I found that the second Art and Social Practice seminar was a useful follow-up both to the conversation of the first practical exercise and to the children's performance. I had a good read of Pablo Helguera's Education for Socially Engaged Art and have found it a useful summary of principles.
The
main question I have for myself is about the role of the artist in the process. What seems to be important is to make sure
that the artist has a clear view in advance on whether they will be a
facilitator, drawing out the experiences and information of others, or whether
she is trying to impart learning or
raise awareness of an issue. Is the process or the outcome more important, or
is it a mix of both? Does there really have to be an‘outcome’ or is the process
itself the creative act? So being clear about expectations and the nature of
the relationship from the outside seems to be critical.
The other aspect, which becomes very clear
when I am homeschooling my children, is the need to find a subject that is
relevant and interesting to the participants, so they will be really engaged
and switched on by it. Taking time to build relationships is also likely to be
important. With children it may well be easier to do this more quickly, whereas
adult groups can take a while to build trust in each other.
I also imagine that the gender of groups and the facilitator may also play a role. I have observed how
ready women who don’t know each other are willing to discuss quite intimate
topics, whereas, according to my husband, such conversations between men, even
those who know each other, are much more difficult to achieve.
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