Taking Shape: Following Leads

Our discussions today have been about trying to get the collection of ideas and shared practice into something which is beginning to take shape: Emily's very good idea for each of us to set out our 'take' on the project so far seems helpful: so, here is my take on the discussions so far

Possible lead questions for project:

Walking as a participatory tool?

Walking as space for exchange and learning?

Why do walking practices create such good spaces for exchange?

Invite a number of participants, all of whom have been involved in an artistic project which has involved walking: they may have been an arts practitioner/event leader, participant or organisation. (I think we can each look at specifics afterwards and potentially invite 3 each, one from each of the headings.

They will be invited to attend a walking weekend together, with the aim of sharing ideas and experience from previous project involvement. There will be a series of topics to be covered in walk sessions: leading to a discussion of the use of walking as a tool for exchange and learning. 

The weekend may begin with a session on documentation and preferred methods for recording exchanges. It may also be useful to invite an external documenter.

Each participant will document their experience of the walking weekend in a way that they feel appropriately reflects their engagement, this will be collected and collated by the group (us) into a document (booklet? Map?) which can then be used as a manual/case study for practitioners/participants/organisations exploring walking as a participatory tool in future.

·         Duration - one weekend

·         Location - Grizedale, Allenheads or somewhere like that?

·         Delegates - a combination of practitioners, participants and organisations

·         Questions - Exploring Walking as an educational/participatory tool or space for exchange and learning.

·         Facilitation - Us 4? or an external person - might be good here for us to look at the leadership implementation

·         Documentation - The participants and potentially an external person.

·         Budget - £2,000 accommodation and food: £1,000 transport and £2,000 for documentation/publication/booklet?


LLater On after discussions via email that Walking could be the method and not the subject:


Glad the publications arrived! Blimey - was beginning to wonder where they had got to.I understand your misgivings re. focusing the project on walking: I personally think it makes sense and felt we needed an area of focus: but if it is not an interest shared by others - then fair enough.

Perhaps it would be a good idea for each of us to have a particular focus in relation to participation and participatory tools: for example: although I am interested in exploring 'meaningful' participation, there are other things in particular that I am more interested: it feels a bit woolly to me: I think I explore things through doing and testing: so like the idea that the activity itself tests the hypotheses. So as you say, this could be my focus: inviting some walking participants/practitioners/orgs and using the activity itself as something to look at: I am happy to do that and write a piece about the findings of the event that we put on. I guess another option would be for us to have 4 different events? and share the funding out equally: but perhaps agree on a certain amount for publication? This could be simply a double sided a4 sheet per project, with the 4 going in a card folder turning it into a publication? I am easy either way.

I also think it might be good to have something (an event/sharing activity) and maybe it is something we could bring to AirSpace after Peckham Space if it is developed? I think a publication is a good thing, but they don't have to cost the earth: if for example we go for a map fold a1 sheet (which makes sense for the activity/event) it may be quite reasonable: but yes I think we do need to go into more detail re. budget: for example: should we be paying participants to attend?

I would prefer to have longer to think about who I want to invite (I feel I need to do some more research) and also lets agree is this one big event or 4 smaller ones?  do we need to go into so much detail as exactly who we will invite or could we say the type of people we want to invite? I have already suggested 3 possible venues: any feedback on those or alternatives? Also dates: November? as that would give us time to get publication together for Jan.