The final day of STORM was an Open Space Event, facilitated by Lee Simpson (Improbable). This is all very well, but what next? was not a conventional conference or meeting, the idea of Open Space is an interactive and inclusive way of structuring a meeting that allows you, the participant, to set the agenda. The event was announced as a dynamic way of talking about complicated and important things and as particularly good at turning talking into doing, at making things happen.
Open Space Technologies (OST) was initially developed by Harrison Owen in 1985. It basically offers a method to run meetings of groups of any size ('technology' meaning here a tool/process/method). It is a self-organizing process, where participants construct the agenda and schedule it during the meeting itself. At the beginning of an Open Space participants sit around a circle, the facilitator briefly re-states the theme of the gathering, inviting the participants to identify issues or topics of discussion. The proponents come to the center of the circle, write the subject or topic of discussion on a sheet of paper and announce it to the group, choosing a time and place for discussion and posting it on a wall (setting the agenda and the timetable for the day).
Participants hear The Four Principles and The One Law, which state that whoever comes is the right people; whatever happens is the only thing that could have happened, whenever it starts is the right time and when it's over, it's over. The one Law, usually referred to as the 'Law of Two Feet' (or the 'Law of Mobility') reads as follows: if at any time during our time together you find yourself in any situation where you are neither learning nor contributing, use your two feet. Go to some other place where you amy learn and contribute.
The sessions run concurrently over the course of the day and in the end of the day, when the Open Space is 'closed', a document is ready with all the ideas and discussions that were being addressed by all the participants. A kind of manifesto, made for action.
STORM Open Space was the culmination of a creative week of workshops on theatre, talks, happenings, networking, performances, thinking and challenges between established thetre companies and 40 emerging european theatre-makers.
All of us, filled with new experiences shared the same dissatisfaction, inspiration and belief that PUSH, Graeae and the Lyric had shared with us in the beginning of the week that 'theatre and the arts is a human right to be enjoyed by all; that theatre houses are places to share, talk, reflect, spread joy, get happy, teach and get angry; one of the last meeting places where we can see the panorama of human life'.
In the beginning of the day, when we sat accross each other, in a egg-shaped form, filling once more the main foyer of the Lyric Hammersmith, noone would expect we would cover so much ground. Many topics were raised and discussed throughout the day (I proposed two discussions, which reports will be posted shortly), such as the eternal division between text-based and physical theatre; the difficulties to set up an ensemble; the sinuous paths of creative founding; the future of STORM and the actual future of these 40 emerging artists.
After 7 hours of discussion, we were back to the same place, back to our egg-shaped form, staring at each other, sharing the experiences of the week, the temporary conclusions of the discussions and our dreams and feelings.
Lee Simpson closed the Open Space, but the space remained opened in our minds. Although the discussions of the actual day were stabilized in a single document, everyone left with a thousand thoughts storming in their heads, in their bodies, announcing that after theses STORM, other storms will happen around the world, and that after this nothing will be the same.
A new generation of theatre-makers will ignite spaces and audiences in the near future, constructing the 'place for solidarity and difference' that Josett-Bushell Mingo wanted to create through this joining of forces to develop each other and actually make things happen!
Open Space Technologies (OST) was initially developed by Harrison Owen in 1985. It basically offers a method to run meetings of groups of any size ('technology' meaning here a tool/process/method). It is a self-organizing process, where participants construct the agenda and schedule it during the meeting itself. At the beginning of an Open Space participants sit around a circle, the facilitator briefly re-states the theme of the gathering, inviting the participants to identify issues or topics of discussion. The proponents come to the center of the circle, write the subject or topic of discussion on a sheet of paper and announce it to the group, choosing a time and place for discussion and posting it on a wall (setting the agenda and the timetable for the day).
Participants hear The Four Principles and The One Law, which state that whoever comes is the right people; whatever happens is the only thing that could have happened, whenever it starts is the right time and when it's over, it's over. The one Law, usually referred to as the 'Law of Two Feet' (or the 'Law of Mobility') reads as follows: if at any time during our time together you find yourself in any situation where you are neither learning nor contributing, use your two feet. Go to some other place where you amy learn and contribute.
The sessions run concurrently over the course of the day and in the end of the day, when the Open Space is 'closed', a document is ready with all the ideas and discussions that were being addressed by all the participants. A kind of manifesto, made for action.
STORM Open Space was the culmination of a creative week of workshops on theatre, talks, happenings, networking, performances, thinking and challenges between established thetre companies and 40 emerging european theatre-makers.
All of us, filled with new experiences shared the same dissatisfaction, inspiration and belief that PUSH, Graeae and the Lyric had shared with us in the beginning of the week that 'theatre and the arts is a human right to be enjoyed by all; that theatre houses are places to share, talk, reflect, spread joy, get happy, teach and get angry; one of the last meeting places where we can see the panorama of human life'.
In the beginning of the day, when we sat accross each other, in a egg-shaped form, filling once more the main foyer of the Lyric Hammersmith, noone would expect we would cover so much ground. Many topics were raised and discussed throughout the day (I proposed two discussions, which reports will be posted shortly), such as the eternal division between text-based and physical theatre; the difficulties to set up an ensemble; the sinuous paths of creative founding; the future of STORM and the actual future of these 40 emerging artists.
After 7 hours of discussion, we were back to the same place, back to our egg-shaped form, staring at each other, sharing the experiences of the week, the temporary conclusions of the discussions and our dreams and feelings.
Lee Simpson closed the Open Space, but the space remained opened in our minds. Although the discussions of the actual day were stabilized in a single document, everyone left with a thousand thoughts storming in their heads, in their bodies, announcing that after theses STORM, other storms will happen around the world, and that after this nothing will be the same.
A new generation of theatre-makers will ignite spaces and audiences in the near future, constructing the 'place for solidarity and difference' that Josett-Bushell Mingo wanted to create through this joining of forces to develop each other and actually make things happen!
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