“As part of each UNION programme, participants are encouraged to develop a collaborative learning project; developing an idea through a simple process of action research (seeking transformative change through taking action and doing research, linking the two with critical reflection).
All we ask is that the participants share their learning.
Lauren Saunders and Lora Krasteva (alumni from the UNION 23 programme) proposed a project called Petals. They were planning a project at Pickering Community Orchard in Hull. Their focus on learning for UNION was not about the whole Petals project (which is hopefully still to come this autumn) but about the first bit—the initial planning, the project definition, the go/no-go meeting at the orchard itself” – UNION website.
We started with a series of questions:
- Does this idea have legs?
- How might participatory creativity develop kinship/care with the more-than-human world and motivate climate action?
- How would we like it to be? What do we need to make it happen?
- What does the Orchard think? Does it feel like the right place?
- How do we as artists include the Land as an equal partner in decision making?
- Are we the right people to do this? What roles do we each play?
- Will we gel? Can we work comfortably together?
- What can we learn about each other’s access needs?
- What does the local community already know? Who might we include?
- Where will the idea go? If at all?
Overview
What: A place-based exploration of a future project idea
Where: Pickering Road Community Orchard, Hull UK. w3w///busy.vast.extend
When: Saturday 27 January 2024
Who: Visual Artist Lauren Saunders (U23, Hull), Theatremaker Lora Krasteva (U23, Sheffield), Mythologist Erik Jampa Anderson (London), Community Leader Rosie Ireson (Hull), Producer Rachel Elm (Hull) and Pickering Road Community Orchard.
Why: To meet the Orchard as an equal collaborator, to see if this idea has ‘roots’, to see if we work well together before committing to a larger funding bid, to sense if the Orchard approves of our intentions, discuss how we want to work together and get a sense of what we could do.
Funded by the UNION Project.
Learnings
- Walking the Orchard, observing the trees, seeing the landscapes, watching the birds, hearing the history of the Land was all very useful in beginning to understand this particular green space. Simply observe.
- How do you know if the Land approves of your idea and wants to participate, rather than forcing activity upon it? Our only regret is that we didn’t spend individual quiet time to more deeply sense a response, which in hindsight is what we know we should have done as opposed to letting ourselves get too giddy with one another. Saying that, we felt that discussing ideas so the Orchard could ‘hear’ what we were doing and collectively intuiting approval was a positive step in the right direction, and trusting Rosie’s feelings – she’s nurtured a very deep, spiritual and steward-like relationship with Orchard for the last 15 years. Having someone who truly knows, and is a fierce advocate for, the Land involved from the beginning of any land-based project is useful as they are ‘spiritual conduits’ who know instinctively what is welcome (or not!)
- Show the Land you respect it and don’t take it for granted. We made an offering to the Orchard to demonstrate our recognition and respect, and agreed that this must be in-built to everything we do.
- It’s been useful to support people to meet each other and WITH place before committing to the delivery of a big project. No-one knew one another (Lauren being the link) so there was the real risk of not gelling or there being a sense of having the wrong people, or the Orchard not wanting us there (there’s stories of the Orchard moving people it doesn’t like off the Land!)
- We found it helpful to share a meal together to discuss how we wanted to work as a team, what we wanted to each get out of it and the ethical principles that should underpin our work. For example, creating ground rules for ourselves, using the 50/50 model, empowering and connecting local people, centering the Land and supporting some form of cultural and community legacy. This allows us to start from a place of shared understanding and mutual support which is key to deliver a project of this type.
- Lora commented on the importance of letting things ‘digest’ and embed in the subconscious, and respond to similar experiences or related thoughts after the fact (“re-surfacing”) – this is only possible when there is time between the steps of a project. Slow-working is important allows ‘digestion’.
- Don’t assume everyone at the table knows what you’re talking about, or how the practicalities of funding and project delivery works. Visual art language is different than theatre language, processes are very different even within the same artform (e.g. theatre) and creative industry terminology isn’t obvious to those not typically operating in those areas. Regularly check in with everyone to make sure they’re following, or better, empower people to ask for clarity.
- There’s a 50% rule (that Lauren uses) that we found helpful to consider together when discussing anxieties about ‘flying creatives in’. This is an idea in which half of the expertise comes from within (i.e. the community, local artists) and 50% from outside (other creatives from elsewhere) – this ensures a balanced mix of community ownership / empowerment and bringing in learning from elsewhere.
- Photos and video footage (in our case, drone footage) from on-site planning days are useful as supporting evidence in helping to paint a picture when applying for funding.
- We spent a lot of time figuring out where Petals could slot into existing programming. It is helpful that all partners understand what the community partner is already doing and how art proposals can add value by complimenting existing work, before any major commitment or financial investment.
- Partnering with a small community-led grassroots organisation to do innovative creative projects (as opposed to big funded orgs) helps to take the pressure off those groups and means funds, resources and favours can be utilised elsewhere. Smaller hyper-local grassroots work is where it’s at.
- Rosie felt that it’s unique for an Orchard project to have the opportunity to talk to creatives who genuinely care about community legacy and being part of that decision-making process – it’s good to work as a team from the start instead of flying a ready-made project in that inevitably flies off again.
- To conclude, we have learnt that we all do want to continue with this project and have a clearer sense of how we want to work with one another (including the Orchard) and our approach to delivery.
