A radical holistic edge-fusion learning space with a collection of really useful collaborative tools for making social-ecological just change.
A radical holistic edge-fusion learning space with a collection of really useful collaborative tools for making social-ecological just change.
Workshops
HEdge Space
A Holistic Do-it-Together Tool kit.
Praxis tools to support people bring about just change, together
Workshops
Outreach Workshop 4
We are all saying the same thing, how can we move in a kinda direction? What cuts across the divide?
Date: December 2021
Location: North West Clare Family Resource Centre, Ennistymon, Co. Clare
Purpose: Public Outreach.
To find people who want to become part of a
co-researching community..
To explore group work and learning for action using creative nature connected activities with mixed media and natural materials.
Participants: 4
Duration: 2 hour Workshop
Method:
Creative eco-embodied praxis activities
Facilitator: Giselle
Praxis Workshop Structure:
The outreach workshop was organized into seven short activities:
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Participants meet and greet using post-its.
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Individual reflection through creative play using mixed media art materials & natural materials (e.g leaves and sticks)
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People share back insights from activity. to the group
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Facilitator offers the group an information input on AR-PAR,
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The group engages in a collaborative co-researching activity based on the broad question
'How do we make social-ecological change together? -
The group reflects on this activity and what thoughts or feelings it generated for them.
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Individual workshop evaluation and share back. Benefits (usefulness), challenge's of the process. Next steps.
This was a two hour workshop but could be expanded into a 2 day workshop depending on the context.
What are your key takeaways from today’s workshop?CF: We are more powerful than we think/imagine. If we can come together more, we can affect more positive change in our world, both inner and outer.
SP: Hope, change is possible. Good to take time with art and play.
KK: Hope in connection. The importance of showing up, and being physically together
KD: Connection through art making fosters hope, supports and motivates change I will join Sue’s biodiversity day the next time she was doing one
1. Participants meet and greet and motivations for attending. Post-its.
Interested to see what this PAR process can achieve: Co-researcher KD
Peoples background, interests and motivation for attending:
PhD artist, Singer and Mammy, ex Tattoo Artist, Community activist, Red Rebel
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Nature really inspires me to make art
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Connection to like-minded people who want to change our systems
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Interest in PAR, starting PhD in community music. Interested in this approach, what can it achieve
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Work in environmental training
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How to get biodiversity, trees, wildlife loss & its impact over to the public?
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To make connections and try something new
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I strive to collaborate with (rather than use) plants in my (art) work
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Curiosity, Community, Care, Collaboration.
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Art & Nature: People & nature connection.
2. Individual reflection through creative play using mixed media art materials & natural materials (e.g leaves and sticks)
3. People share back insights from activity to the group.
These two activities are reported on together
Below are the selection of images of artwork created by participants during the activity and some of the insights they offered about the experience of the activity, and the themes that were generated for them through the activity
KKs creative play art outcomes, artefacts, experiences and themes.
KK likes to collaborate with plants, create environments and explore natural materials.
Trying to get to know the materials from different angles, in different ways
as objects of form and characteristic
as actions with abilities - created marks shadows imprints, first attempting to find cohesion through the installation-litre realising there could be a cohesion in the installation and spontaneity
Why interconnection? Because it is on my mind, it is inescapable
I tried to source some of every natural material, and mixed those with the brightly coloured non-made material symbols. There is interconnection between the items marks prints et cetera there is no start or end no one way to read it it is a created environment and the landscape a playful installation about process and getting to know natural materials
My (KK) aim was to get to know the materials in different ways and understand them, what the feelings where or something. I was thinking of the materials as objects as well as things that can affect change like make marks rubbing them onto the paper and clay. I wrote interconnections with the stamps and three sort of blocks…something I'm thinking about a lot lately, about material and in connection with my own PhD. All of these materials share characteristics, but they're also different ..trying to make a connection, I tried to take one of each material. I took the natural materials and made this little environment, a little landscape with them. I try to embody that connection between the elements. I'm not sure if I succeeded, but I like what I made.
SPs creative play art outcomes, artefacts, experiences and themes.
SP talked about the power in community when we come together to collaborate, the issues of pessimism and the need for hope, collaboration,
collaboration, togetherness collective beings…this thing of although we're sitting by ourselves look at the similarities, we've all got this collective, And ideas? And we become the sum of the parts, don't we? I always feel that when you work together, you actually, 1 + 1 makes more than two. You can create more when you work together.
Feelings intuition, value of creativity,
listening to our feelings, working with our intuition, let nature guide us.
there was so much, just as you start doing something it just happens, doesn't it? You know, I really need to do more of it. I mean I work on the land a lot, but not creating. It's wonderful. I just love it, getting your hands dirty. Hope and openness. Then there's always hope. We must be open to change and open our hearts. Yes, there’s a lot of pessimism out there, I think we have to.., Nature's going to be OK, but I worry about humanity sometimes. I think we can’t loose hope because what have we got...Harmony, unity, always learning. Finding seeking, watching, being still. Just having some time to, time to be
CFs creative play art outcomes, artefacts, experiences and themes.
Poetic Reflection
It all began with the well in the centre
life-giving water source
All the tributaries or veins coming directly from source
but seemingly to spread the message in more diluted form,
it becomes darker
forgets more and more about connection to source (CF)
CF shares a reflection on outdoor art experiences during lockdown
I found an exhibition of paintings all along the trees, and it was like poetry and art together. It was really unexpected to just come across it. It was a lot to do with the way things have gone lately, how people can't really be inside places altogether. So it's like, how are we going to change this? They brought all the paintings and the poetry outside, and the people they're wandering through the woods looking at these paintings and reading the poetry, and still connecting to this world, and into people you know, and your own vision as well..and when you can't go into art places like, the more so. Now you can, but I suppose during the last two years in the lockdowns and the things that have been happening, that made it harder for people to get out there and to, you know, kind of connect to the art world
The Gallery - a poetry and arts installation in Lees Road - Ennis Book Club Festival
KDs creative play art outcomes, artefacts, experiences and themes.
KD Reflection
Themes of inclusion and connection, connection between people, water as connection, and connection and disconnection from nature, are expressed. She mentions working with waste in her job and also highlights the issue of pessimism, hopelessness, the scale of it. She was coming to the activity with such thought, but felt the piece turned out beautiful, because when nature dumps it is beautiful and nourishing.
KD talks about the value of the creative activity, saying that
the art was like a waterway which connected us all. the art this evening as well, that that was our waterway you know It was the way that you could kind of connect us all. (KD).
They also mention the safety they experienced having a material such as clay to engage with. Its texture helped to calm and connect them in a new social circle.
in my work, we're doing a lot with waste, and kind of like you were saying (looking to SP), a lot of pessimism around that, and kind of the hopelessness and the scale of it. So I was like that way, but then it turned out to be beautiful. So it's like nature is rubbish, is actually beautiful because it falls to the ground and it nourishes everything..colours it offers. That surprised me as the nicest bit of what I came out of it because I was messing and like that the clay, I felt drawn to it. But I think there's a safety for me in that kind of tactile material, as something to play with because of being in a new social circle that it's not fear anymore with me. I kind of felt comfortable with people. It's that kind of newness and having something that I knew I could like press into and motion change, so, I was so drawn to that texture. And then the leaves. I love autumn. The colours. And again, I was thinking of like natures dump - How beautiful.. And then yeah, the little colourful people and their little circle. Quite touching here. We're all in this together, and even in all our different colours. I think a lot about . there's a lot of rainbow colours at the moment in celebration of that, and I saw recently, in secondary school a kind of celebration of that and it's such a nice shift. We are getting there I suppose.
We are all in it together.
And then my little built landscape. I actually put in a little cut off, and kind of built little cubes. They feel like the built environment in the landscape, blocking itself from being in nature. You can have it be beautiful and be part of nature, but it's actually doing it to itself. The water is what's connecting all of us, the boat navigating and exploring the world, navigating that which connects us through the water and nature. and I feel like that was the art this evening as well, that that was our waterway you know It was the way that you could kind of connect us all. The art does that, art in all its forms, and has that connecting and reaching out capacity. So little Droplets of thoughts
4. Facilitator offers the group an information input on AR-PAR, as per previous outreach workshops
After giving the AB-PAR input and introducing the co-researching activity, I explained that the earlier play activities created
a jumping off point for this activity. I stressed that people did not need to come to any conclusions, but rather explore the question ‘how do we make social-ecological change together’ in an open way and following on from their earlier explorations.
5. The group engages in a collaborative co-researching activity based on the broad question
'How do we make social-ecological change together?
6. The group reflects on this activity and what thoughts or feelings it generated for them.
Activity 5 & 6 are reported on together:
Below are a selection of the key harvests from the activity which we recorded by KK on the wallpaper provided.
We discussed the outcomes of the co-researching activity, the issues that had come up for people. I left the room during this activity to give the group a sense of autonomy and audio recorded the conservation for later transcription. The conversation that occurred was very rich, and added extra depth to the themes contained in the wallpaper harvests. Some quotes from the conversation are added below and the audio of the 20 conversation can be heard here. INSERT
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7. Individual workshop evaluation & share back. Benefits (usefulness), challenge's, suggestions. Next steps.
Benefits and Usefulness
The art was like a waterway which connected us all. The art this evening as well, that that was our waterway you know, It was the way that you could kind of connect us all (KD).
SP: Collaboration, togetherness collective beings…this thing of although we're sitting by ourselves look at the similarities, we've all got this collective, And ideas? And we become the sum of the parts, don't we? I always feel that when you work together, you actually, 1 + 1 makes more than two. You can create more when you work together.
Feelings intuition, value of creativity, listening to our feelings, working with our intuition, let nature guide us.
there was so much, just as you start doing something it just happens, doesn't it? You know, I really need to do more of it. I mean I work on the land a lot, But not creating. It's wonderful. I just love it, getting your hands dirty.
Following the pattern of previous outreach workshops:, participants found this workshop a useful introduction to the concept and practice of AB-PAR, that it had opened the door for them for further study (CF). Participants found the workshop inclusive and felt the workshop gave them an appetite for more.
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KK: I loved the democratic nature of the process, and that there was no pressure, that people could share whatever knowledge they came with. They also found the environment playful and encouraging, and, suggested that encouragement is an important antidote to pessimism.
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CF highlighted the desire to continue artwork, and felt the space inclusive due to a combination of great people, natural materials and art.
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SP stresses the need for change, connection with other like-minded people and the importance of having time to speak, work, and, being listened to.
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KD: highlighted the sense of connection and indicated that they would support the group going forward.
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found the space inviting, collaborative, like-minded people
What are your key takeaways from today’s workshop?
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CF: We are more powerful than we think/imagine. If we can come together more, we can affect more positive change in our world, both inner and outer.
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SP: Hope, change is possible. Good to take time with art and play.
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KK: Hope in connection. The importance of showing up, and being physically together
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KD: Connection through art making fosters hope, supports and motivates change I will join Sue’s biodiversity day the next time she was doing one
In addition to the feedback sheets, a post-evaluation discussion offered a few additional comments:
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CF; Bit more connected, felt really good to be back working with natural materials, art materials and being in a group as well.
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KK everyone who showed up, we all have similar interests but in the background is a supportive environment.
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KD we wrote something about our motivations at the start, kind of reflecting on that.
My curiosity around how this process works, what it can achieve.
I’m very drawn to your art CF with all the tangents, because literally from that little mistake and waterspout there is, there's loads of places they can go. And I’m particularly thinking of you now, su … The next time I see something on Facebook, I'm going to try and go, like, properly put my buddy in the way… you mentioned Hometree, we’ll go do a day at Hometree I see you're sharing often but now I'm like, but now I’m kind of hungry to show up. -
SU There's always a theme, You go to one of these things and give up half your life .. that happens in scouts, it took over my life. But it doesn't have to be the case. You know you can turn up for half an hour.
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Keep going and Keep growing.
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It does help you grow; it encourages you. More of that please
KD highlighted the importance of facilitations and facilitation that is scaffolded and flexibility
It has to be facilitated space. But at the same time ebb and flo. it’s nice, I kind of like being directed, to be … knowing where we're going, there's lovely scaffolding, So I enjoy that.
This resonates with the position of popular education and PAR approaches, in which teaching and learning is a reciprocal relationship. The facilitator, education, researcher is open to learning from the community but also knows when to offer their own expertise. It is important to stress that these approaches and not anti-expertise, they are anti banking education and work contrary to authoritarian forms of education where peoples lived experience is discounted, and where only ‘official knowledge’ is given a premium. The popular education approach instead moves dialectically between creating supportive structures, giving learning inputs, using problem posing questions, and openness to restructuring to support the community’s needs. (ref)
Challenges, considerations, suggestions
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CF: No - apart from removing these masks.
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SP: Outdoor work is good. Really enjoyed it
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KK: No suggestions. I’m excited to see how the project progresses.
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KD: More of them! Wonderful experience insightful and connecting, thank you!
Key Generative themes that were produced through this workshop
Motivation:
People came out of curiosity, and a desire for Connections to like-minded people who want to change our systems, for community, and using Art & Nature: People & nature connection and collaboration.
Interest in PAR approach, what can it achieve?
Concerns:
How to get biodiversity, trees, wildlife loss & its impact over to the public?
Why don't people care? Why don't they engage, people just buying stuff and watching telle.
Calls to action and not showing up, Hard to get volunteers.
People ‘like’ facebook posts but not showing up in-person. Sucker effect.
How to make 'taking action' attractive– media tarnish it hippie.
Conversations are happening, but not being fed into an overall [strategy].
What translates across the divide?
Sense of more pessimism, hopelessness, powerlessness, depression around.
Hope and encouragement are the antidote to pessimism.
Lack of public consultation with communities on issues affecting them
Positive/negative experiences of Covid: connection-disconnection, We are all in it together, back to nature
Policies too decontextualized e.g 5km rule
Technology connect-disconnect. AI, Screens, loss of wonder
Capacity of art process to connect and calm people in a group context to explore issues.
Really useful questions asked in Outreach 4
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How to get biodiversity loss & its impact over to the public
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what can we do?
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Why don’t people engage?
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How do you engage with people who aren't interested or aware of the issues
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How do you make ‘taking action’ attractive to people?
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How do you strengthen human-nature connections?
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What can a PAR approach achieve?
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How are we going to change this?
Participant engagement through the project:
•One person from this workshop wanted to became co-researcher but the dates never worked for them
•One person from this workshop became co-researcher. They attended two core workshops, and missed two. They were involved in designing a creative action, though this was cancelled.
Resources
Participatory-Action-Research-Toolkit.pdf (dur.ac.uk)
Red Rebel Brigade - Red Rebel Brigade
General 2 — Active Hope free training
The Gallery - a poetry and arts installation in Lees Road - Ennis Book Club Festival