Learning Exchange: Chestertown 2008

I have a Master’s in Community Arts in 2007 from the Maryland Institute College of Art and am Baltimore Open Society Institute (OSI) Fellow (2007) working on a social changing project called the Highway to Nowhere as a resource for assisting a community in rebuilding its cultural capacity. I am concerned about a lack of initiative among the arts community in developing cultural leadership from within cultural isolated communities where there is an extreme deficit in cultural assets. Experience in conditions necessary for a successful community partnership? Building cultural assets and leadership within isolated communities. Helping communities envision creative solutions to identifying engaging and meaningful cultural expressions. It’s not the tools, but rather the lack of training among the arts community in integrating arts making in the process of envisioning assisting community voice, that I need in order to engage successfully in a community/artist partnership?

I hope to come away feeling better equip to handle (appropriate response) situations that could become racially charged as a result of statements and/or actions, as well be able to identify the clue words and phrases that tend to insight negative responses.  I would like to test my own level of sensitivity.  Am I less likely to realize that my own way of thinking is possibly offensive to those of another race and perhaps my own race? I am a performance artist and have years of experience in establishing a museum with cultural activities for the purpose of enlightening and bringing together the community at large. My greatest concern is how difficult it is to get people to embrace anything new; particularly that which signifies change; anything that is out of their normal level of comfort and familiarity.  How do we move them beyond this? First good leadership, and that must be more than one or two people, and yet not one of the persons should approach any situation believing that their own experience and or willingness to take on the role of leadership has afforded them the right to assume that they have all the answers.  Leadership that is awarded by example, not necessarily because of experience.

I am coming to find out what tools I have.  Perhaps we can flush out what I have and am unaware of, and yet polish what I want to serve with, as well lay down what I need to get rid of. I think the county board of education should have the opportunity to make its teaching and administrative staff participant from such gatherings as this. It seems that this gathering may present a more grassroots approach then what is the typical format within that arena.  

I would like to experience directly ways to bring to life each RSC principle in way that models creativity, play, art-making, trust building and collaboration. A sharing of the best practices of ANY RSC principles. Stories are good too. And to hear what are the experimental, innovative -- the more difficult dialogues (and approaches to CRAFT) there is a book out about it , create, reflect, act feedback, teach that ROOTS is having among its members. What are the emerging needs for which there are more difficult answers? How can we learn from your experience or contribute to the future innovation of “new forms for new ideas.” Personally, I have trained fairly extensively in Theater of the Oppressed techniques and worked as a Joker to facilitate workshop and forum theatre events in community, youth, and college settings. I’ve led two “youth theatre” programs that gave voice to issues, stories and struggles of urban youth. With TAG, we have partnered with SMEAC, a resident advocacy group trying to get a fairer deal in light of forced relocation in East Baltimore, by helping to develop/grow its membership by producing a performance of Anu Yadav’s ‘Capers and related events. TAG helped to produce an original play with residents in Highlandtown (E. Baltimore) that looked at the history, challenges, and character of that neighborhood based on the stories of residents.

TAG also participated in Creative Convergence -- the ROOTS rhizome festival in Baltimore in Oct. 2007.   I have many concerns around these endeavors – but in the fore is how to develop ethically and respectfully partnerships across lines of difference (class and race). How to acknowledge privilege as a way to move to coalition building and solidarity is a central question. And how to honestly voice and acknowledge issues, concerns, and struggles that segregate us as a way of coming together to work for common cause. Also, I’m interested in the work that artists/activist can do not just to work in “underprivileged” communities, but also in communities of privilege so as to illuminate the change that can and needs to happen there. E.G. There is “theatre of the oppressed.” What about “theatre of the oppressor” – a phrase coined by my friend Marc Weinblatt. Conditions necessary for successful community partnership include the space for asking questions about needs. Being clear about your needs and intentions as a potential partner. And coming up with a set of agreements about how you plan to work together.  Building trust, creativity and joy (fun), connection, commitment, avenues for conflict resolution and never subordinating the art you are making to other parallel goals. I need art-based dialogue tools, structures, games and project ideas. Methods for relationship building, brainstorming, idea generation. And ideas for developing a group of artists (i.e. TAG, ROOTS) itself to be better prepared for community/artist partnership as a group. Joker works before the performed and the audience. It is a performing role. Joker leads improvisations. Provide the ground rules and develops  the dialogue among audience or with artist.

I would like to hear about what other people are doing in their communities, as relates to art and activism and to learn new strategies for arts integrated social justice work. My experience is in creating performance work that look at contemporary social issues such as:  How women are viewed in contemporary society and how Western Culture views the nature of good and evil in comparison to other cultures. I am a master teaching artist, leading residencies and professional development trainings on arts integrated practices a trainer for the Resources for Social Change program of Alternate ROOTS, facilitating community workshops in which participants are invited to comment on works in progress and participate in arts based experiences. What concerns me around these endeavors is Tokenism, racism, sexism, appropriation… how do we do this work while being constantly aware of all oppressions and consistent in the work of undoing what we can. Conditions for a successful community partnership is to answer to the reciprocal question – What do you want to get out of this relationship and how can I help you to get it?

Power – using Boal’s Great Game of Power or “the chair game.”  Group discussion opened many perspectives on how we understand and use power, how it can be mis-used and abused.  Participants used re-designing of chair configuration to express how power is changed and re-aligned.  Eventually the chair designs included people.  Group discussion went to race and gender issues.  Room was thick with difficult conversation and we were only 90 minutes into the day.  We got into further time trouble, when the participants were invited to go across the street to the food fair in the park during their first 10-minute break.  The break took 25 minutes.  Everyone was happy, though, because the cheese they bought was excellent.

Dialogue – using Story Circles.  Presented the story circle methodology (hand outs of Roadside’s three page guide).  Theme of story circle was based on the participants’ interest in how leadership development is too often determined by access or lack of access to resources and power.  With reduced time at this point, we dropped the idea of 2 rounds of stories, only doing one followed by cross talk.  There were vibrant stories and discussion.  Insights were “pop-corned” to a news print sheet on the wall after lunch. 

Transformation (and Dialogue) – using Boal’s Image Theater techniques.  Two groups were formed each around a compelling theme topic about leadership and power raised up from the story circles.  Each group was asked to form a living sculpture or image of “reality” stating the problem or difficulty.  Then each group was asked to form a sculpture/image of what they would like or imagine as their desired reality, fixing the problem of the first image.  Then each group was asked to move from the first to the second image in a series of steps.  These steps were critiqued as to whether they were accomplished by magic (simply doing the move in spite of the reality we actually know) or by earning the way through the reality we know to the reality we desire.  The two groups worked simultaneously and then presented their image sequence to the other group.  Discussion abounded throughout.  Each group’s sequence revealed powerful images of accomplishment and the necessary steps needed to make those accomplishments.  The groups were theatrical, moving, and revealing.

Theme topics for Image Transformation exercise:  “Illusion of Inclusion” and “The Natural Cycle of Leadership.”

Aesthetics/Imagination – using a “walk around” exercise combining an exploration of Status as offered by Keith Johnstone (IMPRO) and the “milling and seething” exercise of Shakespeare & Co.  Exercise begins by focusing on physical rhythms of body in motion and breath.  Opens to noticing how different contexts change physical rhythms and inner feelings.  Opens to engaging with various forms of eye contact as people pass people while walking in room.  Various configurations of eye contact and breathing introduce elements of difference (color of clothing, gender, race).  Followed by guided discussion of insights and reflections on physicality of self/other dynamics.

Partnership – using Partnership Work Kit and Story Circle.  Handed out Work Kit, explained briefly.  Broke into story circles on topic of partnering, using a specific set of questions from the Work Kit.  After brief cross talk following story exchange, group reconvened to share insights and unlock purpose/value of Kit and how to use it.