Thursday: The Charrette
posted by: Imogen Semmler 05th August 2010
The Provocateurs were up late last night putting the finishing touches on plans for today.
The Rules: A ten hour lock in. Only some talking allowed at certain times.
The Framework: Generation of ideas within strict time limits. Passing on those ideas for other people to build on.
The Result: A pressure cooker!
In three minute intervals artists are asked to write down five concepts, five locations, five mediums, five experiences and five interactions. Then the artists move one seat to the left, and are asked to draw a line linking each category – a concept to a location to a medium to an experience to an interaction. Move one more seat to the left, pick one of the links and develop it as though it was your own idea. You have five minutes. And now the provocateurs will come in and assess your concept. Critically.
Provocateurs became military-like, reading out the orders, time-keeping, straight-faced and straight-laced. A ten hour lock in where ideas were to be generated under strict time limits. It was a hothouse, a pressure cooker, and lots of people found it difficult. It was about getting ideas out there and then letting go of them, about passing them on to other people for new interpretation and meaning. This process stripped the idea of collaboration and creativity down to its bare bones, removing emotion and ultimately making people feel pretty raw. But from this rawness then comes a chance to build relationships and warmth into the idea of working together.
Next up, artists are asked to draw the methodologies of their artistic process on long sheets of butchers paper. How do they approach and execute an idea? They are then asked to walk around and read each response and choose a partner who has very different approaches to making art. They discuss and list their similarities and differences, and then think of five Splendid ideas between them.
So now the collaborations really begin and ideas start to emerge. Today artists have experienced the letting go of an idea for someone else to develop. And they have learnt how links between commonality and difference can become strengths for collaboration.
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