Wednesday, January 3, 2007

Beautiful Civic Engagement

I think Darren's list of Criteria to Determine Beautiful Civic Engagement deserves some thought and analysis. These are galvanizing social strategies, and I think there are a few that are really crucial to distinguish community-based art from the social acupuncture that Mammalian Diving reflex enegeages in. For four seasons, I have worked with Public Dreams on community-based outdoor celebrations, with the goal of stimulating the growth of healthy communties through participation in the arts. The events are highly successful in terms of number of participants in both the set decor and performative aspects, and in attendance, but there are limited pockets of criticality in the events - they are beautiful, engaging, surprising, galvanizing, but also tend towards earnestness. They are missing items 6 and 8 (Questioning Social Assumptions and Fruitful Antagonisms) from the list of criteria. Public Dreams strives for inclusiveness, and is grappling with how to make productive antagonisms and social change a part of the events not only in their creation, but also in their content.

For the creator who is comfortable with the antagonism and questioning that genuine civic engagement can engender, the challenge perhaps comes up when practising items 4 and 5 (Inversion of Hierarchies and Offering Agency). Who determines when a hierarchy has been successfully inverted? How much agency is offered, and how does an audience know? If they don't does that matter?

Darren told an anecdote in his workshop dealing with an instance with a participant in Q & A who rather than talking about his homelessness insisted on talking about his criminal past - raising the discomfort quotient for some of the audience, who didn't necessarily read the participant's level of agency, instead seeing an exploitative relationship between the theatre makers (in the power position) and the homeless guy who used his agency in an unexpected way. That example does seem to play on antagonsisms - but were they fruitful?

27 comments:

Darren said...

Who determines when a hierarchy has been inverted?

These things are shifty, subjective and tenuous. The artists will offer their opinion on the matter, as will the participants, the witnesses, the volunteers etc. As with the eye of any beholder, beautiful civic engagement is debatable. But i think we're a lot further toward inverting hierarchies when we make that an important and stated goal.

How much agency is offered?
As much as possible.

How does an audience know?
Hopefully they will often be more than just the audience (see item 10) and they will be able to feel the result.

If they don't know does that matter?
Yes, if it's a crucial part of the conception, which it should be.


Fruitful Antagonisms
If the antagonism only ends up pissing off a few audience members who then go off and have a passionate discussion about the subject then, yeah, it was fruitful. If Tony was damaged by it, couldn't sleep for days and had to hook up with some antidepressants then, no, not so fruitful. But i think the theatre is a tough place to trigger serious damage. When people are feeling things they don't want to feel then they usually walk out. I think worrying too much about causing horrific damage to someone's psyche by antagonizing them both overestimates the power of art and underestimates people's ability to take care of themselves.

discomfort never killed anyone.

Anonymous said...

[url=http://levitranowdirect.com/#ctoml]levitra online[/url] - levitra 10 mg , http://levitranowdirect.com/#slvfc generic levitra

Anonymous said...

[url=http://viagranowdirect.com/#zefyw]viagra 100 mg[/url] - buy viagra , http://viagranowdirect.com/#duaut viagra online

Anonymous said...

pharmacy jobs london uk pharmacy reviewerpharmacy xl
viagra que es viagra pillsviagra

Anonymous said...

[url=http://loansheredirectly.com/#ctswc]payday loans online[/url] - online payday loans , http://loansheredirectly.com/#ccckq online payday loans

Anonymous said...

[url=http://buycialispremiumpharmacy.com/#zxmar]generic cialis[/url] - buy cialis online , http://buycialispremiumpharmacy.com/#keksh buy cialis

Anonymous said...

[url=http://buyviagrapremiumpharmacy.com/#fwdjp]buy viagra[/url] - buy cheap viagra , http://buyviagrapremiumpharmacy.com/#tvwfg viagra online

Anonymous said...

[url=http://buycialispremiumpharmacy.com/#ynstz]cialis online[/url] - generic cialis , http://buycialispremiumpharmacy.com/#rnnvv buy cheap cialis

Anonymous said...

[url=http://buyviagrapremiumpharmacy.com/#kkfqw]buy viagra online[/url] - viagra online , http://buyviagrapremiumpharmacy.com/#dapjc generic viagra

Anonymous said...

[url=http://buycialispremiumpharmacy.com/#twzqf]buy cialis[/url] - buy cialis , http://buycialispremiumpharmacy.com/#gmvto generic cialis

Anonymous said...

[url=http://buyviagrapremiumpharmacy.com/#lgktw]buy viagra online[/url] - buy viagra online , http://buyviagrapremiumpharmacy.com/#jcmea generic viagra

Anonymous said...

[url=http://buycialispremiumpharmacy.com/#ctyub]buy cheap cialis[/url] - buy cialis , http://buycialispremiumpharmacy.com/#otcps buy cialis

Anonymous said...

[url=http://buyviagrapremiumpharmacy.com/#ckoat]buy viagra[/url] - buy viagra , http://buyviagrapremiumpharmacy.com/#nlkbh buy viagra

Anonymous said...

[url=http://buyviagrapremiumpharmacy.com/#dbwxu]generic viagra[/url] - buy viagra online , http://buyviagrapremiumpharmacy.com/#aprxb buy viagra

Anonymous said...

[url=http://buycialispremiumpharmacy.com/#dfhcv]buy cialis online[/url] - buy cialis , http://buycialispremiumpharmacy.com/#zglco buy cheap cialis

Anonymous said...

[url=http://viagraboutiqueone.com/#nhass]viagra 50 mg[/url] - viagra 50 mg , http://viagraboutiqueone.com/#llfiw viagra 120 mg

Anonymous said...

[url=http://buyonlineaccutanenow.com/#zefmc]cheap accutane[/url] - accutane online , http://buyonlineaccutanenow.com/#utmfc accutane 5 mg

Anonymous said...

Fantastic blog and comment splendid design credit-thank you to sharing

Anonymous said...

Hi, cheap carisoprodol - purchase soma online http://www.dollarforaction.com/, [url=http://www.dollarforaction.com/]soma sale [/url]

Anonymous said...

Li, buy isotretinoin - isotretinoin online http://www.isotretinoinrxonline.net/, [url=http://www.isotretinoinrxonline.net/]isotretinoin cost [/url]

Anonymous said...

Li, accutane online - generic accutane online http://www.isotretinoinrxonline.net/, [url=http://www.isotretinoinrxonline.net/]buy generic accutane [/url]

Anonymous said...

Hi, order ambien - ambien for sale online http://www.rdsns.com/, [url=http://www.rdsns.com/]zolpidem price[/url]

Anonymous said...

4, Terbinafine 250 mg - terbinafine no prescription http://www.lamisilfast24.net/, Cheap Lamisil

Anonymous said...

4, Terbinafine Generic - cheap lamisil http://www.lamisilfast24.net/, [url=http://www.lamisilfast24.net/]Order Lamisil [/url]

Anonymous said...

5, Esomeprazole Online - Nexium Price - cheap nexium no prescription http://www.nexiumpricewatch.net/ .

Anonymous said...

12, Cheap Wellbutrin - Generic Wellbutrin - zyban drug http://www.installandenjoy.com/

Anonymous said...

The pleasant details are that you are able to address this disorder, as it may be an event of injury control. For lots of people if this comes to moving house or building a long road trip which means borrowing a vehicle or van from your friend. It makes sense to enroll in a policy that offers the coverage that you just need, even though which costs greater than the rest. HSUnoYf, [url=http://www.igetcheapcarinsurance.com/automobile-insurance-act-quebec/]automobile insurance act quebec[/url], xFaYvxs, [url=http://www.igetcheapcarinsurance.com/car-insurance-group-6-price/]car insurance group 6 price[/url], qepcFTo, [url=http://www.igetcheapcarinsurance.com/free-7-day-car-insurance-hpi-check/]free 7 day car insurance hpi check[/url], MbmkJtV,