wallah, akhbar ajdeed ya khaled ... i.e. new proposals on "Arab-Australian Social/Cultural Producer"...
the funding proposal text in your 'cut and paste' brings together many familiar discussions and wish-lists (as well as some previous plans) of recent years, so of course it's a good idea!! (i am interested in working on a local independent arab arts space, sooner rather than later - and i already have a concept brief ready to go!!)
meanwhile, i have pulled out one paragraph from your text which directly relates to what i am questioning at the moment:
"The 1 year pilot period aims to research the Arab-Australian culture to be presented, negotiate models of cultural understanding, and develop a particular form of working with a range of concepts, genres, mediums and formats for a 3 year program plan."
::: research? ::: presentation? ::: models of cultural understanding? ::: forms of working? :::
how do we critically examine our own research and development processes?
in our local australian context, do we just instinctively rely on working with people we are comfortable with? (or is that, comfortable to be uncomfortable with?) ...
even so, how do we learn to articulate our theoretical frameworks and our practice? [are we conscious or unconscious of particular theories that inform our modes of practice?]
how do we learn to push ourselves outside of our own discomfort zones? (as of course we do not like to think that we ever work in comfortable ways - although our social / political / cultural contexts are never comfortable!)
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hello everyone,
I have finally made my way here and will try to contribute to the discussion.
In response to the idea of 'comfort', as an artist, I often try to get to a point of discomfort in my process, through this experience of discomfort, I find that there is some sort of sense made, a moment of clarity that simply cannot be articulated in words.
I am talking about the way ‘things’ - materials, sounds, actions, movements, images, familiarities can be brought together in unexpected or uncomfortable combinations to create unsettling experiences both for the viewer/listener/audience and the artist/maker/performer.
For me, this is where new languages are created, new ways of seeing and understanding what might be familiar to us. I also make a point of often starting this process with materials or processes that are familiar and comfortable for me. This means I can feel safe and confident enough to then take risks and move beyond that familiarity and comfort zone. I find that it’s the same when I am collaborating.
Alissar says “in our local australian context, do we just instinctively rely on working with people we are comfortable with? (or is that, comfortable to be uncomfortable with?) ...”
In my experience, it is the ‘comfortable to be uncomfortable with’ point that is key here.
I find that I do need to start in a place of comfort and familiarity, as there is a history, a sense of safety and once this is established, then I find that my ability to push myself, my ideas, my process is much greater than if I had started in a completely new and unfamiliar territory.
This does not mean that I will not work in unfamiliar territory, it just means that I prefer to work with people I am comfortable with and from my (somewhat limited) experience, I find that I am more of a risk taker and more likely to have a transforming experience.
I also want to emphasise that I prefer comfort as a starting point… after the ground is established, throw in new people, new materials, new processes, new ideas.
xxxo.
nicole
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