FLUXCON rates; the realities of resourcing a movement under capitalism

Dear Fluxians,

We also know that money is tight for everyone in our community right now, and transparency feels like a first step in explaining why we are asking for a £15 contribution.

We didn’t get funding this time round, so FLUXCON this year is a labour of love.

And in an ideal world, spaces like these wouldn’t need funding.

We know that stallholders make FLUXCON what it is, and given the option, we would honour the value that you bring by making it free to sell your work. We want to keep the event free and accessible to anyone who wants to come, so in order to pay something towards materials and the people hosting workshops, we are asking stallholders to pay a £15 contribution to FLUXCON this year, in the hope that you will make that money back from sales.

Another reason we ask for a contribution is because we’ve been doing this for a few years now, and we know that sometimes, when things are free, people that said they wanted a table don’t come. We’ve noticed that people are more likely to value the time at the event when there is an exchange of money, time or energy.

We also want to acknowledge that the £15 is relatively little compared to what other comic conventions tend to ask for, and we’ve worked out that it would cover the cost of some expenses.

But just to say that this is a guideline, and if the financial contribution is a barrier to you exhibiting your work at FLUXCON, please email afroflux@gmail.com and we’ll make arrangements.

Ultimately, our mission is to connect with ourselves and each other and platform the creativity of the diaspora as we try to reimagine and build a world beyond our current paradigm. We want to support your work however we can. If your budget cannot accommodate these rates, then we’re always here to talk options.

For AFROFLUX to be the best possible resource to this community, it has to reach a stage where it is self-sustaining and not reliant on the decisions of funding bodies. Financially, this is simply not viable without significant investment from other people and organisations in the arts and cultural sector, and currently we are not generating enough income for the scale of opportunity and care we want to provide. Therefore, for folks with a significant budget who can support AFROFLUX in solidarity, we suggest a donation.

Thank you to everyone who is investing in the mission and spirit of AFROFLUX. If you would like to ask any questions about what we’ve explained above, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.

Love and solidarity in these times,

The AFROFLUX team