A Post-lockdown Tale

Over the rainbow

"What are you going to do?" my Mum asked me. That was a good question. I had wound up at my parents house at the end of 2021. It wasn't an ideal situation and seemed a poor return for my efforts of the past 18 months and previous 25 years. I settled in a room full of junk. I had time to reflect on what had made the greater contribution to my circumstances; being born into the trap of a slave system that was set long before I was born, the indoctrinated subservience of my peers, or my own miserable personal failings. Each seemed as difficult to remedy as the next, and the last were more visible to most.

On a visit to London for a march a friend volunteered my services to the Together organisation saying, "Francis isn't doing anything." I had done all I could. The Together organisation had sprung up to direct dissidents who opposed the rollout of deathshots and the reset of society towards writing letters to MPs and listening to speeches by communists, who would tell them those things were not happening. Wary of any opposition group, I took on an unpaid role answering messages on social media advising people how to resist the mandated death-shots. This involved encouraging people to resist, assuring them that the mandate would be dropped, and offering legal advice gleaned from Stephen Jackson's Law or Fiction website. It also involved collating accounts of discrimination and offering counsel to those afflicted by the ongoing horrors inflicted by the state. Along with tales of coercive employers there were messages from those whose spouses had betrayed their better judgement by taking their son or daughter to have the shot, sometimes in order to attend medical or nursing college. It was a dark winter.

I had moved back to Manchester having lost what I had to lose, which wasn't much but turned out to be significant- my studio workplace and my flat. It's good to learn appreciation even when it's a payment in arrears. They also say a change is as good as holiday but the changes wrought by totalitarianism compared unfavourably with a fortnight in Barbados. I wasn't going to Barbados or anywhere else. Travel was restricted for those who refused to inject poison into themselves at the state's behest. It was not a jolly time.

Actually, it felt like the world was closing in. Like the snow, options were thin on the ground. The IMF and the WEF were preparing for a still awaited cyberattack and those resisting the forced medication were stocking up and preparing for the worst. I had thought it might be good to hunker down with the family for a while. Where many people had proven themselves to be spineless and unwilling to speak out, or unable to stand up for themselves, I recognised that these were not failings that had ever afflicted my brothers and thought it might be pleasant to be on the same side of a fight as them, for a change. Four of my siblings lived nearby. I made myself useful attaching a water butt to the house to collect rainwater and stocked up on food and fuel and camping equipment in case of power outages. Other people were obviously thinking along the same lines as for some gas canisters you could no longer acquire a new bottle without returning an empty. (Recent events suggest they might have been slightly ahead of the curve). The normal rules of society had been removed and left behind uncertainty. It was not clear if lockdowns would return, or whether, having covered the care home workers, the proposed injection mandates would continue rolling out.

So what was I going to do? How could I re-engage with the world if lockdowns were now finished?

I did not want to work in an environment where the restrictions would be enforced and I did not really want to work with people who would require me to mask and anti-social distance. Everywhere seemed infected by the plandemic. It was at this time that catching a bus was still a problem.

Signing a lease to rent a new place seemed precarious given that it was not clear whether lockdowns would be reinstated. Without a job it seemed impossible. Finding a place to live where people were not scared out of their minds by televised fear porn was another obstacle. Living with someone who was frightened of my breath was not an attractive option, knowing that they would report on me if I did not conform to future edicts. That was how I had lost my studio.

I tried resurrecting my classes in Oxford. Where could I hire a venue which would not enforce the rules that had been my undoing? Where previously I had been able to provide a fully equipped, fit for purpose studio, now I was forced to hire a sparse room in a community centre. The comparison was stark. To start the classes I travelled to Oxford once a week and slept on a friend's unoccupied and therefore freezing canal boat. Attendances were low. The horse was dead but I flogged it all the same.

One day I received a text saying that someone in the unvaccinated, unpetrified network had a room available to rent in London. I went from the canal boat in Oxford to have a look. As an artist I needed somewhere I could paint in. There was no space in the room at my parents. Given the choice between accommodating the junk and accommodating me, understandably you might say, my Mum chose the junk. I moved to London.

Where an Englishman's home was once his castle, now it is often a dismal cell in a decrepit house of multiple occupancy. At the time, for me, it became a small room in a slightly run down house rented from the Housing Association by a woman who was to be my landlady. I adjusted and began to make the best of it making paintings in my bedroom and getting involved with the yellow boards. I had to be better than my situation but that wasn’t asking too much. The bar had been placed quite low. All the uncertainties remained but I still needed to make a few more of the slave tokens we call money.

I was firmly on Klaus Schwab's designated trajectory of, "owning nothing and being happy," only the latter of which would constitute a significant change for me. Not being much taken with their proposal of video games or drugs for ‘useless people,’ I remain curious as to how they might achieve it. I searched online for jobs. It had been a number of years since I had engaged with the 'jobs market' and I found it alienating and unrecognisable, especially given my preference not to engage with anything associated with the totalitarian agenda.

In August 2022, like a needle in a haystack, I found one. An art centre was looking for a traditional drawing and painting tutor for adults and kids at an independent art centre. This felt like a job that suited me so I emailed them. They replied,

Hi Francis,

Thanks for your application. You seem like a perfect fit for the role. Are you free today at 5:45 tomorrow or on Friday ( mornings or early afternoon) for an online interview?

Warm wishes,

I was heading out to do the yellow boards so we agreed to speak the following morning. I joined the zoom call at 10.30 to speak with a slim, casually dressed woman whose appearance, accent, and room hinted at south america and new age beliefs. She was very pleasant and explained that the centre catered for students from the ages of 8 to 80 years old. It was important to her that all the teachers were practising artists because of the energy and enthusiasm that brought. The centre accommodated the teachers' artistic practice meaning that, for example, if you were working towards an exhibition you could arrange to work fewer hours for a term or so. Basically you could request hours to suit your needs. That sounded good but then there began a strange line of questions.

"I'm sorry but I have to ask you this. The reason we are looking for a new tutor is because the man who was here before refused to address students by their correct pronouns and so we had to let him go. How do you feel about teaching people who are transgender or transitioning?"

Oh no, I thought. This was like breaking a picket line. One of my brothers refers to vaccine passes as, ‘the scab pass.' Having resisted that imposition, here was another aspect of the same sinister agenda. Was I now to be a scab?

"We just want to make sure that you would be happy to work in that environment and to address people by their correct pronouns."

Over the years I had taught all manner of weird and wonderful people including regular classes of students at various colleges at Oxford University where they incubate and hatch subjects of indoctrination. I had moved among people of pink and blue hair, shaven or partially shaven heads, and overt, camp, or confused, sexuality with the same nonplussed demeanour that I faced any other peacock display of programming or tribal affiliation. As with the masked or jabbed it was usually sympathy rather than hatred that was stirred, if it stirred anything. Usually I concentrated on teaching. I told my interviewer that I had never had a problem with treating people in a class with respect.

She explained, “It’s just that I took a look at your youtube channel last night and came across your views on lockdown. I know people hold some extreme views -and I don't share your views- but you were not extreme, you presented your views in a reasonable way."

I wondered what she had seen. There were probably a few videos on there that she wouldn't have liked. The whole purpose of the videos I had made was to challenge the prevailing propaganda and orthodoxy. She continued,

"I have to tell you that if covid were to come back in we would comply with the restrictions and staff would be obliged to wear a mask. Is that something you would do?"

"No, I'm exempt. I won't be wearing a mask."

"That's OK you wouldn't have to, but you would be working with people who will be wearing masks. Would you be able to do that?"

"Yes, I could do that." I said with my heart sinking, imagining it.

"You see when the restrictions ended, a couple of members of staff stopped wearing masks but then all the staff got ill so they started wearing them again and everyone wears them now. So we have some people here with strong opinions on the subject, so, it's just that you couldn't, you might upset them if..."

"You want me to keep my views to myself?"

"Yes, exactly. We have people here with very strong opinions on some subjects. Black Lives Matter for example. I saw you mentioned them in your videos. We have some students who are very involved and passionate. They have been working on related issues. Sometimes the studio is a place for discussion and these conversations come up with young people. We wouldn't want that to be a problem so you couldn't.... Would you be able to teach without sharing your views?"

That's basically what I have always done, I thought. "I think I can manage teaching without starting arguments," I said, which was true. I can, but I was beginning to wonder if I would make it to the end of the interview without starting one. I was trying to keep my hat in the ring and give myself time to reflect afterwards. I needed the job. Was there anything better out there? Not that I had found so far.

"We aim to be a very tolerant and welcoming place. We have a number of transgender students and it's important that they feel safe. I just need to know that you would be comfortable teaching them."

I was comfortable teaching them but not with calling boys girls and vice versa. My thoughts were running on a different track as she was talking. I was thinking about the man who had taken a stance and lost his job and whether, feeling the same way, I could betray him and the stand he had taken. If we all took a stand they would have nobody to employ. If everyone did that everywhere for all the enforced top down edicts these situations would end overnight.

My interviewer was explaining how staff and students also held strong opinions on feminism and were looking to be progressive in their art work. A disparaging comment about the work of “old dead white men,” jarred me to attention. Apparently I wasn't yet old or dead enough to be included so it was thought that I might share in the dismissive sentiment.

I survived the remaining minutes of the call before deciding what to do.

I could go there and work as some kind of undercover agent and risk falling foul of some 'ism' or other (racism, transgenderism, sexism, feminism), or I could begin to accept that this and similar jobs were not for me. Later that day I wrote back.

Dear ,

Thank you for the interview this morning. On reflection it made me very uncomfortable and compromised. From what you said it appears that I would have to take the job on different terms to other members of staff. I understand that they are able to express their strongly held views freely and openly whereas I would be obliged to censor myself when talking to both staff and students. To accept this would be to accept second class status. In an increasingly censored world such restrictions are an obstacle to the open dissemination of information and awareness -something which should be antithetical to any institution of learning.

I always seek to conduct myself with courtesy and even compassion, especially in a professional environment but I also find the instruction to address people and especially children by their chosen pronouns problematic. One problem is the removal of personal choice in having compelled speech, but I also fear that in this case it is enabling and encouraging great harm. Children are not able to make choices to smoke, drink alcohol, or even to watch certain movies. The reasons for this should be obvious, but why would we ignore those reasons when they choose to initiate potentially irreversible processes that can culminate in mutilating their bodies? Why would we seek to facilitate this, or to censor anyone's exposure to a more cautious viewpoint?

In relation to other comments you made I wholly agree that black lives matter, but the organisation of that name is funded by individuals and corporations that do not have at heart the best interests of anyone, black or white. I also wonder if you would speak disparagingly of art made by living black women in the way you spoke of the "dead white men" whose work includes some of the high points of artistic achievement to which I am sure some of your staff and students aspire.

In light of this I will not be attending the training day tomorrow. I hope you take my comments in the spirit of good will and open discussion with which they are intended.

Best wishes,

Francis

I thought about leaving out the word mutilated as I knew it would be provocative, but mutilation is the appropriate term.

Hi Francis,

Thanks for your email. I am glad you are being open and honest about this and I certainly take your comments in good spirit.

In terms of censorship of opinions, the only thing that matters to me is that nobody's opinions go against our safeguarding and risk assessment policies, neither offend anyone. In 7 years of provision we have never done that. On the contrary, our reviews tell the stories of many who have found a sense of community and care with us. My staff have never felt censored, on the contrary they feel cherished, well paid and happy to work somewhere fair. I pay higher than most independent art schools who have their staff in zero hours contracts.

In terms of children's gender identity, that responsibility relies on the parent and not myself. I respect their decisions. Neither do I consider gender reassignment surgery classes as 'self mutilation'. Nurturing children, regardless of their identities and making them feel included at a safe place is something I feel very humbled about. Other LGTBQ children suffer bullying, mental health issues and many end up in suicide due to the lack of safe spaces and respect being given to them.

In regards to the BLM movement, I think the best people to elect the leaders of the movement are black people, and as a white person, I do not feel it's my place to have a say in the matter. I lived in South Africa at the end of apartheid and witnessed Mandela coming to power. That had a profound anti-racist and anti - colonialist effect in me. I live and work in a multi - racial neighbourhood which is suffering great inequality due to gentrification, I feel a sense of responsibility to do as best I can to serve the whole community and work harder to make those who feel like they don't belong welcome.

Black women's art is only being widely appreciated and shown in big galleries and museums from the 2020's and the rise of the BLM movement. I feel that after centuries of enjoying the privilege of those in power of art institutions discriminating womens and in particular black women's art, old white dead masters would not feel offended by my way of speaking. Times are changing fast as the people of the world move towards understanding that so many attitudes of the past deeply hurt so many and the future belongs to celebrating everyone across differences, rather than subjugating the majority for a privileged few to sustain power.

I appreciate we are on opposite sides of a fence in so many issues. XXXX is a very progressive neighbourhood, where my views are shared by most and yours by little. I appreciate these changes so much according to location. You have lived and worked a long time at Oxford, somewhere very conservative, where most likely the majority thinks like you. I have lived and worked in 3 continents and my views are shaped by a very different life experience from yours. Inequality looks very different in South America and Africa than it looks in Europe. Having worked so hard for so long to be where I am now, I feel proud to be in a position where my ethics can provide equal learning opportunities and help break educational barriers.

I have no doubt that you will find a great position that will suit you. You are a talented, intelligent, eloquent and experienced artist and tutor with a highly likeable personality. I am sorry that due to our differences, our students will miss out on a fantastic tutor. I hope you do not take offense, my only uncalled for feedback would be that just like I found your videos by searching your camera obscura research, other prospective employers will too. It is likely that the content of your channel will alienate many, as your views go against what educational providers must abide by and are deeply divisive. Separating your educational video material from your personal blog might help recruiters choose you for who you are as a tutor, rather than taint their judgement for your socio-political views. I am glad I interviewed you, despite suspecting that if you had those views you might also be against our diversity ethos.

I wish you all the best and glad our paths crossed ways,

I noted the irony of the phrase, "the future belongs to celebrating everyone across differences, rather than subjugating the majority for a privileged few to sustain power." The agendas she was advancing were doing exactly the opposite. My differences were leading to my exclusion.

I was also amused by this:

You have lived and worked a long time at Oxford, somewhere very conservative, where most likely the majority thinks like you.

The reason I was applying for a job was because my experience in Oxford was precisely the opposite.

I didn't reply.

In 2017 a Christian teacher was fired from Cherwell school in Oxford for refusing to address a student using incorrect pronouns. A woman I was friendly with in the art studios and whose children attended the school, mentioned the story to me in passing agreement with his dismissal. I volunteered gently that firing people for independent opinions set a dangerous and sinister precedent and then watched as my comment had a visible physical effect. It went through her like a current of surprise and discombobulation. She didn’t immediately abandon her support of his sacking but she knew where that precedent led.

When the lockdowns began, alongside the apprehension and upheaval, I also had a sense of the possibility that the measures were so ridiculous that they might lead to a mass awakening. They did to a degree, but in 2020 when I mentioned this on the phone to my brother Michael, he said, "the problem is that the compliant will never notice." Like herded livestock that never touch the electric fence, they would never know what would happen if they touched it.

For that reason I have chosen to document this story. So much of the totalitarianism is unreported and unseen, and enacted not by the state but by our peers. It’s important to acknowledge that this ideological apartheid is going on and to mark the stand made by the man whose position I applied to fill, whoever and wherever he is.

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