Workshop description
From 1-12 June artist Luke Pell will host an online offer for Scotland based artists to see what we can - and want to - sit with, together, over a couple of weeks of contemplation and careful conversation as a source of support for your practice in the weeks following what should have been the end of this years Children's Festival. Luke has previously worked with Imaginate as Lead Artist for the PUSH+ Home Lab in 2019, as a facilitator for PUSH workshops with Adam Kashmiry in 2018, presented work at the Children's Festival Family Day in 2019 and would have done again this year.
Participants will be offered:
- A group wide conversation as a way of beginning
- A series of reflective tools and tasks to work with independently
- Check-in and support with these tasks via email as needed
- A soft space to talk together in small groups (of 3) following the tasks - facilitated by Luke - about where you find yourselves now, what these circumstances might mean creatively in your practice, in relationship to the artistic questions you are concerned with and for what you might want or need to imagine next
- A wider group conversation to close the week
"Sit With Me has felt like a gentle and generous space without pressure. To have such light supportive facilitation has brought a new energy and for me personally offered a time to allow myself to engage with the variety of feelings and sensations circling my body and head during these surreal times. I have appreciated connection and community while at the same time embracing solo working in a new way." Lou Brodie, previous Sit With Me participant
Things you need to know
Contact time will be made up of around 2 hrs for the initial conversation 2.30PM Monday 1 June, 2hrs for the smaller group conversations to be scheduled over the week with Luke in a group of 3 and 2 hours for the closing conversation 2.30PM Friday 12 June. Around 6hrs. All other sessions and tasks are optional so you can do as much as as little as you want/need/are able to.
Participants will also be sent a series of tasks to explore independently following the first meeting. These will be things that can be done on a bit a paper outside, at a desk on a computer, on the sofa with an ipad, in the bath or shower in your head. You should probably give around an hour or so for each, more if you need or less if you like. They are for your reference, there’s no need to feel pressured to 'get them done’ or ‘write them up’ - although doing that could be useful for you. They are simply some routes into collecting thoughts and feelings and beginning some conversations. Around 6-9hrs.
If you take part in all the tasks the total time to set aside would be 12-15 hours split across the two weeks, you can download the full schedule here.
Of course we know that many people are working in environments different to those that they might usually. If you are providing childcare or any other kind of care and support for people whilst at home and would like to apply to participate in these sessions, please talk to us. Everyone invited to participate will be joining on the understanding that we are all coming together in relationship to our realities right now and we will do all we can to be flexible to your current needs.
We will be using Imaginate’s zoom platform to host the meetings, they will happen in a range of sizes – whole groups conversations, breakouts, smaller cross theme groups and whole group again at the end. Luke will also be able to support participants via email with independent task work as necessary. We will need your preferred email address as part of sign up.
BSL or captioning will be provided for artists who require this, please let us know when you apply.
When we use the term artists we include here makers, designers, performers, composers and all those who work creatively to make performances happen. We ask that you are either involved in theatre and dance performance for young audiences, or that you would like to be. The workshop is only available for artists living in Scotland.
About Luke
Luke is a maker, curator, dramaturg and writer who collaborates with artists practicing across-forms at home and internationally in myriad contexts. Drawing on Luke’s work as a dramaturg and advisor, specifically supporting artists and organisations to navigate distinct periods of change, these sessions are designed to help to try to hold things lightly, gently reflect, refresh and replenish in what are challenging times for all of us personally and professionally, whilst leaning a little into what it might be to be making work for children, young people, their families and friends in the near future.
www.lukepellmakes.org/