Convenings
Past Learning Exchange Reports:
Minneapolis, March 8–10, 2002
Andrea Assaf
2002
Stretching the Canvas: Civic Dialogue and the Multiple Phases of the Artistic Process
Jan Cohen-Cruz offered and adapted performance scholar/practitioner Richard Schechner's model of the multiple phases of performance. Incorporating both pre- and post-performance possibilities, she helped us identify the many points at which dialogue (civic and otherwise) is either set up or can take place. We then shifted to workshop mode to gather the knowledge in the room concerning useful dialogue-related practices at each of these phases, and to stretch the model to include multiple artistic disciplines. A descriptive rather than prescriptive opportunity, this session was about sharing how we each approach civic dialogue, where in the process we do it, what prepares the ground and which practices we’ve found to be the most satisfying.
Presenter: Jan Cohen-Cruz, Associate Professor of Drama and co-founder of the department of Art & Public Policy, NYU Tisch School of the Arts
What are the universals of performances (performance used broadly, i.e.; barmitzas, rodeos, etc.)?What happens before a performance, during a show, in the aftermath? What has the performance set into motion? What is omitted and presented in civic dialogue?
What’s emphasized or de-emphasized in performance reflects a culture’s beliefs.
Richard Schechner’s model can be applied to different media of art other than just performances.
The different stages of performances: the warm up, the meditation of putting make up on for show, the preparation: the warm up and cool down tell just as much about the show as the show itself.
Schechner’s model of the stages of performance:
- Training
- Workshop (take material apart and explore)
- Rehearsal
- Warm-up
- Performance
- Cool down (artist comes back into everyday life)
- Aftermath
Art helps us paint our experience. Is there a kinship between arts-based civic dialogue and participatory arts experiences? How does art participation reflect civic dialogue? Where do you situate civic dialogue and where don’t you?
Adaptation of the model to arts-based civic dialogue
(i.e., 8 phases where civic dialogue may occur):
- Pre-existing relationship with a desired audience
- Training
- Conceptualization and planning
- Art-making
- Exhibition/screening/production
- Post-artwork
- Associated activities (activities that naturally follow from the work)
- Aftermath
- Setting the stage for civic dialogue can be formal and informal.
- Informal: interaction between people on the streets
- Formal: government action, organized meetings
To what degree do certain aesthetic styles lend themselves to civic dialogue?
Post-performance/exhibit discussion: Artists often want feedback from viewers and spectators right away after seeing art exhibit, but viewers haven’t had time to digest material. What feelings are evoked after the post-art experience?
Aftermathdescribes the choices people make and actions they do in response to the artwork they’ve seen. A kind of a ripple effect.
Animating Democracy working-definition of dialogue: two or more parties with differing viewpoints working toward common understanding in an open ended, most often face to face, format. In dialogue, assumptions are revealed and judgment is suspended.
Small group discussion on pre-existing relationship with desired audience:
Democracy is not a condition, it is a practice
What is the relationship between artist and audience? Is it collaboration?
Defining community: identifying how people are attached to each other (for example, families). Ways to reach members of the family / community / group
We know that certain people in the community will not see our project because of certain issues, no matter how hard we try. Even if we beat at their door, they will not come. The artistic product is only one aspect of the project.
Our biggest hurdle right now is starting civic dialogue, using small steps in this pursuit. We’ve identified the community we want to reach, but they haven’t identified us.
How can you have a relationship with the desired audience if you don’t want to get married!? The levels of involvement with audiences, the idea of dating vs. marriage.
Communities abused through dialogue. “Going all the way” relationship between community and artists, and the message being conveyed. History tells us that it takes a lot for people to trust. Art comes from stories of the community; art to alter perceptions? The problem is that leaders are deciding the decisions rather than the community.
Ideology: people’s perception keeps them out of projects, and they don’t present their ideas at the table because of it.
Abandoning your subject or issue you’re working with. Making a show about homeless people, getting them involved and excited, and then after the show is over, moving on to a different issue and subject; leaving your last “subject” feeling abandoned.
If you let the community get involved in the actual production of the art being made, and let them leave their “finger prints,” then they are more likely to visit the final product, such as the art exhibit or show.
You may be willing to put stock in the immediate community, but it may not be reciprocal.
Back to Big Discussion
Small groups read their key points in regards to the 8-step model:
Group 1. Pre-existing relationship with desired audience
Hard to discuss number one in the model without talking about numbers 6 & 7 (post-art work and associated activities).
If there’s a collaborative effort between artist and community at the beginning, people will be more likely to come to the performance/event
Authenticity between the artist and community will always be questioned, unless you’re willing to go all the way and be changed yourself as an artist.
Group 2. Training
How do you take audience into the experience? The movement and process of art and the final product...
Myth-making: the process of doing the work is creating history, and your own passage
The importance of communication and “stepping into the light” (transparency)
The cycle, the process of everyday life becomes a ritual…
Art-making provides training for civic dialogue; civic dialogue becomes a shared experience
The difference between visual artists and theatre, and the difference in delivery
Group 3 (conceptualization)
There are different emphases in how projects are conceived: artist-driven, artist-listening, community driven, etc. Need to find clarity about how to add dialogue to a project.
Creating a web between people with different experiences
Get people involved over a long period of time
Community input into the form of the artwork, as an artwork in itself?
Important to allow for transformation, to stay open
Look at the assessment of your project in turns—why it was a success, and why it was a failure. How are you defining failure? What are the criteria or rules you set for success or failure?
Being very clear on the intent of work, your mission statement.
Group 4. Art-making
(Skipped this subject, there was no small group for this, no one wanted to discuss it)
Group 5. Performance/Exhibition/Screening
Concerned that the definition of civic dialogue is too narrow and running the risk of excluding internal dialogue with oneself
Need to keep the integrity of art form and artist
The artist may be the last social critic left...Art is off-center, and it’s not the artists obligation to be truthful.
Sondra Farganis, Vera List Center for the Arts: The criteria that something might have to be true: We confuse the notion of truth with scientific truth; we ought to allow art to make contribution to society. Worry that artwork may be compromised under the pressure of creating a certain civic dialogue.
Barbara Schaeffer Bacon, Animating Democracy co-director: Note: the Jewish Museum works are not created under this umbrella.
Tory Peterson, Perpich Center for Arts Education: Whose truth? Artist’s or community’s?
Group 6. Post-artwork Event
How do you deal with it when you know the artist is going to be ostracized by the audience? How do you capture audience after a show when all they want to do is leave?
Dialogue simmer; get feedback after show, so the next night, you can change and shape your performance accordingly.
Putting email in program brochure; ways to comment anonymously
After a 2-hour show, people want to go out for cocktails. They don’t want to further talk about the show they just saw.
Change perception of what is expected: put the dialogue on the stage; bring out food and drinks after the show and create an atmosphere where artist and audience can interact and talk about the show and other issues; make it social.
Bill Cleveland: When the subject is provocative, the responsible question arises: what will you provide for people to get help, pursue actions, etc.?
Group 7. Associated events/Aftermath
Sometimes things don’t happen in a linear fashion, as the 7 step model suggests. Its not a cookie cut equation.
Artists may play a catalytic role; how do we know when we’ve completed the task? Where does it stop, and no longer become the artists responsibility? When do you let go?
Sometimes the aftermath of a project is the preliminary of something new, a new idea, project, etc.
What validation systems are in place to reward the role of the artist?
Sometimes we are trying to intentionally create a desired aftermath from a piece of art, and sometimes unconsciously; sometimes a different kind of aftermath comes about that is unintentional.
