Newsletter 4

NEWSLETTER number four

May 2015

New Approaches to Socially Engaged Creative Practice

Grundtvig Partnership Project 2013 – 2015

Workshops in Brussels, 28 February to 1 March 2015

Summary Context

Framework and objectives

Procedure and observations Contacts

"If we can change the perception of the world, expanding tolerance, do we succeed in our mission? " Bernard, Paris "Mastery is less, one less judge. Finally a constraint allows freedom. " Lydie, Bordeaux

Context This weekend is the second part of the

Chôm'hier learners had also expressed a

initiated workshops that began in

desire to meet each other again after the

Bagnolet , P aris (December 2014).

unforgettable welcome that had been

It b rought together 75 people, from the

reserved for them in Bagnolet.

general public, who participated together All activities will were supervised by an in artistic workshops offered by the team observer duo, eventually becoming a of the Maison de la Création, Urban

philosophy café, also in a participatory

Violin and IDDAC.

spirit.

"I took a h armonica and it reminded me of my childhood. I played it but I understood that they should not reproduce air b ut recreate a new one."

A participant in Bagnolet

“The issue of visual art without the view was very interesting. It can discover its own operation. F inally everyone can participate in the same way and it opens inspiration.”

Lydia, Bordeaux

Framework and objectives To Recall our general objective of developing new methodologies around the involvement of beneficiaries in the public co-­‐construction of artistic workshops with a social aim.

In this perspective, this weekends workshops were as a laboratory focused on experimentation. Five different workshops w ould be conducted simultaneously (repeated three times) to allow all participants to try different disciplines and methodological approaches and share their experiences.

In line with the initial objective of breaking down barriers, w orkshops facilitated the coming together of social workers, administrators, leaders of organizations, learners in a wide range of profiles (including: chôm'hier participants, music students Bagnolet, group learners o f the theater w orkshop Bouscat in Bordeaux).

Françoise Binder, group dynamics analyst and Bertrand Hagenmuller, sociologist, provided a look at the workshops, to allow downstream of clear lines of work and a theoretical synthesis.

Workshop leaders are developing specific methodologies to encourage the involvement and co operation of all participants.

The first method w as a non-­‐ participatory observation position. It involved observations and interviews of facilitators focused o n their goals and how they have worked to achieve them.

The second method involved active part in the workshops.

Their approaches had a specific objective in mind, bring together and co creation.

Both gather information for the final handbook.

Numbers of participants in the workshops House of Creation 20. Including team members, artists, Chôm'hier learners, workshops participants IDDAC 20. Including administrative, IDDAC partners, learners Le Bouscat Urban violin 28 including administrative teams, artists, students Salako Kulturos Centras 7 including administrative teams and learners Total: 75 participants

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"In handling plastic packaging, I heard the crackling fire. That plunged me into a rather pleasant memory. I then completely understood the principle of sound "massage". I felt "massaged" without physical contact, which can sometimes be a problem for me in the standard body massage. Another time, I heard the rain fall with another material which I do not remember. I traveled for 5 minutes, I was immersed in a kind of daze, like a nap that allows the body a break, relaxation. " Participant, Bordeaux

Procedure and observations

Workshops Saturday and Sunday morning Theatre group of Bertrand Manzano

What is my role and my position here and now, in this context? (Asked of stakeholders by Françoise Binder)

"From the voice to the body, listen to open oneself to

others"

THIERRY strictly verify device -­‐ say as little as possible -­‐ be my artistic place outside control -­‐ Artist is a social function, here at the center of a d evice -­‐ Thierry sees himself as an artist

BERTRAND Animator -­‐ guarantor of the frame -­‐ Bertrand inculcate -­‐ then direct the actors -­‐ Pascale is positioned as an artist

ULLA She sees herself as a facilitator and facilitator -­‐ its role is to make things accessible and see how to solve human problems -­‐ a more artistic human experience, she said -­‐ Ulla sees himself as an artist and animator

MICHAEL Reflect process -­‐ fit -­‐ leading -­‐ playing w ith the energy o f the participants -­‐ keep open the possibility for the group to go where he w ants to go -­‐ Michael sees himself as an artist and animator sees himself more as a facilitator, enabler

PASCALE First, consistent with the rules,

Theatre, Pascale Binnert "A few words, a few silences to sustain Christopher Columbus"

Open Orchestra, orchestra for non-­‐musicians, Michael Wolteche "What could happen between musicians of an orchestra? "

Visual Arts, Ulla Hase "Drawings gestures of thought and brands of the body" Workshop sound massages, Thierry Madiot

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Sharing of good practices on Saturday

FRANCOISE BINDER

"From a general perspective, what I found is remarkable consistency between what the leaders have announced as initial objectives, meet their challenges, and how they animated their workshops. "

BERTRAND HAGENMULLER

"Most workshops were conducted under an attention regime of mutual offering, with only few formal settings.

Facilitators and artists accompanied sympathetically the process of individual and collective creativity, helping participants to enter their personal resources, to listen and even better, to ' hear' collectively and how to use unexpected situations or accidents in creation in the process of serendipity.

Of improvisations Presentation by Chôm'hier Atelier of Pascale B innert

Presentation by the group of Bertrand Manzano With e xtracts of Film Bertand Hagenmuller, around the piece "SOS SMS"

Participants of the seminar attended the sharing of the film Respire: scenes of a collective action, directed by Bertrand Hagenmüller, shot during August to December in 2013 at the MDSI o f Bouscat. Many of the questions revolved around the life journey of inhabitants and what brings them to enrol in a workshop at some point in their life? Similarly, people were able to question the role of social workers.

What is the bridge between social w ork and artist? Finally what are the existing links between the w orkshop inhabitants and the social w orkers?

This moment was very interesting for the group for several reasons, o n one hand the film w as warmly welcomed by spectators and it allowed the group to comprehend two different approaches of theatre practice. Finally, the group w as taken aside by the musicians of Bagnolet Conservatory and the Lutherie Urbaine, small groups were organised informally to question the approach and impacts. The emotion was also palpable, seveal people had tears in their eyes at the end of film.

A resident of Bagnolet was able say “ we have not the same story but I recognised myself in the testimonies" (Nathalie, Bagnolet.) Another added "we require should do the same at home". A musician confided during the movie, "this is very positive, they look happy and its a pleasure to see "(Corentin, Bagnolet).

Participatory philosophy café on Sunday morning Led by Bertrand Benattar Among the different proposals, Bernard holds: the transmission. It follows a selection of questions. To meditate ...

Are we to assume the ascendancy? The intention of the facilitator is to make it dispensable? Is the asymmetric transmission? Do we know w hat is transmitted, what you sow? Pleasure that opens windows? The effort that opens possible?

Transmit it requires courage, labor, to transmit the marvelous and not shit ... The chemistry between shit and magic: is it the philosopher's stone? Pass under torture but we learn what it is worth? Question Period? Being crossed by art does not necessarily mean becoming an artist? Forward magic by coercion? The artist is the one who is on a quest and accept the effort? The culture of listening, attention, sharpened in the transmission?

Thank you to Françoise Binder, Bertrand Hagenmüller and workshop participants Bouscat Theatre for sharing notes with us, which has enriched the content of this newsletter.

Newsletter w ritten by Michael Wolteche, Maison de le Creation Photos © Claire Lenormand

Contacts Maison de la Création-­‐ Cultural Centre, Brussels (BE)

Capture Arts -­‐ Cultural Organization and Education, London (UK)

IDDAC -­‐ Cultural Agency of the department of Gironde, Bordeaux (FR)

Fracas -­‐ Musical Company, Bordeaux (FR)

Lutherie Urban -­‐ Musical Organization, Paris (FR)

Ilcantinonearte Theatres -­‐ Community Theatre, Montepulciano (IT)

Salako Kulturos Centras -­‐ Cultural center, Zarasai (LT)