User talk:Community Art

So what is all this about. A community let process hatched over the last few months by some people who care about family, child and community development and know what it can contribute to art and society. Below is a short sketch of our idea for a gathering in 2013. What we are trying to do is to refine our idea so that we can then go looking for friends or enemies to back it. Help us make the idea better.

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Can you agree to the basic idea?
Imagine a celebration of an Ireland re-set. A (re)connection between ordinary people and the wider social, political and economic process. A new sense of ownership, voice, action. A true creative response to the tsunami that hit every Irish family and community especially those on the edge/margin. This is what is envisioned in our arts programme and will manifest in three ways: (i) newly commissioned work from, by and with communities on the edge in their own home (ii) a parallel pedagogical process about community (re)building and a set of critical reflections emerging from a new strain of community (iii) a set of actions that distribute contemporary cultural expression across the island of Ireland.

We want to do something that has never happened before: to commission the representation of exemplar traditions and living artistic expressions such as oral traditions, performing and visual arts practices, social practices, rituals and events as well as the knowledge concerning making sense of our place in Ireland and beyond. We want to showcase a set of practices, representations, expressions, as well as the knowledge and skills (including instruments, objects, artifacts, cultural spaces), that communities mark as their own. We want to create a platform for cultural expression of the ways our communities on the edge use artistic creation, production, dissemination, distribution and enjoyment and other ways of making sense of their life.

Let's sketch out what we are thinking
A pilot all island cultural corridor [this word is over-used?] celebration of 13 newly generated community arts practices -Underpinned by a year-long mentoring and up-skilling initiative for 13 local community producers called New Community Arts Development (NCA-Dev) -On-location in urban and rural communities culminating in a national gathering event. -Focused on developing (i) new understandings of the cultural rights of those who are disconnected socially, economically and culturally. and (ii) new approaches and tactics for the public value and therefore public investment in culture. -Mobilising culture to mend the broken circuitry between people and the political process. SUPPORT FRAMEWORK -Local host organisations -National platform for local producers -2 national project leaders to co-ordinate production of the event and PR/communications -Circle of committed organisations -Documenting and communicating the event to the public and the media, etc.

And a timeline of milestones
Spring 2012 -Sign-off on the framework idea -Bespoke communications -Open call for community participation Summer 2012 -Show & Tells x 4 -New Community Arts Development -Induction & Design of NCA Dev Winter 2012 -Community processes -NCA Development Spring 2013 -Community processes -NCA Development Summer 2013 -Rehearsals -NCA Development Autumn 2013 -Local / Community Manifestations

Next Steps
-Sign-off on this theme/framework by the end of March 2011. -Go seek the funding which we estimate might involve: -€15,000 per Community Commission -€25,000 (NCA Dev)

Next Meeting
Thursday 29h March 2012 at Mid-Day until 3pm (Dublin) Register: Tel:bluedrum@ireland.ie www.bluedrum.ie

Groups Invited to Take Part
The process is open and will remain so... Co-Chairs: Senator Marie-Louise O'Donnell // Mark McCollum Blue Drum / Voice of Older People, Donegal //

Fatima Groups United Family Resource Centre // Ballyboden Family Resource Centre // Clann Family Resource Centre, Oughterard // Community Arts Partnership (N. Ireland) // North 55, Buncrana // Paul Partnership // CREATE // Engine Room Europe (EU Project) // Leitrim Arts Office // Mayfield Arts, Cork // Cork Community Art Link // and so the snowball rolls

2011 Documentation from Another Conversation
What we have here is an attempt to document a process that started earlier in the year but which has particular interest for those who took part in Another Conversation.

http://portal.sliderocket.com/BBUZA/Another-Conversation (Act 1)

http://portal.sliderocket.com/BBUZA/Silent-Walk (Act 2)

http://vimeo.com/32471522 (Act 2 / Act 3 edited highlights)

Seamus McGuinness commented: Beautifully shot and to me the most powerful moments was when the walkers were standing silently.From the footage this action seemed to be the one that received most of the public attentions..it was a little private moment in public..well done to all I think a lot was achieved by a small number.

Act 4 has really now parallel demands about our review of the day (expectations etc) and also about next steps.

Reviews From the feedback sheets (6 so far) prepared by Roisin and Pam people restated their motivation to take part that reflected nicely our four attempts. Mind you Lisa Crowne noted she was looking for a new direction to take which I found interesting. Niall Crowley noted his wish to be part of conversations with the arts and cultural sector. Sandy things we are at a particular moment in history of community arts development so that is why he came. Conor noted his wish to offer another perspective and to support community arts practice and development. Some people were much more practical wanting to know how to get funding to keep an organisation going.

What stood out for people was the walk - powerful, connected, symbolic, different. For many there was a forceful quality to the silence and a sense of being part of something forceful. By doing it the experience was different. Others commented on the strengths of the group itself, its glue, and the commitment to continue. However, one person rightly acknowledged the lack of connection - not enough time.

Here people got quite hopeful: keep it lit; turning it on; keeping the faith; supporting each other; just do it (after) a brilliant conversation; spread the word and bring it to Claiming our Future and Spectacle of Hope.

All ticked that they wanted to stay in touch and next steps include: more conversations; get more info from those involved. Ruairi suggests joining the dots - up the flow (coordinate, energise, mobilise) into a network of connection and action

Roisin kicked off the discussion saying that she left Dublin yesterday disappointed and deflated. The intensity and solidness of the work started in Glencree felt very diluted and the preparation work for yesterday felt invisible. But the mixed success of ‘another conversation’ in itself has a lot to teach us. For me I have to own my responsibility around not managing my expectations or pre-processing, wanting to come to the event with a level of acceptance and trust in the work - consciously not overly managing it. To me yesterday was just another conversation when I suppose I am seeking something more. I have spent some time this morning just wondering ‘why am I putting my energy into this’. I am reminded of Fiona’s ‘staying with the not knowing’ and Niall Crowley eloquent input. So here I am trying to figure out what happened and my relationship to it and staying with the unpacking of the day. Going to my visual notes I see a slightly different experience and the real gems from yesterday...

Fiona responded: I just wanted to say that I came away from the day feeling quite positive about how things can develop. I thought the walk was brilliant, though it would be interesting to play around with the elements - if we had been looking at the sky instead of the ground, what would that have done for example? Could we walk backwards? (just thinking about undoing the militaristic/funereal thing). I know that a principle of Open Space is that whatever happened was the only thing that could have happened, but as I was thinking about it on the way home, I wondered whether it would have been an idea for us all to go up to the Occupy Dame St. camp as part of our day, in keeping with the discussion around joining up all the different pockets of action and resistance. It might have been interesting to stand there and discuss whether there was room for any useful cultural additions to that ongoing action, as a way to focus on practical possibilities. What I am trying to say is that a really positive finishing point for such a day (or starting point for a next thing) could be to connect with an existing action that could also draw younger people into the discussion, as Ruarai pointed out. Get stuck right into a real situation.

Susanne questioned our motivation to continue as a group. Fiona suggested it's about wanting to take some action that is counter to the general movement that the arts are taking, which Niall Crowley articulated very well, the aligning of arts with the business and tourism sector, directly or indirectly in the interests of strengthening the neo-liberal project. She also likes the fact that the group is not restricted to artists and those in the culture industries, plus the goodwill and lack of egotism in the group keeps me on board as well. I am really impressed at the lack of hierarchies, even though that makes things move more slowly. Susanne noted as a participant, I liked the action, the walk. I liked the presentations, but I missed time to get into action planning and I missed a proper closure. I did not even get to fill out the evaluation form and I have a hard time when people get up and disappear. I love a real ending in time! The space is closed and you go back to business as usual. I had no issue with the documentation team all day, I thought they are quiet sensible with such a heavy gear, but when they went twice into the circle to take great shots of us, they filled the space with their presence! That space was for and between us! I felt it was hard to speak to you and not to the camera and that does something to the dynamic. I am also felt not so easy with the docu team about their decision to follow Ed into the ministry. They stepped over a boundary that someone had clearly set. And that falls back on us.

Susanne also noted it was an interesting experience to discuss collectively online in a “loose” group with more or less commitment an entire event programme. In a relatively short time. With lots of different reasons for wanting to do it. And people in the background that only participated through Ed up to this point (Neil). I think that worked quiet well for the fact that we did that for the 1st time. The is a lot of trust in the room and goodwill. I think this is the pace and learning of a pretty democratic process. Next time, I think we will to do it better. As facilitator of the first part: this was not an Open Space day, this was one part that took some OS elements to have a self-directed conversation. I hoped I made that clear last week, with so much arranged action and input, no time for free exchange and no action planning, it is no Open Space event ! “Whatever happened was the only thing that could have happened” does rightly not apply for the entire day as we filled it with a programme. For the first part, it was not easy to break and stop the conversations, as for me as an observer it felt very intense, concentrated, peaceful! It was tooo short. You had all in all 45 min discussion time. As a facilitator, I stayed out of the content debates, so my question is really, is my ‘job’ done and do I swap now into the group and become a proper discussion partner with input…? I think I need to shift my role now. I have missed all the content debates, also in Glencree, due to facilitation. I am not so 100% sure what is the glue that keeps the group together! Other than: I can sense a high personal need, enough outside pressure and a massive number of sympathic people! Treasures!!!! I feel, I would like someone to sit down with me and define he/she things are the current topics now that demand another conversation?

Ed wrote We had a remarkable walk today. And another conversation x-ray of how to build proximity. Speaking with susanne and conor afterwards over coffee we all felt deeply that things worked and others not so well. Please add your impressions while they are fresh. Pushing our understanding through a reading circle makes alot of sense and would help us alot with terminology; conor has some interesting ideas about a follow up in belfast which is exciting because it can foreground the practicals as pam might say or pechla kuchla as eleanor might say. And i, as an ex dublin slicker, desire something in cork because mayfield, ccal and cit just frame something interesting and worth exploring further. For that reason I wish cork event on wed night and following great things because the toxic nation we are in deserves it...

Last i think that having niall crowley and ruairi from spun out was symbolic of the links we need to have with non arts actions.

Follow-up // Next Steps Susanne suggests a 3 Day Intensive Reading Circle Where: Possible Clare? With offer from Fiona to host some part of it and that we might concentrate on work by Magrit Kennedy and Susanne has posted a pdf of her book which we can forward to you...

Susanne picked up on an interesting thing that Fiona said: it would have been natural to have conversations outdoor with others! But when? Well Ed suggests now wanting to understand what people felt about the public action as the basis for inserting this type of activity into a series of 4 day Public (Re)Searches about our Experience of Being Public, which both Conor and himself have submitted to a strand of research under EU Culture Programme. Simply it will involve organising a small research circle to undertake a four day probe into ordinary people's knowledge of cultural rights in Cork (2012), Derry (2013), Kaunas (2013) and Rotterdam (2014). Even if we don't receive any funding we will try with our limited means and connections to Jessica, William and Sinead to develop a research probe in public in Cork next year and so on...



November 2011 - Update from Planning Group Skpye Call This note is not the full picture because you yourselves might have ideas nor is it putting pressure on ye t but just giving you a chance to stake your interest... (1) Reading circle and magrit kennedy -Susanne circulated a copy so we can start to read, plan a skye on it and then a weekend encounter in clare as proposed by fiona? (2) EU Culture programme idea -Ed wants to meet in Cork with Jessica and William/Sinead to talk about doing 'something' in Cork in 2012? Something is too big a take but....  Could we do it on 6 or 7 of December. See also link to Conversation with Occupy Dame St. For me I am really interested in finding ways to listen to local knowledge since that is where we have a resource to transform things - i think, he says meekly. (3) Documentation from Another Conversation. Thanks for all those who commented back and made suggestions which I will ask to incorporate into the video piece. We still have all the audio now from the day and via Conor we are looking to transcribe it and made some decision about how we want to use it. (4) Re conversation with Sandy and link to Occupy Dame St.including: -Want to suggest to Nico Brown to do a workshop on Thursday 7 in Dame St (Nico is a musician who is really good at this type of large group event and is doing a piece for Blue Drum's 10 anniversary in Dublin on Dec 8 -Any of us interested in doing Another Conversation with the Occupy people in situ 'What Are Your Cultural Rights?' - possibly in Dec but dependent on who is interested. -Sandy also suggests plans for Another Conversation in Dublin with the art collective working in Smithfield Block T.

Update from Sandy Just a little bit of an update and background on my references: 1. The Spectacle of Defiance - December 3rd Their route takes them past the Dame Street Camp. It just seems opportune for a connection and to link our ideas. From my various discussions last week, the suggestion now is that the Spectacle people will do a workshop before the 3rd, working on a simple chant and the two groups will join at the Central bank on the night. 2. Follow this involvement with a community arts event, Another Conversation would hold a workshop at Dame Street to discuss and debate 'Cultural Rights', as Ed has mentioned, with a suggested date the week of December 5th, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday. Ed is in town that week. 3. Then, as Ed proposed, the Nico Brown workshop might also happen on Wednesday 7th. So, a possible bit of an intensive introduction to community arts in Dame Street from the 3rd to the 8th:) This could also be followed up with other workshops, linked to the needs of the Dame Street protesters, e.g: banner making, street theatre, puppet making music etc - if anyone is willing to give of their time or knows anyone who would?

On the Smithfield proposal, Bloch T is a new space on the square run by an artist collective. They are keen to host a community arts event and it could be the follow up to the last seminar. One thing I was thinking was a simple invitation to about 10 community arts groups to present their projects, maybe in Pecha Kutcha format, and then have a discussion? Make it practical and a networking event?

NOW IT'S TIME CIRCULATE AGAIN AND INSERT THE VOICES OF TO ALL THOSE FROM ANOTHER CONVERSATION ON NOV 17.

(....) So we circulated a final cut of the silent walk and it is getting a interesting response. Take this one from Irene in Situations, Bristol

I just watched your "In a State of Exception" video and found the silent walking very powerful and poetic.

I wanted to run something by you to see if it at all resonated with you and some of the ideas you expressed in the video. Since moving to the UK from the States I have been struck by the difference in the way artists speak about their practice (even the word practice implies a different relationship than the States word work when talking about the studio). I am spending most of my time listening now but I do believe that this difference is also representative of a larger societal sense of the place of the artist in the community. At this time of austerity talk around the country and the world, I think that this sense of an artists role and it's importance for society as a whole, which is ingrained here, is something to be highlighted so it can be protected.

What are your thoughts? I am having conversations with people about this and then asking them to respond to the question "What is the function of an artist?" After they respond I take their picture with their response. I am beginning to think the responses could be turned into poetry. Could you envision a place for this discussion in your group? If it is at all interesting to you, I'd love to discuss it further with you.

If you'd like to read a bit more about the responses, you can on my blog at www.nodhouse.com

Thank you and be well, Ilene

December 6 from Irene Byrne jean byrne jean4b@eircom.net 19:20 (1 minute ago) to me Thank you for sending me this video. The key for me " is to find the way to stop lobbying and to start building" Yes as we build and do demonstrators then too we can lobby because we can show the success of what we do....and nothing builds success like success!

I set up a not for profit in 2006,,,,,,Design Twentyfirst Century.......see www.designingdublin.com.......go to Compendium We now have 40 alumni trained in design thinking...........design thinking is a tool which helps us to self organise better systems.....

I have just come back from a two week course in Ecoliteracy at Schumacher College in Dartington......... The principles of sustainability whilst complex could be summarized in the words .........soil, soul and society.......these are the key principles on which to build a new sustainable, desirable and joyful Ireland........

I need help to help this come about .........if you would like to help shape this dream and build a new reality...........I would be delighted to hear from you. I have no skills in the ICT sector and obviously you do..........collaboration is one of the key ingredients required if what we imagine is to be realised!

I look forward to hearing from you.

Slan for now.

Jean Byrne