A director who has come for one of the networking events at the festival. He is interested in meeting writers to collaborate with as he's looking for his next project. He's also an actor and would be interested in working on other people's projects.
A man who has come to see his friend's film screening a bit later.
A trumpeter who's performing in one of the pieces showing a little later in the day. The others in his group are setting up.
A film-maker who's film is included in the showcase of films.
A man who's daughter is a member of a theatre company that has produced a site-responsive guided individual theatre experience for the festival. He is waiting for his turn to participate in the production. He makes the comment he thinks people don't just want to be entertained anymore, they want to be challenged and engaged.
Thursday, 28 May 2009
Being attentive to small things
A young woman is shown to the table where I'm sitting - she has come in search of the Encounters project - she's read about it in the programme and is curious. It's after the time I officially finish, but I'm still there so am happy to chat for a little while. She's glad and says she wants to go and get her friend - will I wait? Yes.
A couple of minutes later she's back with her friend. They are both arts students. Having completed some of their studies already, both will be starting new courses at the beginning of the next academic year.
They're at the festival because one of their friends is involved with its organisation.
We discuss the Encounters project, how it's been unfolding. They're particularly interested in the idea of 'mapping conversations', and how it may be possible to approach this. This is something I've been experimenting with intermittently, in a very lo-fi way. I say I don't pretend to be an expert on this or claim to have a formula for it - I'm trying things out and seeing how and whether it works, and am interested in other people's responses.
We move across to the mapping and discuss it for a while. There's a reference to Happenings included. One of the students is particularly interested in Happenings. She's also interested in small things that just happen - and in ways of paying attention to these small things. We discuss the idea of art as an act of making special. She wonders out loud what it would be like if lots of people were attentive to small things, moments, interactions - and made the effort to acknowledge and appreciate these small things.
Their friend comes across - she's on a break now. We say our goodbyes.
A couple of minutes later she's back with her friend. They are both arts students. Having completed some of their studies already, both will be starting new courses at the beginning of the next academic year.
They're at the festival because one of their friends is involved with its organisation.
We discuss the Encounters project, how it's been unfolding. They're particularly interested in the idea of 'mapping conversations', and how it may be possible to approach this. This is something I've been experimenting with intermittently, in a very lo-fi way. I say I don't pretend to be an expert on this or claim to have a formula for it - I'm trying things out and seeing how and whether it works, and am interested in other people's responses.
We move across to the mapping and discuss it for a while. There's a reference to Happenings included. One of the students is particularly interested in Happenings. She's also interested in small things that just happen - and in ways of paying attention to these small things. We discuss the idea of art as an act of making special. She wonders out loud what it would be like if lots of people were attentive to small things, moments, interactions - and made the effort to acknowledge and appreciate these small things.
Their friend comes across - she's on a break now. We say our goodbyes.
One thing leads to another
I'm chatting with a woman, she mentions that she gave a talk about alternate reality gaming at the Roundhouse a little while ago. I ask how she came to be involved with alternate reality gaming. Originally she responded to an ad in Time Out which asked 'do you want to go on an adventure?'. Through her participation in the game, she was invited to be involved with other projects. One opportunity led to another, eventually leading to a job working for an alternate reality gaming company.
She said, when we leave uni, we don't really know what we want to do, but if you follow your interests, it eventually leads to something you enjoy.
She said, when we leave uni, we don't really know what we want to do, but if you follow your interests, it eventually leads to something you enjoy.
It's all networks
Two people who are interested in theatre and performance... they often help out, in various ways, with theatre productions. Through doing this, they make new connections, are offered free entry to other productions, and are offered further work, and so on.... 'it's all networks'.
Networks
The mother of a student at Central... She is looking at the conversation mapping I've started. I ask if she'd be interested to hear a little about it. She is. I talk about some of the ideas behind it. She says she can relate to the ideas about networks as extending back in time. She runs her own business - in marketing and PR. She can think of several people in the past who have, and continue to, influence her in her working life. Networks are very important in her line of business.
A Language Lesson
In exchange for £1, I am offered a 10 minute Spanish lesson. My instructor speaks a little English, my Spanish is very limited. How much ground can we cover in 10 minutes?
We exchange pleasantries, discuss what city we're originally from, where we live now, for how long, our respective jobs, and a few other other bits and pieces.
Using a combination of both languages - spoken and written - along with drawing and a mutual openness to seeing what is possible, we manage to negotiate a surprisingly diverse range of topics, and to (seemingly) reach an understanding about what each of us is trying to say to the other.... and it was fun!
We exchange pleasantries, discuss what city we're originally from, where we live now, for how long, our respective jobs, and a few other other bits and pieces.
Using a combination of both languages - spoken and written - along with drawing and a mutual openness to seeing what is possible, we manage to negotiate a surprisingly diverse range of topics, and to (seemingly) reach an understanding about what each of us is trying to say to the other.... and it was fun!
Suggested Reading
The first page of Foucault's The Order of Things - for what it has to say about the desire to map, to know and to categorise.
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