Meeting notes 22.2.07

So I thought I would put up some stuff from the last meeting. I think I mainly notated (is this a word?!) the actions which we planend to take rather than every detail.

So, first we discussed what we would try and cover in the artists talk on Sunday. Sian and Tom to do the talk;

* How the Association came about; 'Every Now and Then', call for involvement etc.

* What the connections are between members (I wasn't sure if this meant previous experiences with collaboration or between us as people?)

* Aims of the group; To investigate, test and experiment through collaborative processes to find out how collaboration works (and doesn't work....) To use these cumulative experiences to build a resource for other group to use. To develop further projects which further investigate collaboration through other avenues as well as art practice (political organisations, groups, etc)

Values
Commitment to process over product / object based outcomes.

Use of various models of decision making, but underlying an agreement to work on a consensus model.

Sustainability of the group in terms of management of time energy and resouces.

Flexibility to change evolve and grow as we find things which work more or less well.

CAMRU
Decision making processes evolved for this project due to time constraints. We developed a practical and pragmatic approach which worked on the most practical approach. We did not make decisions purely on an aesthetic basis.

Part of the CAMRU project is to test out models of participation within the gallery context. This means that the structure of the work is fluid to change and development. CAMRU is responsive to its audience. What happens during the show feeds back into the system. What you think matters to the association x

CAMRU has developed in the context of a survey show and aims for a conversation which has the potential to become a form of collaboration between the Association, gallery hosts, the public audience, the gallery and the other artists work.

Some other points which were discussed

*How to document peoples' responses.

After some discussion it was decided that the best idea would be to have a large scrap book into which responses could be stuck with bluetack. This would document how people had decided to take the responses off the wall (their particular rule) and also mean that it was easy for others to take those responses out and possibly put them back on the wall or elsewhere.
Ideally people would write down what the response was in the scrap book if they took one out, so that the 'map' retains that integrity.

We thought that this idea could be a good way to encourage further host engagement with a clear role.

* How to make the outposts more outstanding

Ideally we would like to use the walls behind them as another area where peoples' responses could be put up. Sian will email CG to check this. Otherwise we thought about adding wires to the outside of the outposts so that responses can be attached to them, or stringing a washing line between the outpost and the wall. For either of these last ideas the outposts would need to be weighted at the base so that they are balanced.

There was agreement that we should purchase some more white plastic chairs which can be situated beside the outposts for people to use. Also we discussed raising up teh posts to make them higher, perhaps with rubber feet on the bottom, or pieces of wood cut to the same size as the base.

* Catalogue

Possibility of adding some material into the catalogue. There are approx 500 to be printed. Paula suggested that we put approx 3 original responses into the catalogues. This would mean that they were one offs and that we are spreading and not owning the responses.

Personally I like the distribution aspect of this, and also it is material generated from the public not from us which is nice. I will check when they need this material, as we will need to see how many responses we have by then.

There was also a suggestion of putting some of our own material in there. I will check whether we are to be given any budget for reproducing material ie photocopying.

* Manning the CAMRU

Has been noted that we are all a bit burnt out but also that we all need to make some level of personal commitment. Problems arising are that some peopel are thinking this project is solely Lizs' as she has been a regular visitor. We discussed the best use of time, and decided that perhaps it is more useful for us each to make some commitment each week, even if it is just an hour, rather than trying to commit to chunks of time.

In terms of visiting on a regular basis, one of aims is to keep engaging with teh resposnes. We are still working out how we will use them as a whole resource, and part of the process of doing this is to document them (digital photos, scrap book, map making) and to look for themes and conenction within them. Thus they have the potenital to grow into a true 'Alternative to the curatorial voice'.

* Hosts

Decided that the best way to engage them is just for us to be around more and talk to them on a regular basis. Liz has found this effective.

* Inviting others to join the group

Not yet while the project is in a practical function period ie CAMRU.

Headhunting?

Asking people to join for a specific reason / time period?

Should we have a boy?

Could be hard to 'initiate'?!

*Blog

Discussion due to address being published in catalogue. Decided that although it can be quite 'intimate', that is appropriate for a blog and that it is good to be transparent. Value on process not product and the blog shows lots of the process. Keeps us on an equal level with others ie it's not us being experts, we are obviously working things out as we go.

OK I think that's it, sorry it's huge!!!

See you all soon X Sian