Tim Etchells – A Call in Relation to Fear

Think about a friend you have not spoken to in a while.

Call them on the telephone*.

Explain that you are calling as part of an artwork and that you’ve been asked to m with contact a friend and initiate a conversation about fear. The conversation will be private, it will not be recorded or shared with anyone. It can be any length.

Begin the conversation by asking what things or situations your friend is most frightened of. **

Let the conversation take its path – you can ask further questions as you choose – when did the fear they are speaking of begin, has it changed over time, what are their strategies for overcoming it, do they have other fears etc. As part of the conversation you can also describe some of your own fears to the person you have called. ***

When you are done with the conversation share the link to these instructions and ask your friend to call someone else, initiating their own conversation about fear framed by these same instructions.

Hang up.

* You can use another device or platform (laptop, computer, Zoom, Skype etc), so long as it involves the two of you speaking to each other in real time. Your call can also include video.

** Can of course be things that are frightening in different ways and for different reasons, can also be things that are frightening in an immediate or in a less immediate (future) sense.

*** Try to make sure you get to the particularity, detail and nuance of the fears you are sharing. Not just the headlines.