ARTIST DIARY
WEEK 1
Using Diaries as Project Documentation 4 MONDAY
ARTIST DIARY
WEEK 2
Why keeping a diary is useful 11 MONDAY: To keep track of what you are doing and why
The contents of a project diary depends on what it is about, why you are keeping it and what is important to you. The diary can be a valuable tool for documenting project activities, processes, thoughts and outcomes. It also acts as a mechanism by which we can reflect upon our own practice, processes, approach, partnerships and professional development. A diary can make explicit a person’s development through reflecting the ongoing refinement of practice and thorough evidencing of the skills that have been realised. In this way, we not only retrospectively trace our own development, and the project’s evolution, but the progress of any participants and stakeholders.
Todays thought Todays session, went completely to plan, just as I expected...........
It can be easy to be distracted about why you are doing what you are doing or why it might be you are doing something a certain way. A diary serves as a reminder of our rationale, which is often useful when having to change plans as a response to something new or unexpected. It also serves as a refocusing device if the progress of a project begins to move away from its original aims. Often, during the lifetime of a project, many conversations and exchanges take place and you won’t remember them all as a project progresses. The diary will serve as a record of valuable thinking processes, conversations and observations that often evidence the impact of the people and activities involved within a project.
By writing things down we are more likely to remember them and by maintaining a clearer recollection of events we are better prepared in developing and improving from them. A diary does not have to be a purely written document; you can keep images, drawings, audio / visual recordings or reference external influences from the TV, radio or papers – things that cause reflection or create thoughts or actions.
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All going to plan!!!!!
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ARTIST DIARY
WEEK 2
ARTIST DIARY
WEEK 3
How to keep a project diary 12 TUESDAY: To reflect on what has happened
18 MONDAY: When to write it
The simple act of recording means we can better reflect on events and make sense of interactions, giving a narrative to a project’s evolution. Often it is only through reflection, long after an event, that we realise the true meaning and significance of something and we revisit the activities that took place and make more sense of them. This enables us to interrogate events and trace their true implications, whether positive or negative, in order to learn from them. This can often identify new needs and issues for the development of other projects and their rationale.
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13 WEDNESDAY: To represent the process to others
The sooner you can make notes the more you will record. When time is short, make a few notes about key instances that stand out to you for expansion later. However, it is always advisable to not leave writing up detailed notes any later than a week after the activity. Anything created or any images taken during a workshop are often useful prompts when making notes afterwards as it is often not feasible or appropriate to make notes during the activity. Also any tape recordings or transcribing of key events is also an accurate means of recording important information. It is often easiest to make quick written notes by hand and expand at a later date when typing them up so as not to be bothered about grammar and syntax when trying to focus and remember all relevant details. The more you continue to use a project diary as a means of recording information you will discover your own preferred method, time and process.
A diary acts as an ongoing document to inform and update others on the progress of a project and its impact. Through sharing and circulation, it becomes useful to identify and consider the differences between what you think may have happened compared to the thoughts of others involved. It is useful as a representation of your practice and rationale when working in different ways, with different groups, in varied contexts. It enables us to make connections between projects and identify potential collaborations and new opportunities. It can be quoted and referenced when evaluating a project’s impact and in proposals for new work.
RECORD
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IMPACT
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ARTIST DIARY
WEEK 3
19 TUESDAY: What to include
ARTIST DIARY
WEEK 3
20 WEDNESDAY: When to edit your diary
The best way to start is to see it as something in which to keep anything, whether it is images, clippings, maps or projects, information on their location, quotes or recordings. This way everything is kept together and can be relflected upon in its true context, showing everything in relation to each other and the activity and its aims.
It is important that before a diary can be circulated, you review and delete any sensitive and inappropriate information.
Thoughts and thinking processes are important to document as they can often be lost to all but the thinker when they are an important part of progress after the project. As a project continues, any reflections you may have on the diary itself are useful as they are crucial to your forward thinking and how a project developments.
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Probably the most important thing to record is pertinent conversations with participants, audiences, friends, family and colleagues. Such conversations often provide invaluable information into a project’s development and its impact that can not often be referenced or acknowledged elsewhere. Everyone’s practice and personality is valuably different and a diary should reflect the unique nature of each practitioner and their approach and style. The elements you include in your diary will reflect upon what is most important to you and your own experiences in life and ultimately your perceptions.
Workshop is here
Remember that once circulated the document is up for review and debate by others and as such has the potential to continually be edited when: others involved think something different happened; there are issues of confidentiality; you want to extract examples for use in other documents and proposals; when you want to extrapolate arising issues to inform project development; when you want to focus your reflection on one aspect of a project or activity.
20 THURSDAY: What to do with your diary once it is written Read it. Reflect. Edit. Circulate. Discuss. Gather feedback. Use reflection for future personal and professional development. Share outcomes. Support the evaluator in identifying the most pertinent parts for the project’s evaluation. 10. Continue to develop your diary by maintaining the flexibility of format and content. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9.
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DISCUSS
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ARTIST DIARY
WEEK 4
Contacting the World 2012 24 MONDAY: Things to think about
It is the responsibility of everyone involved in a project to reflect upon their role and part in its development. However, each project will have some key things to consider as part of the bigger context and when working with an independent evaluator. The following prompts are things we would like you to keep clearly in your mind and ask yourself as you keep your project diary throughout Contacting the World 2012.
* Reflect upon how your twin company has influenced your practice * Reflect upon how Contact have influenced your practice * Reflect upon any new experiences you have encountered as part of this project * Reflect upon your role as an active participant * Reflect upon the role of social media in this project * Reflect upon the process of collaboration in making new work
We donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want you to feel restricted by these prompts. They are the benchmark as Contacting the World 2012 progresses, but are not intended to limit your own expectations and thoughts.
Todays thought Is the activity working?
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... I really think this workshop went well, but if I did it again I'd want to change the part where we...