Participatory Projects

Art and Design in a Social Context Gent 2007

Tom Chambers MBEUniversity of Strathclyde, Glasgow

tomsocad@tiscali.co.uktom.chambers@strath.ac.uk

ACD

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For the purposes of this presentation I amimagining a spectrum of events or situationsranging from the ‘instrumental’ to the‘emancipatory’

Where on that spectrum does the aesthetic lie?

Where on that spectrum does the aesthetic lie?

Is it a question of value or merely taste?

‘instrumental’ - a response to practical,economic and matters of taste – merchandising.

‘emancipatory’ – enabling, concerned withsocial values and effective communication – socialinclusion and sustainability.

Is it a question of truth or merely opinion?

I believe that the events of yesterday, where notionsof trust and positive regard for others were inevidence, are the beginnings of achieving positive,communicative interaction.

Communicative actions are at the core of participatoryprojects.

A brief outline of the practice from 1968 -

Biography

Graduate of The Glasgow School of Art inpainting and sculpture.Working in educational institutionsCanada, Australia and United Kingdom Exhibitions in Canada, Australia and UK

Focus of the presentation

An environment projectQuestions of inclusion and exclusion

Hospitals & environmental art Working with NHS and CSA (NHS Scotland)The use of CAD and presentational techniques

These are arts ‘projects’, working within particular communities – enabling people to work within there own areas of interest and beyond. The first project illustrated is the Kirklands Hospital Art Project, followed by a selection of others involving artists, designers and architecture students collaborating with particular community based groups.

Kirklands Hospital Art Project

Kirklands Hospital Art Project

Involving those within the institutional context working in partnership with others – with Higher Education, with learning communities and the voluntary sector.

Kirklands

Located in Bothwell, south of Glasgow, built as an asylum in the 19th century for people with learning difficulties was considered advanced for its time. By the 1970s it was considered inappropriate and subject to redevelopment.

Kirklands Hospital (from 1980s)

The aim of the arts project was to act as a bridge to the wider community hopefully initiating change in the perception of the wider community, and staff within, to enhance the life of residents and staff.

Issues confrontedSensory impairment Learning difficultiesSocial exclusion and asylum

Reflecting on:Cultural exclusion Cultural institutionsCultural dominance

Considering issues of accessto those with a sensory impairment to the cultural hierarchy of objects (galleries)and access to public sphere (discussion/dialogue)

Key concerns - interpretation and communication

A problem of a confusion of thought.

An example of the confusion of thought in the interpretation of an event (object/context)in which the interpretation of the viewers were influenced by their role in a cultural institution.

Two works by participants in the projectThe first of the last two slides – a work by a young lady with a visual impairment. The second by a young lady with sight.

The first went on to initiate inclusive workshops.

The second to graduate and post graduate programmes and as artist in residence in USA and Europe.

In the case of the first, it was not considered possible to pursue an education in the visual arts

The context of the work was an institution ofconfinement – formerly a 19th century asylum.

The context of the exhibition, and the confusion ofthought, was in The Glasgow School of Art as part ofthe events celebrating the event of Glasgow as the

European City of Culture 1990.

Strategy Initiate an environment project, which engages the agents of change in the built environment

In education, architecture and health authorities.

Agents of change

Beginning with the user and potential commissioners of public buildings

Partners – voluntary arts, arts organisations (Third Eye Centre), art and design tutors and architectural services NHS (Scotland) and Health Board Strategic Planning officers.

Key issues - hierarchies in art and design practiceThe social applications of art and designThe role of the ‘artist/designer in residence’

To follow are examples of the skills introduced for those young people working with residents with special needs. The latter a casting exercise by the residents (both in cement casting).

Cement casting by a student of art.

Cement casting by residents of the hospital

Aim - Bridging the communities and accessingthe social institutions andthe cultural institutions

Tools Media and Communication

Considering presentational form and accessibility

Questioning preconceptions in and through visual media

Sculpture by anartist in residence

Proposal by visiting artist in the pilot project

The finished mural for staff lounge by the visiting artist in the pilot project

The hospital administrative and therapy block completed during the pilot stage

Art interventions

celebration of pastenhancing the environmentraising questions of value

A detail of the original building retained in one of the courtyards used for exhibitions and recreation.

A temporary installation to demonstrate the use of media

The first major installation with resident block in view

A view from the therapy room with an altered detail of the original building

Stain glass design by visiting artist located between recreation hall and an inner courtyard

Media and Communication -Material processes

• fabrication and construction (adobe)• cement casting• bronze• glass• ceramic• screen-printing

Medium: sculpture in bronze, steel adobe fabrication and stone sets

Medium: ceramic and mosaic added to the recreation hall entrance

Medium: ceramic culpture by visiting artist located in the therapy area

What follows are community based projects

facilitating local initiatives in:early childhoodprimary pupils and community groupslearning community and a health unit

They include:

facilitating local initiatives in:early childhood in an area of social deprivationprimary pupils and community groupslearning community and a health unit

involving artists and students of architecture

Bronze casting with children and adults in alearning environment.

Illustrated are the modelling of wax (pre-fiveyear old) and bronze casting with a visitingIndian artist)

Bronze and concrete casting with communitybased project as part of the redevelopment of ahistoric building/library (adults) and changes tolandscape in a hospital (children and teenagers).

Illustrated sand casting technique from woodpattern to produce bronze work and paving andmetal fabrication of seating (maternity hospital).

Mentoring young artists and designers

The environment project/media workshopsThe participatory design stageThe use of CAD in teaching & learningThe participatory workshop

Students of Architecture and Building Design Engineering, University of Strathclyde

Oncology Centre, Western Infirmary Glasgow

facilitating staff initiativesunder graduate and post graduate contributionin a partnership between a learning community and health unit

University of Strathclyde

design ideas – demonstrating processvirtual modelpresentational form image and filmic image

University of Strathclyde (Architecture)

• Oncology centre (year 3 & 4 BDE)• Partick Jail – sensory impairment (year 3)• Care of the elderly (year 3 BDE)• East Kilbride (year 3 BDE)• School based health promotion (year 4 BDE)

(John Wood – Integrated Building Design and BDE)

University of Strathclyde

Partick Jail – Sensory Impairmentvirtual modelpresentational form image and filmic image

University of Strathclyde

Care Home landscaping projectvirtual modelpresentational form image and filmic image

University of Strathclyde

East Kilbride ‘village’ projectvirtual modelpresentational form image and filmic image

University of Strathclyde

South Lanarkshire – health promotion projectvirtual modelpresentational form image and filmic image

Concluding remarks

Light, in English is often associated withfreedom, emancipation, enabling processes.

The dying of the light with confinement, restraintand incarceration.

I believe that the work you are involved in, which involvesconcepts such as engagement, participatory design process, sociabilityenabling - are at the core of good design – design for all. I believe as artists youare being radical and revolutionary by challenging the technologicaleconomies of production.

Where communication transmits a universe of disconnected images, remarks,statements and commentaries – you are searching for aesthetic form creating asense of order in the midst of chaos.

In addition to knowledge, understanding and appreciation of the key issues of an inclusive design process, you require a philosophy of design – in fact an ethical approach.

In reading a new city, as in the design process, we need first an intuitive grasp of the situation in which we take one step at a time. For the V.I.P, negotiating a new urban situation, each step comes with excitement, fear, exhilaration or dread – an event fraught with danger but always with risk involved. Can a philosophy of art or life be achieved without challenging the existing norms or preconceptions and presumed certainties?

In forming or identifying our own point of view we begin with what is known or presumed and begin the process of respectfully challenging the claims and assertions of the given point of view, the established position. This process should be a rational argument rather than a mere assertion of unquestioned opinions. In order to establish and sustain such a dialogue we engage in communicative actions aimed at reaching a shared point of view, a common interest on which may be built a strategy for transforming our world, which at all times we share with others.

We take positions but can only hold these by the power of our argument – reasoned, defendable propositions. The path we choose will be in the light of our reasoned argument or in the dark of doubt and prejudice. In moments of doubt, when we are unsure or out of step, we can discover new ways of seeing the situation, enlightening our point of view – hence the value of risk taking.

At times we might be concerned with objects or buildings – objects of desire, which hold our attention and distort our seeing. At other times it is with the space between, the relationship of one to a set that casts the most critical attention on the relational dynamics of a shared urban space. The transformation of the urban space, should not only be an instrumental exercise but emancipatory. The tools necessary are media and communication in the service of the participatory project together with the users from initiation to completion.