ArtWorks NE Peer Artist Learning

What is the PROGRESSION IN LEARNING for students and emerging artists which will DEVELOP AND ESTABLISH THEIR EMPLOYABILITY in relation to PARTICIPATORY SETTINGS? How can the VALUE AND STATUS of employment in this field be promoted and raised among those with influence such as arts educators, arts leaders and managers, careers advisors and parents?

• 60-70 'events' every day in the building
• 70% of the programme happens outside of the building

• I loved the mentoring and got so much from that process. It has made a big difference to my work.
• Deep trust in a short amount of time - as artists and people
• The process on reflecting with mentors is invaluable and informative.
• Good co-mentoring pairing – has formed a basis for possible future collaboration and extending networks.
• The enthusiasm and quick response of my mentor.
• As an artist having the time and space to reflect and have conversations with a mentor.
• Open listening.

• People willing to learn with and from each other.
• Good range of Art Practitioners sharing a wealth of experience and knowledge about arts in participatory settings.
• Networking and discussions with other artists.
• The ideas put forward should help future generations of artists.
• Diversity of group.
• The members of the programme, their dedication explore this fascinating and vital area of the arts.
• Such a rich mixture of artists.
• Group activity – interaction.
• You have amazingly talented and experience people in one room – with plenty to say and not afraid to say it.
• Room for more discussion about the influence on the course.

• Dedicated time and motivation for self-reflection and sharing personal journey with another practitioner.
• I have enjoyed engaging more fully with my participatory practice.
• Time to reflect on own practice.
• 'reflecting back' to us gives us more of a sense of trust and confidence in our own practice

• Flexibility in subjects and how pairings and individuals meet/ present/ produce findings.
• Well facilitated.
• Loose format.
• Facilitators experience and variety of artists and their experience.
• Great tools such as ORID / GROW
• Lovely freedom to talk/ reflect about process/ ideas experiences.
• A well thought through process. I liked the period of time to reflect get to know ‘peer’ artist and mentee with a cross over period.
• pushing us in the right directions
• very good to talk with someone from a different org / arts practice
• a very positive process
• unique time and space to have a reflective conversation
• Good information generally.
• Good locations for meetings.
• Mix of artist, group discussions – set topics.

Unexpected Outcomes

What factors, if any, do you think might have strengthened the ArtWorks NE Peer Artist Learning programme?

• More time especially for the focused conversations.
• challenging time-frame - can we have more?
• Longer time frame.
• Longer time – over 6 months / 1 year.
• More time.
• More time, actual participation.
• Time working with others in actual participation.
• More time!
• Having a longer period of time to work with your mentor.
• More time (always the case)(definitely a cliché).
• A longer period of time.
• More time!
• Greater time scale for mentoring.
• Sessions were too close together to allow any progression and formulation of plans.
• Finding time to reflect

• A small bit of direction would have been useful. As I struggled a bit with the journal (and I keep journals in other contexts). All my meetings were fascinating but I don’t feel I captured even a 10th of what we covered and I am disappointed about that.
• Clarification of goals
• Definition of the research questions / aims
• Final presentations
• Maybe a little more clarity about what was required in the conversational record and final presentation.

• Learning more about the other mentors and mentees, i.e. sharing examples of work – getting to know more about their experiences as Artists/ Facilitators.
• Sharing/ observing practice in the classroom.
• If the emerging artist had wanted to create work in participatory settings.
• Observation of good practice (or just practice).
• Want to know more about the mentor's practice
• I would have liked to have worked with my mentor in a number of practical sessions to learn, show and develop participatory arts practice.
• More sessions, chance to view participatory work / environment etc.

• I don’t want to (and couldn’t) devise University modules but I teach all emergent discipline in HE environments. There are people in this group who should be included in the next steps. Not to ensure every word is represented verbatim but that there is a representative of the practice-led experience to contribute effectively to the development of a great (pilot) project. There’s a worry that all of our good work will be lost. I don’t envy you having to make sense of it all.
• The concept of what was happening to the information. It would be good to see some more of the ‘results’.
• Better documentation about the aims and objectives – what the research will be used for.
• A smaller panel of artists should be going forward in this process and I think (of course I do) that I should be one of them

• linguistic / semiotic challenges of cross-generational mentoring - insight into semiotics of the sector?
• geography of relationships
• participant guilt - being the sole focus
• sorting out the artistic side to inform the participatory
• separating our 'participatory' selves from our holistic selves
• correct answers?
• accountability to another person
• mentor 'taking over' the process / not understanding my frame of reference
• not really discussed our artistic connections
• I didn’t feel I got much from the training / development days unfortunately. It would’ve been good to have more opportunities to talk during training day and a variety of different activities on final day (loved seeing other people’s responses).
• Thought it was better on some occasions then others.
• The diverse nature of the group involved.

Control and Ownership

• Understanding the complexities of control and ownership: taking ownership from commissioners / funders, as well as facilitating participant ownership when appropriate.

"Inhabiting the liminal space between funders and participants" (Annie Bromley 2012)

Taking ownership (from commissioners/ Funders)

• Facilitating (participant) ownership

• Understanding my complexities and vagaries?

• Taking ownership (from commissioners/ funders) – is a bit too specific.

• Artist having more input to the aims and structure of work – artist – led!

• Variation from art form to art form.

• Making work your own identity as an artist and transfer/ feed into work.

• Parameters and respect.

• There is no them. There are lots of thems – L.A, A.C.E, A. Agencies etc. Community groups.

• How much funding is there? How many artists does it equal?

Personal Qualities

Quality

Maintaining your own artistic practice

• Importance dependent on art form?

• Participatory practice AS Artistic Practice.

• Where do you get your buzz from?

• Time and support to do this (e.g. in H.E.)

• Discipline – take time to do it.

• Time management – too much, too little.

• IMP. Of groups/ networks/ affiliations that affirm you as ‘artist’

• External verification important – for own self worth and for worthiness with participants and it impresses funders.

• Understanding what constitutes 'quality' (process, product, access, excellence) and how you measure and value it

Understanding what it is

• How you measure / value it

• You know yourself when it’s good… past experience.

• Learning from failure. Fail, Fail, Fail again Fail better. Fall and get up and enjoy – reaching deeper.

• Importance of reflection

• How do you define quality? In workshops or in learning activity evaluate i.e. verbally or by using written evaluations which can be used as a tool for deciding on future workshops. You also get a feeling when an activity is successful (it’s sometimes a “dirty” word).

• Do you evaluate yourself or get someone else to do it if so … who?

• Slippery

• Life Quality

• Depends what art form as a “performer” the practice leads to the performance which must be “professional”

• An amateur practises until they get it right, a professional practises until they never get it wrong.

• The art produced is a by-product to the real work! – Unless it’s a permanent piece of work set in public.

• Levels of quality and meaning. Participants V Outcomes.

• Passion
• Confidence
• Professionalism
• Flexibility
• Yes you do!
• Selflessness
• Lack of ego (or maybe an “appropriate” level of ego)
• Do you have to have “passion”
• You have to like being with people, be excited about it and
• know that the journey is one of learning for you too
• Respect for yourself and all participants
• Why are there no funders/ stake holders here (not PHF) to talk about why they commission arts/ parts work?
• What are the qualities we need from funder?
• Core skills – transferable qualities which can be applied to various different areas. i.e. different artistic activities will have core skills in common.
• 'Shining core'
• Your own artistic practice

Concepts, frameworks and resources

• Regular marvels http://regularmarvels.com

• Law works – a website directs you to free law advice to non- profit organisations/ charities http://lawworks.org.uk

• Artists in Creative Education (A:CE) handbook (downloadable) on line for artists wanting to work in schools (across Europe) bits are good … http://artistsincreativeeducation.com

• Air (AN) Guides.

• Community Dance Foundation website! http:/communitydance.org.uk

Personal

Skills &

Qualities

Business Skills

• Commercial business practice - running a bsusiness - practical business skills,
• Regular Marvels book – updated online information website on the nitty gritty methods and materials of survival.
• Community interest company (SES)
• Social Enterprise – Setting up collectives
• Government website
• Funding Central
• Showing work
• Becoming known
• Advertising
• Self employment – tax – nuts and bolts of it.
• Why don’t universities set up a “business opportunities set up” Similar to fresher’s week for new entrants – how to set things up for artists – business help/ opportunities.
• Professionalism of the Artists work – I practice like you practice other disciplines (Law, Medicine, Healthcare etc.) but “Artist/ Writer” isn’t on the same level.

Understanding how groups work

Contextual /

Pedagogical

Knowledge

& Skills

• Understanding the groups of people you're working with:
• Setting clear contracts
• Maintaining consistent professional boundaries
• Contracts
• Boundaries
• Amount of fixed/ fluid
• Inclusive practice
• It’s not about you...
• ...but we are still human!
• We need to know how to read groups objectively and not take it personally
• Developing relational trust
• Actualisation, Esteem, Belongingness, Safety, Physiological/ Biological – Maslow Hierarchy of needs. How do you make the group work to the best they can?
• Stimulus
• Engagement
• Don’t assume anything
• Avoiding the fear of the unknown.

HE (and progression) work –based learning

Progression into employment:

from HE routes

work-based learning

accredited or unaccredited?

•Difference between teaching that’s done to you rather than with you.

•Training for “Pro team” (portfolio) careers.

•Centralised resource on university website of internship and other opportunities

•‘Situating’ (HE) learning inside the practices being learned about, not in ivory towers removed from actual practice.

•What’s there for people without HE qualifications? YTS? Accredited courses?

•Shouldn’t focus too much on H.E. Consider routes into participatory work from unqualified but skilled and experienced artists.

•Could a short course on P.A. Mechanics be setup?

•Any training should be that. Not H.E. Short; to the point; cost effective.

•Knowing what’s out there and how to access them and having support to explore avenues.

•Being self – motivating and active.

•ENYAN, Artswork, Artsplan – could these be used to deliver participatory workshops?

•Organic routes into this work. Is there a national combined arts network that participatory artists can tag onto? (Like MusicLeader?)

MENTORING

Kinds of

Training

+ve

Critical

Factors

How do we develop a MORE PROFESSIONAL AND CONFIDENT SECTOR whose work and value is perceived as important and whose voice is stronger?

• Positive experiences in community for Artist (in more on-formal environment) such as schools
• It's really possible to influence how young people are taught
• Primary setting seen to value Artists' involvement

Bu

-ve

NETWORK OF

DIVERSE PRACTITIONERS

What Worked?

What factors, if any, do you think contributed to the overall effectiveness of the ArtWorks NE Peer Artist Learning programme?

• Whatever happened to Community Arts?
• Don't be apologetic about what we do
• Some secondary schools undervalue Artists coming into schools - not seen as a priority
• within formal education settings, there can be conflicting expectations of outcomes

IMPACT ON PRACTICE

TRAINING STRUCTURE

How do we develop the INFRASTRUCTURE for the training and development of artists at all stages of their careers?

+ve

-ve

• to develop a sense of your own practice and how that is transferable to a community setting
• Provision of inclusive routes to dance / Arts
• Training from practicing artists
• The power of the participant
• Nurturing creative skills so that they can develop and ultimately 'fly away' (chrysalis > caterpillar > butterfly)

Evaluation

• What infrastructure for training?
• Bureaucracy
• Elf and Bloody Safety!
• Educational / funders' targets
• Policies, policies, policies (i.e. NOT grounded in the work itself
• Bad training not Arts-based

Surprised by the extent to which being mentored has influenced me. It has been great!

•Sustaining relationships.

•Opportunities to collaborate.

•Lots! Lovely to give time to reflect on my practice together and separately. Having the strength to celebrate highs and lows with people and in practise. Feeling more confident.

•Enjoyed participating.

•Increased confidence.

•Started volunteering in participatory art.

How do we bring about more JOINED UP THINKING across funding agencies and public bodies in relation to the workforce development issues implicit in the programme?

ArtWorks NE

•The initial meetings with other established artist helped me realise how far I’ve come in such a short time. The chance to reflect myself was crucial not just for my mentoring but for me too – it’s not something I naturally do.

•The networking opportunity with some of the best practicing artists in the region.

•Graphics and perhaps an interesting understanding.

•Completely changed my direction, attitude and desire to work in the field (in a good way!).

•Yes new areas thoughts on the development of approaches to p.a.

•Loads – can’t list them all here – own practice – networks – lovely people.

•Great to meet with other artists. Nice to know people are in the same boat.

•I had hoped the process would feed my own practice as an artist and how I think about participatory work. But the level to which I would explore was much deeper than I had envisaged.

•I have been focused to develop my own practice and it has helped me to develop my own idea/ work.

•I enjoyed the experience.

•I have met some very friendly and supportive people.

•I’m off to university!

+ve

-ve

• ?

Peer Artist Learning

What are the clear MODELS OF GOOD PRACTICE that can be shared, disseminated and replicated?

-ve

•Given me even more opportunity to reflect and extend my practice.

•Development of practice by sharing improvisation with someone from another art form.

•Yes loads of spin offs connected with the richness of the conversations that took place.

•A change in perspective personally and revaluation of my own situation.

•Meeting my mentor and the working relationship formed.

•Helped my ‘shining core’ working with my mentor.

•I think I will have continuing contact with my mentor which I am delighted about. Also have met several colleagues who have suggested ideas/ future projects.

having a mentor - someone to ask

the answers come from us - hearing that from yourself is very rewarding

Very confidence-giving - able to call myself as 'an artist'

great to come away from sessions feeling empowered to have made decisions for myself

the emergence of more non-linear paths to ahcieving a goal

Finding 'common ground', having my opinions valued

• Managing risk and fear
• Lack of space
• large group sizes
• Whinging and blaming - take responsibility... participation is not all about you
• knee-jerk participation - why ask for it?
• Lack of ownership by commissioner
• Lack of support in schools - feel isolated by staff
• being used as a 'supply teacher

+ve

• Managing risk and fear
• Voice and body language - choice of words
• vital to be able to communicate and inspire
• Artist-led projects (more control / input)
• Professional Practice:
• Attitude
• Communication
• Business skills
• 'Taking' responsibility
• Respect for skills and the learning process - deferred gratification
• Flexibility within a structure = key to success
• Overall awareness of participants' engagement and how to cultivate it
• Be inspirational - feel joy in own work
• Own your project - keep ownership
• Collaboration: learning / working; mirrors / reflection
• Honesty and dealing with growth
• Clarity of roles during a project i.e. if the work has been produced solely by participants or as a collaboration with artist
• importance of renewing yourself throughout the process - enjoy it!
• Aksing participants if they would like to be acknowledge outside of the workshop environment

•Through having my mentor sessions I feel a lot more confident, motivated and determined to achieve my ultimate goal as a ceramic artist.

•Generally – good feelings re the progress – mentorship definitely helps feeling better re own abilities.

•I made new friends and connections!

•There was a time when I needed an unbiased mentor during this process and they were there! Thank you!

•Unexpected outcome in the experience of mentoring someone significantly older than myself – although this wasn’t an issue, it has enhanced my range of mentoring skills.

•Development of relationship with artist in another art form – possibly leading to collaboration.

•Didn’t expect much and didn’t know what to expect.

HOW do artists learn to develop and what FORMS does this LEARNING take over time?

+ve

• Poor provision to show / celebrate visual art created in participatory settings

How do we bring about a more developed PROVISION ACROSS ALL ART FORMS to help plug the gaps identified through our research?

-ve

How do we develop a better understanding of what constitutes QUALITY in the work

• Own art acknoledged / recognised
• Structured career trajectory - Creative Apprenticeships
• Be passionate
• Professionalisation
• Life experience impacts and influences Arts Practice and practitioners
• If you can create an atmosphere of mutual respect, then projects are more likely to meet everyone's expectations
• Participant needs - understanding appropriateness inherent in practice
• Need to achieve / balanced with quality!
• Artists 'getting back to basics' - revisiting materials and methods in order to share skills with participants
• Leave your ego at the door

CHALLENGES / FRUSTRATIONS

+ve

• Henley Review - focus on quality as audience NOT participants
• Invisibility
• inconsistent support and commitment of senior management
• how to create better undertsanding / knowledge of what Participatory Arts are / work / impact

• ?

-ve

Even

Better If...?

-ve

MORE TIME

How do we bring about a major SHIFT IN THE VALUE AND PERCEPTION of the role of artists working in participatory settings?

• Courses will hopefully lead to employment/ finding – presence or input from the funders would have been beneficial.
• Funders (at least a small selection wellcome, Nesta, BBSRC, MRC, Gulbenkian, etc.) need to be present and visible. Practising funders are the big missed opportunity I’d love to hear from funders and understand the pressures/ issues they face. Any forward work must include funders and stakeholders.
• The huge hole where some funders/ stakeholders should be – we need to hear from funders/ stakeholders why the want/ need participatory arts works.

• Whose values? Process? Product?
• Not seen as a basic essential (cf. Maslow's 'Hierarchy of Needs')
• Ethical 'fig leaves'
• No comprehensive pedagogy or theory of practice
• Do empty vessels make the most noise? Should we always listen to the loudest voices?
• What constitutes quality control? Schools in particular are conservative and go on word of mouth

BROADER NETWORK

• OFSTED evaluations (more opportunities)
• Current over-arching shift to change perception
• Collaboration
• Quality of end product
• ACE directives: Arts Award; Artsmark
• Participants deciding on own (e)valuation

CLEARER STRUCTURE

+ve

CONTINUED INVOLVEMENT

MORE SHARING OF PRACTICE