed for tea, reading, and chats. It was the start of so many connections with amazing peers, many of whom went on to become friends and collaborators.

To everyone who showed up to that first project; to those who have participated in one of our workshops or joined in a chat over the years; to the arts workers who’ve appreciated our penchant for sending back contracts with track changes – thank you.

We're grateful to be able to do what we do, even (and especially) in the midst of a deeply f*cked up world. Hopefully we get to keep doing this for a while yet.

🔊 for last 2 vids, for proof that silliness has longevity

📸 1-4, 8-9, 11-12 by Make or Break
📸 5-7, 10 by @documentphotography

IDs in comments

It's been ten years – a freaking decade – since Make or Break's first project. It was actually called 'Make or Break', a one-off collab between two artists who didn't know each other all that well, but bonded over having recently lost studio space to gentrification. That, and dogs.

'Make or Break' took place on Gadigal Nura at Firstdraft in December 2015. It was an open examination of art-making as a kind of performance, and an opportunity to challenge the value of art objects and artist labour. Starting on opening night and continuing for the duration of the exhibition, we engaged in a daily art-making relay, continuing or destroying the work that the other had made during their previous session. We relied entirely on the generosity of audiences to donate materials throughout the exhibition period – and they really turned up.

For visitors, there was a reading library, a comfy chair, and a pot of tea. So many people came through to bring us materials and objects and the stories they carried. Many stayed for tea, reading, and chats. It was the start of so many connections with amazing peers, many of whom went on to become friends and collaborators.

To everyone who showed up to that first project; to those who have participated in one of our workshops or joined in a chat over the years; to the arts workers who’ve appreciated our penchant for sending back contracts with track changes – thank you.

We're grateful to be able to do what we do, even (and especially) in the midst of a deeply f*cked up world. Hopefully we get to keep doing this for a while yet.

🔊 for last 2 vids, for proof that silliness has longevity

📸 1-4, 8-9, 11-12 by Make or Break
📸 5-7, 10 by @documentphotography

IDs in comments

It's been ten years – a freaking decade – since Make or Break's first project. It was actually called 'Make or Break', a one-off collab between two artists who didn't know each other all that well, but bonded over having recently lost studio space to gentrification. That, and dogs.

'Make or Break' took place on Gadigal Nura at Firstdraft in December 2015. It was an open examination of art-making as a kind of performance, and an opportunity to challenge the value of art objects and artist labour. Starting on opening night and continuing for the duration of the exhibition, we engaged in a daily art-making relay, continuing or destroying the work that the other had made during their previous session. We relied entirely on the generosity of audiences to donate materials throughout the exhibition period – and they really turned up.

For visitors, there was a reading library, a comfy chair, and a pot of tea. So many people came through to bring us materials and objects and the stories they carried. Many stayed for tea, reading, and chats. It was the start of so many connections with amazing peers, many of whom went on to become friends and collaborators.

To everyone who showed up to that first project; to those who have participated in one of our workshops or joined in a chat over the years; to the arts workers who’ve appreciated our penchant for sending back contracts with track changes – thank you.

We're grateful to be able to do what we do, even (and especially) in the midst of a deeply f*cked up world. Hopefully we get to keep doing this for a while yet.

🔊 for last 2 vids, for proof that silliness has longevity

📸 1-4, 8-9, 11-12 by Make or Break
📸 5-7, 10 by @documentphotography

IDs in comments

It's been ten years – a freaking decade – since Make or Break's first project. It was actually called 'Make or Break', a one-off collab between two artists who didn't know each other all that well, but bonded over having recently lost studio space to gentrification. That, and dogs.

'Make or Break' took place on Gadigal Nura at Firstdraft in December 2015. It was an open examination of art-making as a kind of performance, and an opportunity to challenge the value of art objects and artist labour. Starting on opening night and continuing for the duration of the exhibition, we engaged in a daily art-making relay, continuing or destroying the work that the other had made during their previous session. We relied entirely on the generosity of audiences to donate materials throughout the exhibition period – and they really turned up.

For visitors, there was a reading library, a comfy chair, and a pot of tea. So many people came through to bring us materials and objects and the stories they carried. Many stayed for tea, reading, and chats. It was the start of so many connections with amazing peers, many of whom went on to become friends and collaborators.

To everyone who showed up to that first project; to those who have participated in one of our workshops or joined in a chat over the years; to the arts workers who’ve appreciated our penchant for sending back contracts with track changes – thank you.

We're grateful to be able to do what we do, even (and especially) in the midst of a deeply f*cked up world. Hopefully we get to keep doing this for a while yet.

🔊 for last 2 vids, for proof that silliness has longevity

📸 1-4, 8-9, 11-12 by Make or Break
📸 5-7, 10 by @documentphotography

IDs in comments

It's been ten years – a freaking decade – since Make or Break's first project. It was actually called 'Make or Break', a one-off collab between two artists who didn't know each other all that well, but bonded over having recently lost studio space to gentrification. That, and dogs.

'Make or Break' took place on Gadigal Nura at Firstdraft in December 2015. It was an open examination of art-making as a kind of performance, and an opportunity to challenge the value of art objects and artist labour. Starting on opening night and continuing for the duration of the exhibition, we engaged in a daily art-making relay, continuing or destroying the work that the other had made during their previous session. We relied entirely on the generosity of audiences to donate materials throughout the exhibition period – and they really turned up.

For visitors, there was a reading library, a comfy chair, and a pot of tea. So many people came through to bring us materials and objects and the stories they carried. Many stayed for tea, reading, and chats. It was the start of so many connections with amazing peers, many of whom went on to become friends and collaborators.

To everyone who showed up to that first project; to those who have participated in one of our workshops or joined in a chat over the years; to the arts workers who’ve appreciated our penchant for sending back contracts with track changes – thank you.

We're grateful to be able to do what we do, even (and especially) in the midst of a deeply f*cked up world. Hopefully we get to keep doing this for a while yet.

🔊 for last 2 vids, for proof that silliness has longevity

📸 1-4, 8-9, 11-12 by Make or Break
📸 5-7, 10 by @documentphotography

IDs in comments

It's been ten years – a freaking decade – since Make or Break's first project. It was actually called 'Make or Break', a one-off collab between two artists who didn't know each other all that well, but bonded over having recently lost studio space to gentrification. That, and dogs.

'Make or Break' took place on Gadigal Nura at Firstdraft in December 2015. It was an open examination of art-making as a kind of performance, and an opportunity to challenge the value of art objects and artist labour. Starting on opening night and continuing for the duration of the exhibition, we engaged in a daily art-making relay, continuing or destroying the work that the other had made during their previous session. We relied entirely on the generosity of audiences to donate materials throughout the exhibition period – and they really turned up.

For visitors, there was a reading library, a comfy chair, and a pot of tea. So many people came through to bring us materials and objects and the stories they carried. Many stayed for tea, reading, and chats. It was the start of so many connections with amazing peers, many of whom went on to become friends and collaborators.

To everyone who showed up to that first project; to those who have participated in one of our workshops or joined in a chat over the years; to the arts workers who’ve appreciated our penchant for sending back contracts with track changes – thank you.

We're grateful to be able to do what we do, even (and especially) in the midst of a deeply f*cked up world. Hopefully we get to keep doing this for a while yet.

🔊 for last 2 vids, for proof that silliness has longevity

📸 1-4, 8-9, 11-12 by Make or Break
📸 5-7, 10 by @documentphotography

IDs in comments

It's been ten years – a freaking decade – since Make or Break's first project. It was actually called 'Make or Break', a one-off collab between two artists who didn't know each other all that well, but bonded over having recently lost studio space to gentrification. That, and dogs.

'Make or Break' took place on Gadigal Nura at Firstdraft in December 2015. It was an open examination of art-making as a kind of performance, and an opportunity to challenge the value of art objects and artist labour. Starting on opening night and continuing for the duration of the exhibition, we engaged in a daily art-making relay, continuing or destroying the work that the other had made during their previous session. We relied entirely on the generosity of audiences to donate materials throughout the exhibition period – and they really turned up.

For visitors, there was a reading library, a comfy chair, and a pot of tea. So many people came through to bring us materials and objects and the stories they carried. Many stayed for tea, reading, and chats. It was the start of so many connections with amazing peers, many of whom went on to become friends and collaborators.

To everyone who showed up to that first project; to those who have participated in one of our workshops or joined in a chat over the years; to the arts workers who’ve appreciated our penchant for sending back contracts with track changes – thank you.

We're grateful to be able to do what we do, even (and especially) in the midst of a deeply f*cked up world. Hopefully we get to keep doing this for a while yet.

🔊 for last 2 vids, for proof that silliness has longevity

📸 1-4, 8-9, 11-12 by Make or Break
📸 5-7, 10 by @documentphotography

IDs in comments

It's been ten years – a freaking decade – since Make or Break's first project. It was actually called 'Make or Break', a one-off collab between two artists who didn't know each other all that well, but bonded over having recently lost studio space to gentrification. That, and dogs.

'Make or Break' took place on Gadigal Nura at Firstdraft in December 2015. It was an open examination of art-making as a kind of performance, and an opportunity to challenge the value of art objects and artist labour. Starting on opening night and continuing for the duration of the exhibition, we engaged in a daily art-making relay, continuing or destroying the work that the other had made during their previous session. We relied entirely on the generosity of audiences to donate materials throughout the exhibition period – and they really turned up.

For visitors, there was a reading library, a comfy chair, and a pot of tea. So many people came through to bring us materials and objects and the stories they carried. Many stayed for tea, reading, and chats. It was the start of so many connections with amazing peers, many of whom went on to become friends and collaborators.

To everyone who showed up to that first project; to those who have participated in one of our workshops or joined in a chat over the years; to the arts workers who’ve appreciated our penchant for sending back contracts with track changes – thank you.

We're grateful to be able to do what we do, even (and especially) in the midst of a deeply f*cked up world. Hopefully we get to keep doing this for a while yet.

🔊 for last 2 vids, for proof that silliness has longevity

📸 1-4, 8-9, 11-12 by Make or Break
📸 5-7, 10 by @documentphotography

IDs in comments

It's been ten years – a freaking decade – since Make or Break's first project. It was actually called 'Make or Break', a one-off collab between two artists who didn't know each other all that well, but bonded over having recently lost studio space to gentrification. That, and dogs.

'Make or Break' took place on Gadigal Nura at Firstdraft in December 2015. It was an open examination of art-making as a kind of performance, and an opportunity to challenge the value of art objects and artist labour. Starting on opening night and continuing for the duration of the exhibition, we engaged in a daily art-making relay, continuing or destroying the work that the other had made during their previous session. We relied entirely on the generosity of audiences to donate materials throughout the exhibition period – and they really turned up.

For visitors, there was a reading library, a comfy chair, and a pot of tea. So many people came through to bring us materials and objects and the stories they carried. Many stayed for tea, reading, and chats. It was the start of so many connections with amazing peers, many of whom went on to become friends and collaborators.

To everyone who showed up to that first project; to those who have participated in one of our workshops or joined in a chat over the years; to the arts workers who’ve appreciated our penchant for sending back contracts with track changes – thank you.

We're grateful to be able to do what we do, even (and especially) in the midst of a deeply f*cked up world. Hopefully we get to keep doing this for a while yet.

🔊 for last 2 vids, for proof that silliness has longevity

📸 1-4, 8-9, 11-12 by Make or Break
📸 5-7, 10 by @documentphotography

IDs in comments

It's been ten years – a freaking decade – since Make or Break's first project. It was actually called 'Make or Break', a one-off collab between two artists who didn't know each other all that well, but bonded over having recently lost studio space to gentrification. That, and dogs.

'Make or Break' took place on Gadigal Nura at Firstdraft in December 2015. It was an open examination of art-making as a kind of performance, and an opportunity to challenge the value of art objects and artist labour. Starting on opening night and continuing for the duration of the exhibition, we engaged in a daily art-making relay, continuing or destroying the work that the other had made during their previous session. We relied entirely on the generosity of audiences to donate materials throughout the exhibition period – and they really turned up.

For visitors, there was a reading library, a comfy chair, and a pot of tea. So many people came through to bring us materials and objects and the stories they carried. Many stayed for tea, reading, and chats. It was the start of so many connections with amazing peers, many of whom went on to become friends and collaborators.

To everyone who showed up to that first project; to those who have participated in one of our workshops or joined in a chat over the years; to the arts workers who’ve appreciated our penchant for sending back contracts with track changes – thank you.

We're grateful to be able to do what we do, even (and especially) in the midst of a deeply f*cked up world. Hopefully we get to keep doing this for a while yet.

🔊 for last 2 vids, for proof that silliness has longevity

📸 1-4, 8-9, 11-12 by Make or Break
📸 5-7, 10 by @documentphotography

IDs in comments

We're excited to deliver our Terms of Engagement workshop next Monday 30 June through Inner West Council's Creative Toolbox Program. There are some wonderful conversations, workshops, and collaborative artworks happening in Marrickville from Sat 28 – Mon 30 June, and you can check out the whole program and book via the link in our story or @innerwestcouncil. It's really well-subsidised, and only $10 to attend all the talks, and $5 each for workshops.

Make or Break's workshop is on Monday 30 June at 11.30am; right now it's booked out, but you can register to be on the waitlist!

ID: a black and white photo of Bec and Connie in overalls and baseball caps, sitting at a desk in a studio. The image is framed by a colourful gradient, overlaid with the text 'Creative Toolbox Symposium'.

#innerwestcouncil #creativetoolbox

Photo: Daniel McCready @horseunderwater

Thank you to everyone who came and spent time with us last weekend to work on their Terms of Engagement, and to @brandxinc for hosting us. We shared different experiences (good and bad) of working as artists/dancers/theatremakers/arts workers in precarious situations, as well as our hopes and ideas for how to build better, more equitable working relationships. We developed a pool of questions that a Terms of Engagement might answer, and started writing answers to them.

Make or Break's Terms of Engagement is always open to be read, commented on, and adapted for your own use. We are working on another shared document that anyone can contribute to and borrow from. We imagine this as a glossary of terms that you can pick and choose from, and adapt to construct your own your own Terms of Engagement.

We would also love to run this workshop again, online or irl, so if you work for an institution or org with a programs budget and are interested in engaging us, send us a line at makeorbreakart@gmail.com

Photos courtesy of Seiya Taguchi and Brand X

ID: a series of photographs of participants in a workshop. Small groups of people are pictured looking at a mirrored wall covered in strips of green paper with questions written on them; having conversations; sitting at a table or on couches and chatting. They are in a modern conference room with grey lino floors, exposed ducting, and full-length windows looking out onto another building.

Thank you to everyone who came and spent time with us last weekend to work on their Terms of Engagement, and to @brandxinc for hosting us. We shared different experiences (good and bad) of working as artists/dancers/theatremakers/arts workers in precarious situations, as well as our hopes and ideas for how to build better, more equitable working relationships. We developed a pool of questions that a Terms of Engagement might answer, and started writing answers to them.

Make or Break's Terms of Engagement is always open to be read, commented on, and adapted for your own use. We are working on another shared document that anyone can contribute to and borrow from. We imagine this as a glossary of terms that you can pick and choose from, and adapt to construct your own your own Terms of Engagement.

We would also love to run this workshop again, online or irl, so if you work for an institution or org with a programs budget and are interested in engaging us, send us a line at makeorbreakart@gmail.com

Photos courtesy of Seiya Taguchi and Brand X

ID: a series of photographs of participants in a workshop. Small groups of people are pictured looking at a mirrored wall covered in strips of green paper with questions written on them; having conversations; sitting at a table or on couches and chatting. They are in a modern conference room with grey lino floors, exposed ducting, and full-length windows looking out onto another building.

Thank you to everyone who came and spent time with us last weekend to work on their Terms of Engagement, and to @brandxinc for hosting us. We shared different experiences (good and bad) of working as artists/dancers/theatremakers/arts workers in precarious situations, as well as our hopes and ideas for how to build better, more equitable working relationships. We developed a pool of questions that a Terms of Engagement might answer, and started writing answers to them.

Make or Break's Terms of Engagement is always open to be read, commented on, and adapted for your own use. We are working on another shared document that anyone can contribute to and borrow from. We imagine this as a glossary of terms that you can pick and choose from, and adapt to construct your own your own Terms of Engagement.

We would also love to run this workshop again, online or irl, so if you work for an institution or org with a programs budget and are interested in engaging us, send us a line at makeorbreakart@gmail.com

Photos courtesy of Seiya Taguchi and Brand X

ID: a series of photographs of participants in a workshop. Small groups of people are pictured looking at a mirrored wall covered in strips of green paper with questions written on them; having conversations; sitting at a table or on couches and chatting. They are in a modern conference room with grey lino floors, exposed ducting, and full-length windows looking out onto another building.

Thank you to everyone who came and spent time with us last weekend to work on their Terms of Engagement, and to @brandxinc for hosting us. We shared different experiences (good and bad) of working as artists/dancers/theatremakers/arts workers in precarious situations, as well as our hopes and ideas for how to build better, more equitable working relationships. We developed a pool of questions that a Terms of Engagement might answer, and started writing answers to them.

Make or Break's Terms of Engagement is always open to be read, commented on, and adapted for your own use. We are working on another shared document that anyone can contribute to and borrow from. We imagine this as a glossary of terms that you can pick and choose from, and adapt to construct your own your own Terms of Engagement.

We would also love to run this workshop again, online or irl, so if you work for an institution or org with a programs budget and are interested in engaging us, send us a line at makeorbreakart@gmail.com

Photos courtesy of Seiya Taguchi and Brand X

ID: a series of photographs of participants in a workshop. Small groups of people are pictured looking at a mirrored wall covered in strips of green paper with questions written on them; having conversations; sitting at a table or on couches and chatting. They are in a modern conference room with grey lino floors, exposed ducting, and full-length windows looking out onto another building.

Thank you to everyone who came and spent time with us last weekend to work on their Terms of Engagement, and to @brandxinc for hosting us. We shared different experiences (good and bad) of working as artists/dancers/theatremakers/arts workers in precarious situations, as well as our hopes and ideas for how to build better, more equitable working relationships. We developed a pool of questions that a Terms of Engagement might answer, and started writing answers to them.

Make or Break's Terms of Engagement is always open to be read, commented on, and adapted for your own use. We are working on another shared document that anyone can contribute to and borrow from. We imagine this as a glossary of terms that you can pick and choose from, and adapt to construct your own your own Terms of Engagement.

We would also love to run this workshop again, online or irl, so if you work for an institution or org with a programs budget and are interested in engaging us, send us a line at makeorbreakart@gmail.com

Photos courtesy of Seiya Taguchi and Brand X

ID: a series of photographs of participants in a workshop. Small groups of people are pictured looking at a mirrored wall covered in strips of green paper with questions written on them; having conversations; sitting at a table or on couches and chatting. They are in a modern conference room with grey lino floors, exposed ducting, and full-length windows looking out onto another building.

Thank you to everyone who came and spent time with us last weekend to work on their Terms of Engagement, and to @brandxinc for hosting us. We shared different experiences (good and bad) of working as artists/dancers/theatremakers/arts workers in precarious situations, as well as our hopes and ideas for how to build better, more equitable working relationships. We developed a pool of questions that a Terms of Engagement might answer, and started writing answers to them.

Make or Break's Terms of Engagement is always open to be read, commented on, and adapted for your own use. We are working on another shared document that anyone can contribute to and borrow from. We imagine this as a glossary of terms that you can pick and choose from, and adapt to construct your own your own Terms of Engagement.

We would also love to run this workshop again, online or irl, so if you work for an institution or org with a programs budget and are interested in engaging us, send us a line at makeorbreakart@gmail.com

Photos courtesy of Seiya Taguchi and Brand X

ID: a series of photographs of participants in a workshop. Small groups of people are pictured looking at a mirrored wall covered in strips of green paper with questions written on them; having conversations; sitting at a table or on couches and chatting. They are in a modern conference room with grey lino floors, exposed ducting, and full-length windows looking out onto another building.

You may have heard that Make or Break are running a workshop for artists with @brandxinc on December 7 to assist individuals and collectives to develop their own Terms of Engagement [link in bio].

We first wrote a version of this document years ago after a particularly frustrating experience working with an institution that was not properly resourced or connected in ways that supported social, relational and collaborative-with-community practices. It was a huge learning curve (for us and them) and so now we share this document before ALL first meetings about a new project or commission. And sometimes that means we dont get the work. But that's OK, it's better this way.

Are there other tools you've seen artists use for self-advocacy work, or self-determination? Are there ways we could collectively do this differently? We welcome your input; our terms are on our website right under our bio. 👬

#termsofengagement #makeorbreak

[ID: a sandy ground, punctuated by footprints of various critters: dogs, sea snails, birds and humans, overlaid with text excerpts from Make or Break’s Terms of Engagement]

You may have heard that Make or Break are running a workshop for artists with @brandxinc on December 7 to assist individuals and collectives to develop their own Terms of Engagement [link in bio].

We first wrote a version of this document years ago after a particularly frustrating experience working with an institution that was not properly resourced or connected in ways that supported social, relational and collaborative-with-community practices. It was a huge learning curve (for us and them) and so now we share this document before ALL first meetings about a new project or commission. And sometimes that means we dont get the work. But that's OK, it's better this way.

Are there other tools you've seen artists use for self-advocacy work, or self-determination? Are there ways we could collectively do this differently? We welcome your input; our terms are on our website right under our bio. 👬

#termsofengagement #makeorbreak

[ID: a sandy ground, punctuated by footprints of various critters: dogs, sea snails, birds and humans, overlaid with text excerpts from Make or Break’s Terms of Engagement]

📣 We're running a workshop at @brandxinc on Sat 7 December 11am-2pm on Gadigal land / Sydney CBD – all welcome!

🤲 We'll go through our Terms of Engagement – an open source document that sets out values, expectations, and desirable working conditions from an artist’s perspective – and work with you to develop your own.

💸 The workshop is $25, but you can actually sign up for a BrandX Artist Pass for $20 and then the workshop is free. Spaces are limited, so jump on it if you're interested // DM us if you have questions.

🔗 in the usual place

📷 Make or Break at Helsinki International Artist Programme, 2023. Photo by Daniel McCready @horseunderwater

#makeorbreakart #brandxinc #artist2artist #termsofenagement

New guide for NAVA Members! ‘Introduction to Collaborative Arts Practice’ by Make or Break @make.or.break (Bec Gallo @bec_gallo_ and Connie Anthes @connieanthes) for artists working collaboratively on shared projects. Link in bio under ‘Members Only’.

📸 Make or Break, Department of Non-Human Resources, 2021, Lismore Regional Gallery. Photo by Lucy Parakhina @sometimesnotalways.

ID: A group of people from all different ages hold up a long blue textile artwork above their heads as they walk across a rainbow pavement in an urban neighbourhood.

#NAVAmembers #NAVACodeOfPractice

Make or Break is having a little launch of our @unswlibrary mural 'Cover Crush' next week, as students return to campus for 2024. DM us if you'd like to come along and we will send you the info. You can also visit Level 6 anytime during opening hours, and add your own shelf pairings to the collective archive by tagging #unswlibrarycovercrush

📚
In this era of online searching, remote learning, and offsite library storage, Make or Break reminds us of the pleasures and unexpected connections that come from IRL browsing. Imagine fingers drifting lightly across vellum spines, pausing occasionally on gilt typography or an intriguing title. You hear a sigh from the other side of a study nook; meet someone’s eyes through rows of books; discover notes scrawled in margins by long-ago students. A library is an archive of knowledge, history, and thought that should be free and accessible, always.

For Cover Crush, Make or Break selected books found side-by-side on UNSW Library shelves. When you read their titles together like a story or a poem, they become provocative, humorous, and sometimes totally absurd. Words and ideas rub up against one another unexpectedly to create content flirtations and suggestive subtexts.

Revealing these hidden stories and meanings is a way to start thinking about how knowledge is organised by the Dewey Decimal Classification protocol. This system, used by libraries in over 130 countries, privileges and connects knowledge and information in particular ways. Which concepts are given more space, and how is authority or stature reinforced by which ideas are placed alongside one another? Whose writing and research get published and included, and whose voices are left out?

#covercrush #makeorbreak #unsw #library #mural #shelfpoetry

[ID: An image of a black elevator door in a hallway with lavender walls and orange graphics and text]

We made a mural!

For 'Cover Crush', Make or Break perused the shelves at @unswlibrary, spotlighting books found side-by-side whose adjacent titles become provocative, humorous, and poetic. This mural shows us the ways that knowledge is organised, judged and privileged by the Dewey Decimal Classification protocol, and how ideas rub up against one another in unexpected ways to create content flirtations and suggestive subtexts.

Documentation to come soon. Meanwhile, you can check it out at UNSW Main Library, Level 6.

#makeorbreakart #unswlibrarycovercrush

[ID: an image of an arm holding a paintbrush extended towards a lavender wall, that has two illustrated book titles entwined. The titles are: 'The End of the World' and 'A Salivating Monstrous Plant'.]

Make or Break has been quietly coming down from Finland and also living our best nerd life working on a new commission. We can tell you more about it in the coming weeks, but for now please enjoy these library books, living side by side on the shelves of a library and blissfully unaware of their own poetry, mixed messaging or straight up absurdity.

[ID: a carousel of photographs of books on the shelf of a library. The titles of books next to one another make for unexpected shelf poetry. For example, 'The Making of a Woman Surgeon' book is adjacent to 'Acute Rejection'.]

Make or Break has been quietly coming down from Finland and also living our best nerd life working on a new commission. We can tell you more about it in the coming weeks, but for now please enjoy these library books, living side by side on the shelves of a library and blissfully unaware of their own poetry, mixed messaging or straight up absurdity.

[ID: a carousel of photographs of books on the shelf of a library. The titles of books next to one another make for unexpected shelf poetry. For example, 'The Making of a Woman Surgeon' book is adjacent to 'Acute Rejection'.]

Make or Break has been quietly coming down from Finland and also living our best nerd life working on a new commission. We can tell you more about it in the coming weeks, but for now please enjoy these library books, living side by side on the shelves of a library and blissfully unaware of their own poetry, mixed messaging or straight up absurdity.

[ID: a carousel of photographs of books on the shelf of a library. The titles of books next to one another make for unexpected shelf poetry. For example, 'The Making of a Woman Surgeon' book is adjacent to 'Acute Rejection'.]

Make or Break has been quietly coming down from Finland and also living our best nerd life working on a new commission. We can tell you more about it in the coming weeks, but for now please enjoy these library books, living side by side on the shelves of a library and blissfully unaware of their own poetry, mixed messaging or straight up absurdity.

[ID: a carousel of photographs of books on the shelf of a library. The titles of books next to one another make for unexpected shelf poetry. For example, 'The Making of a Woman Surgeon' book is adjacent to 'Acute Rejection'.]

Make or Break has been quietly coming down from Finland and also living our best nerd life working on a new commission. We can tell you more about it in the coming weeks, but for now please enjoy these library books, living side by side on the shelves of a library and blissfully unaware of their own poetry, mixed messaging or straight up absurdity.

[ID: a carousel of photographs of books on the shelf of a library. The titles of books next to one another make for unexpected shelf poetry. For example, 'The Making of a Woman Surgeon' book is adjacent to 'Acute Rejection'.]

Make or Break has been quietly coming down from Finland and also living our best nerd life working on a new commission. We can tell you more about it in the coming weeks, but for now please enjoy these library books, living side by side on the shelves of a library and blissfully unaware of their own poetry, mixed messaging or straight up absurdity.

[ID: a carousel of photographs of books on the shelf of a library. The titles of books next to one another make for unexpected shelf poetry. For example, 'The Making of a Woman Surgeon' book is adjacent to 'Acute Rejection'.]

Make or Break has been quietly coming down from Finland and also living our best nerd life working on a new commission. We can tell you more about it in the coming weeks, but for now please enjoy these library books, living side by side on the shelves of a library and blissfully unaware of their own poetry, mixed messaging or straight up absurdity.

[ID: a carousel of photographs of books on the shelf of a library. The titles of books next to one another make for unexpected shelf poetry. For example, 'The Making of a Woman Surgeon' book is adjacent to 'Acute Rejection'.]