Thursday was super nice. Felt like the right context (social architecture, urban form, the commons) and a nice audience to share the ins and outs of Beeston with. I really liked how you described the table, bringing it back to the 'kinship object' and the fact it brings 'bodies out of line' together, without a leader to co-create a 'ground' on which to gather. People got it and got involved and it set a tone. The humble jacky P's were a great shout too.
It felt good to share the unresolved, the messy overspill and the lingering thoughts. The sort of overwhelming theme STILL being the kind of potential that exists against masterplanning, in holding without hindering and accessing idle play within difficult constraints.
The table maybe needs some attention re; re-whittled parts but it still has a lot of milage and is so perfect for hosting strangers on. I wish we could keep / get some of those stools ~ do you remember who the collective is that makes them? Maybe we could ask Katrin / Kerry.
I thought a bit on the way home about what conversations it could host. What the shape and the markings on it suggest and if we are limited to these. What would be of ongoing interest to us to continue facilitate on this table? Do we need anything else (props wise, knowledge wise, capability wise?) So far it has been used to host conversations about place, notions of home, the social reproduction of space and if/how art (or 'social practices') sit there. But in a round about way this thing of being 'against masterplanning,' uses of disorder (without fetishising) and sharing knowledge outside disciplines and with folk/strangers with shared interests.
I know we have on our list to sort of map the continuation of all our 'lively' works and how we might want to reactivate or continue work with various objects/processes/projects. It would be great to USE the table to bring people together but what are our questions? Who do we want to bring together? And where to we see this happening? For who? Does it go beyond the moment? What does it contribute to outside ourselves? How is it not just about art too? How does it resist a masterplan or becoming resolved without being obscure, elite or alienating?
There was also so much interest in the film, the way we did it, where we did it, who we did it with etc etc, when will it be finished. I felt really energised by it and ready to look at it all again and can't wait to start editing. Reminded me that regardless of what happens with Wakefield / other things on the horizon we should prioritise some time for this. Haul up. Deep dive. How we do this is another question right. I wonder if an org would support us who would want to 'premiere' it - I guess that's what we could work with with PIP projects eh. Maybe seek out some resource...?
I am also excited about making the card game test for Fag Packet thing and seeing if we can work in other contexts with other people with it eh!
