Lab 1 – Graffiti Wall – Building Cultural Capacity
Organisation Change
• How do we prove the long term benefits of introducing fundamental organisational change?
• Can organisations be changed by individuals?
• Change goes in cycles? Does what goes come around again?
Place
• Is place only about geography? how can a feeling of place be transferable?
• How is a sense of place defined by a sense of culture?
• What transforms a space into a place?
Social Change
• Why would our intervention make the natural process of social change any more positive?
• Do arts really have a unique role to play in inspiring positive social change?
• If I don’t have an understanding of own community and its history am I just a author left on the door step of the future?
• How can we make sure that change is not imposed?
Inter/Cross Disciplinary Arts
• Is it about the arts or about what they open up in our minds or hearts?
• Does the man on top of the uni bus care about the arts?
• Is the man on the canterbury uni bus more likely to care about the arts than the man on a margate bus, a folkestone bus, a london bus?
• How do we define art? when does it become so?
On Thursday 12th another good turnout for the final Prosper gathering this time kindly hosted by Karen Eslea in Turner Contemporary’s Education Space. As before conversations flourished with familiar and new connections made, and people making the most of the opportunities that seem to be occurring to put ideas in motion. We were delighted to have Eddie Nixon, Director of Theatre and Artist Development at the Place Centre for Contemporary Dance, share his thoughts about collaboration in conversation. For him, openess to reflection and learning right from the beginning of a collaboration almost always lead to successful partnerships. Other important factors included being willing to share risk, being honest about the commitment and risk one is willing to make, and being ready to be subjected to each others questions!
The programme now moves into a phase of people seeking to locate partners (for a start; see our site below) and working up applications for the first deadline on August 9th. The Prosper team have been really energised by the responses to the programme so far and look forward to welcoming and supporting your ideas and proposals for collaboration over the summer.
“New ideas”
“To evolve and move forward”
“Ideas underneath emerging from the deep like Tracey Emin’s show”
“Great chance to meet other artists from other disciplines”
“Ideas – no problem, practicalities – Oy vey”
“Opportunities”
“A hidden surprise – what will come out of this?”
“An important look into a new world”
“Expansion”
“How many funding streams invite you to experiment…especially without a fixed outcome – very refreshing”
“Opportunity to broaden Horizons and enhance knowledge”
“Throw the dice to the universe and then see what to make of it – fun and energising”
“New people, new partnerships, new ideas”
“Hope of joining with others to unblock ideas”
“Freedom to play”
“Experimentation”
“Prosper = possibility”
“Opportunities”
“New joined up ideas”
“An eternity of interconnections & inspiration & learning”
“Risk”
“Possibility”
“Really challenging opportunities”
On Thursday last week the second Prosper gathering brought over 60 people together in a dynamic evening at Canterbury Christ Church University. Along with discussion of the possibilities of the programme we were treated to insights from Jocelyn Cunningham, Director of Arts & Society at the RSA, about principles for effective arts and social change work, drawing on her experience of leading the RSA’s Citizen Power initiative in Peterborough. One memorable note was to think carefully about the prepositions that define our engagement; for example the distinction between arts FOR social change and arts AND social change, between work that is WITH rather than FOR people. She also challenged the limitations of ‘projectism’, advocating longer term engagements which spend time understanding the conditions which give rise to change. Her encouragement to uncover “partners we never knew we had” was embraced by those attending, who encountered new faces with enthusiasm as the sun dropped behind the horizon on the terrace of Augustine House. With thought provoked and ideas bubbling, the evening felt like a hopeful beginning to some productive and energised partnerships.
We are grateful to Marco Weir from the University for generously offering to host Prosper, and look forward to Thursday afternoon when the final gathering occurs at Turner Contemporary in Margate.
Sorry I had to run last night and didn’t add what propser means to me. It means: A chance to show how the genuine meeting of lives and minds in any context is the basis of creativity.
Last night saw the first of Prosper’s three gatherings, hosted at Strange Cargo’s Factory space in Cheriton and introduced by Canterbury Festival’s Director, Rosie Turner. There was a great turnout of people from both cultural and other organisations, energetically discussing ideas around collaboration and unusual partnerships. The gathering heard an inspiring perspective on collaboration and the potential for culture to lead in social spaces from Alastair Upton, Chief Executive of Creative Foundation. Drawing on his experience of Liverpool City of Culture, he highlighted the elements that had enabled cultural organisations to become critical to the city’s development. These included; the centrality of time invested in relationships within and beyond the cultural sector; the impact of the arts assuming leadership, taking risks and demonstrating competence; and the strength of setting imaginative frameworks and making a clear invitation to others to participate.
The evening also highlighted the opportunities to get involved with Prosper, with detail about the aims and process which are also available on this site. We ended with drinks and further informal conversation during which many ideas were hatched and many fledgling relationships begun. Here are a couple of comments from people who attended: “Inspired some thinking about connections + partnerships + possibilities. All very thought provoking”, “This work = the meat on the bones for East Kent”. We look forward to meeting more of you next week (July 5th) at our Canterbury gathering and then on July 12th in Margate. A great start…
Lab 1 – Graffiti Wall – Building Cultural Capacity
Organisation Change
• How do we prove the long term benefits of introducing fundamental organisational change?
• Can organisations be changed by individuals?
• Change goes in cycles? Does what goes come around again?
Place
• Is place only about geography? how can a feeling of place be transferable?
• How is a sense of place defined by a sense of culture?
• What transforms a space into a place?
Social Change
• Why would our intervention make the natural process of social change any more positive?
• Do arts really have a unique role to play in inspiring positive social change?
• If I don’t have an understanding of own community and its history am I just a author left on the door step of the future?
• How can we make sure that change is not imposed?
Inter/Cross Disciplinary Arts
• Is it about the arts or about what they open up in our minds or hearts?
• Does the man on top of the uni bus care about the arts?
• Is the man on the canterbury uni bus more likely to care about the arts than the man on a margate bus, a folkestone bus, a london bus?
• How do we define art? when does it become so?
Lab 1
On Thursday 12th another good turnout for the final Prosper gathering this time kindly hosted by Karen Eslea in Turner Contemporary’s Education Space. As before conversations flourished with familiar and new connections made, and people making the most of the opportunities that seem to be occurring to put ideas in motion. We were delighted to have Eddie Nixon, Director of Theatre and Artist Development at the Place Centre for Contemporary Dance, share his thoughts about collaboration in conversation. For him, openess to reflection and learning right from the beginning of a collaboration almost always lead to successful partnerships. Other important factors included being willing to share risk, being honest about the commitment and risk one is willing to make, and being ready to be subjected to each others questions!
The programme now moves into a phase of people seeking to locate partners (for a start; see our site below) and working up applications for the first deadline on August 9th. The Prosper team have been really energised by the responses to the programme so far and look forward to welcoming and supporting your ideas and proposals for collaboration over the summer.
“New ideas”
“To evolve and move forward”
“Ideas underneath emerging from the deep like Tracey Emin’s show”
“Great chance to meet other artists from other disciplines”
“Ideas – no problem, practicalities – Oy vey”
“Opportunities”
“A hidden surprise – what will come out of this?”
“An important look into a new world”
“Expansion”
“How many funding streams invite you to experiment…especially without a fixed outcome – very refreshing”
“Opportunity to broaden Horizons and enhance knowledge”
“Throw the dice to the universe and then see what to make of it – fun and energising”
“New people, new partnerships, new ideas”
“Hope of joining with others to unblock ideas”
“Freedom to play”
“Experimentation”
“Prosper = possibility”
“Opportunities”
“New joined up ideas”
“An eternity of interconnections & inspiration & learning”
“Risk”
“Possibility”
“Really challenging opportunities”
prosper gathering margate @ turner contemporary
On Thursday last week the second Prosper gathering brought over 60 people together in a dynamic evening at Canterbury Christ Church University. Along with discussion of the possibilities of the programme we were treated to insights from Jocelyn Cunningham, Director of Arts & Society at the RSA, about principles for effective arts and social change work, drawing on her experience of leading the RSA’s Citizen Power initiative in Peterborough. One memorable note was to think carefully about the prepositions that define our engagement; for example the distinction between arts FOR social change and arts AND social change, between work that is WITH rather than FOR people. She also challenged the limitations of ‘projectism’, advocating longer term engagements which spend time understanding the conditions which give rise to change. Her encouragement to uncover “partners we never knew we had” was embraced by those attending, who encountered new faces with enthusiasm as the sun dropped behind the horizon on the terrace of Augustine House. With thought provoked and ideas bubbling, the evening felt like a hopeful beginning to some productive and energised partnerships.
We are grateful to Marco Weir from the University for generously offering to host Prosper, and look forward to Thursday afternoon when the final gathering occurs at Turner Contemporary in Margate.
prosper gathering canterbury @ christ church university
What Prosper meant to the people in the room at this point….
“The start of a shared journey”
“A gift in your pocket…”
“Unusual possibilities”
“Development”
“Meeting people I would never meet anywhere else…more gatherings please!”
“Possibility”
“Interaction”
“Prosper – think, re-think, then think again”
“Sharing ideas and positive approaches”
“Opportunities”
“The unknown (both a scary and exciting thing)”
“Exciting possibilities – really creating links”
“I don’t know – and I’m glad I don’t know”
“A baby beginning – who knows what might or might not develop?”
“A bubbling of excitement and possibilities”
“There will be more…”
Sorry I had to run last night and didn’t add what propser means to me. It means: A chance to show how the genuine meeting of lives and minds in any context is the basis of creativity.
‘of’, or ‘for’ creativity?
Last night saw the first of Prosper’s three gatherings, hosted at Strange Cargo’s Factory space in Cheriton and introduced by Canterbury Festival’s Director, Rosie Turner. There was a great turnout of people from both cultural and other organisations, energetically discussing ideas around collaboration and unusual partnerships. The gathering heard an inspiring perspective on collaboration and the potential for culture to lead in social spaces from Alastair Upton, Chief Executive of Creative Foundation. Drawing on his experience of Liverpool City of Culture, he highlighted the elements that had enabled cultural organisations to become critical to the city’s development. These included; the centrality of time invested in relationships within and beyond the cultural sector; the impact of the arts assuming leadership, taking risks and demonstrating competence; and the strength of setting imaginative frameworks and making a clear invitation to others to participate.
The evening also highlighted the opportunities to get involved with Prosper, with detail about the aims and process which are also available on this site. We ended with drinks and further informal conversation during which many ideas were hatched and many fledgling relationships begun. Here are a couple of comments from people who attended: “Inspired some thinking about connections + partnerships + possibilities. All very thought provoking”, “This work = the meat on the bones for East Kent”. We look forward to meeting more of you next week (July 5th) at our Canterbury gathering and then on July 12th in Margate. A great start…
Prospering together in Folkestone @ Strange Cargo
What Prosper means to people in the room at this point in time:
“Openness”
“Bringing my dream project to life”
“This work = the meat on the bones for East Kent”
“Creative thinking needed!”
“Prosper, Prospero!”
“A fresh start for tired artists”
“Chance for change”
“Connection, confidence”
“The possibility of more community arts, creativity and fun”
“A chance to meet with artists who may be able to offer something different to youth groups across Kent”
“For artists to contact Kent youth with a view to working with young people on their projects in the areas communities”
“Facilitators of an amazing adventure”
“Inspired some thinking about connections + partnerships + possibilities. All very thought provoking”
“A collaboration of local people and community”
“Opportunity – the joining of artistic forces”
“For me Prosper means hope, community and passion”