Creating Arts Together - putting ethnodoxology into practice

A Guide to the CLAT ProcessPresented by Jennifer Chignola

CREATINGLOCAL ARTSTOGETHER

A B F rts for a etter

uture

© 2013 Brian Schrag, Int’l Council of Ethnodoxology

www.ethnodoxologyhandbook.com/manual

SEVEN STEPS OF CLAT

1 MEET2 SPECIFY3 SELECT4 ANALYZE

5 SPARK6 IMPROVE7 INTEGRATE

“Research + Ministry = Love”

- Robin Harris, ICE

MEET A COMMUNITY & ITS ARTS

TAKE A FIRST GLANCE AT…

• a specific community• the community’s arts• the community’s goals• the community’s social &

conceptual life• summarize results &

challenges of this step

1

SPECIFY KINGDOM GOALS

STEPS FOR SPECIFYING GOALS :

• Gather community voices• Explore strengths & aspirations• Explore problems• Native community (not you!) chooses

to focus on one or two goals• Summarize results & challenges

2

6 Broad Kingdom Goals Categories

Category Examples

Identity & Sustainability Community values identity, teaches children their traditions, contributes local, regional, & global media.

Shalom Responds to social, emotional, & physical challenges in healthy ways. Practices reconciliation, rest & play.

JusticeLoves & strengthens poor & socially marginalized. Learns what’s needed to succeed in & contribute to society. Reads and listens to Bible & other literature. Works to contribute to their material well-being .

Scripture Translates scripture. Accesses scripture thru familiar forms.

Church LifeChrist-followers gather to worship in ways that promote deep communication with God & each other. Understand & remember scripture. Mark crucial events with culturally appropriate Christian rites & ceremonies. Non-believers learn about God thru witnessing.

Personal Spiritual LifeIndividual has vibrant prayer/mediation life, experiences spiritual growth, examines scripture accurately & faithfully, applies Bible to their life.

Kingdom Goals: Strengths Table

Strengths Kingdom Goal

Hospitality Shalom

Respect b/t generations Identity & Sustainability

Celebration Identity & Sustainability

High value for education Justice

… …

… …

Kingdom Goals: Problems Table

Problems Kingdom Goals

Exploitation/Human Trafficking Justice

War, crime, violence Shalom

Group(s) left out of worship Church

Loss of traditions Identity & Sustainability

Fear of death Personal Spiritual Life

Lack of access to Bible Scripture

SELECT EFFECTS, CONTENT, GENRE, & EVENTS

BASED ON THE KINGDOM GOAL (S), CHOOSE THE DESIRED…

• EFFECTS of the new artistry– “How do we want people to change in ways that

move them towards this kingdom goal?”– Examples: influence feelings, thoughts, actions,

understanding, circumstance, behaviors

• CONTENT of the new artistry– “What content do we want to communicate?”– “How can we make sure the content is reliable?”

3

SELECT EFFECTS, CONTENT, GENRE, & EVENTS

BASED ON THE KINGDOM GOAL (S), CHOOSE THE DESIRED…

3• GENRE that can communicate the content &

produce the desired effects– Show list of artistic genres produced when you did

‘First Glance @ Community Arts’ exercise and for EACH genre ask…

– “Would a new artistic work in this genre have the chosen effects & communicate the chosen content?”

• EVENTS that host new artistic work in the desired genre

– “Who are the communicators? What senses will participants use? When & where? How will participants respond to the original artists? Could the genre miscommunicate the message to participants?”

ANALYZE AN EVENT CONTAINING THE CHOSEN GENRE

DESCRIPTION OF AN ARTISTIC GENRE :[Genre Name]

4A. Event Analysis [EVENT

NAME]• Start/End – date, time• Location• Brief description• First glance at the event:

– Space– Materials– Participants– Shape thru time– Performance features– Content

– Underlying symbolic systems– Apparent purposes– Emotions– Community values shown– Communal investment

SPACE

MATERIALS

PARTICIPANTS

SHAPE TRHU TIME

PERFORMANCE FEATURES

MESSAGE

SYMBOLS

PERFORMANCE LENSES

I N T E R R E L AT I ON O F L E N S E S


4B. Artistic Aspects of an Event

• Music• Drama• Dance• Oral verbal arts• Visual arts• Interrelationships between

formal elements of the event

APPLY PERFORMANCE

LENSES TO EACH ARTISTIC ASPECT

DESCRIPTION OF AN ARTISTIC GENRE :



4C. Broader Cultural Context of an Event

• Artists• Creativity• Language• Transmission & change• Cultural dynamism• Identity & power• Aesthetics• Time• Emotions• Subject matter• Community values shown• Communal investment


4D. Explore how a Christian community relates

• Discover a Christian community’s arts• Compare a CC’s use of arts with that of

its surrounding communities• Evaluate how arts currently fulfill a CC’s

purposes• Apply a heart arts questionnaire to a CC• Evaluate worship meetings using

biblical principles• Evaluate a Christian community using

the worship wheel• Assess a multicultural CC’s art• Interpret Scripture well

to the Broader Church and cultural context [CHURCH NAME]


SPARK CREATIVITYOBJECTIVE :

5

DESIGN AN ACTIVITY that will result in NEW ARTISTRY for a genre which,

when enacted in a COMMUNITY EVENT, will likely produce DESIRED EFFECTS in those who experience it and thereby provide a chance for the community to

MOVE TOWARD KINGDOM GOAL.

SPARK CREATIVITY1 . WHAT IS A SPARKING ACTIVITY ?

5• Anything that results in the creation of new artistry

• Profile: Title, summary w/ overall type, participants, research needed from CAP survey

(Step 1), materials needed, tasks/steps involved, Big Picture analysis

SPARK CREATIVITY2 . DRAW ON FAMILIAR METHODS OF COMPOSITION:

5• Each community & creative individual has

PATTERNS they follow to make art

• Think carefully about the MERISTEM: love, encourage, & protect those who are the crux of creativity and “growth point” in artistic production

• May have to COMISSION secular artists. Make sure they are reputable.

SPARK CREATIVITY3 . IDENTIFY OPPORTUNITIES & BARRIERS :

5• What might help the community spark a rich

flowering of new works in this genre?• How could we draw on these opportunities when

designing the sparking activity?

• What might stop the community from achieving this activity?

• How could we overcome those barriers?

SPARK CREATIVITY4 . DECIDE ON THE TYPE OF ACTIVITY:

5• COMISSIONING

• WORKSHOPS

• SHOWCASE EVENTS

• MENTORING

• APPRENTICESHIP

• PUBLICATIONS

• CREATOR’S CLUB

SPARK CREATIVITY

5 . DESIGN A NEW OR MODIFY AN EXISTING ACTIVITY

5

6 . PERFORM THE ACTIVITY & RECORD WHAT HAPPENED IN THE CAP

Contextualization:

FORMS MEANINGS RESULT

Local Local Local Religion

Foreign LocalChristo-pagan

Syncretism

Foreign ForeignDomination Syncretism

Local ChristianAppropriate for

the Church

The Intersection of Form and Meaning

Charles Kraft, Anthropology for Christian Witness © 1996

IMPROVE NEW WORKSDECIDING CRITERIA FOR GOOD & BAD :• TRUST the local system

• IDENTIFY what kinds of evaluation should happen & when (during or after)

• DESIGN an evaluation process using a conceptual approach

6

– Identify & work thru local structures– Define together criteria for how good a work is & how to improve it– Identify elements of artistic communication (ala Step 4)– Identify purposes of artistic communication event– Identify people to include in eval. process– Identify objects that can provide focal point or reference when

evaluating event – Together affirm aspects of the creation that work well. Encourage

creators to do something better based on the eval.

IMPROVE NEW WORKSDESIGN A RECURRING CYCLE OF EVALUATION :• WHO SHOULD HELP? 4-5 target audience

members and 2+ older experts in the community

• WITH PPL ABOVE, TEST FOR…

• CORRECT THE ART WORK

• TEST AGAIN FOR EFFECTIVENESS

6

– MEANING– NATURALNESS– OWNERSHIP– ACCURACY

IMPROVE NEW WORKSDESIGN AN EVALUATION PROCESS BASED ON SCRIPTURAL FIDELITY :

• SELF-CHECK

• CONSULTANT CHECK

• COMMUNITY CHECK

cf. Contextualization Chart by Charles Kraft

for further guidance on discerning form and

meaning behind a new piece of artistry.

6

INTEGRATE & CELEBRATE

CHOOSE WHAT TO I&C :

7• Encourage continuity…

– By making intentional creativity a habit– In arts that make the most unique kingdom contributions– In the most endangered arts– In arts that are most likely to flourish

ACT TO KEEP THE GOOD GOING:• Integrate

– Make artistic practice a part of normal patterns of community life (ala Step 5)

• Celebrate– Present to community leaders, disseminate

recordings, perform at festivals & social events, enter contests

• Evaluate

INTEGRATE & CELEBRATE

UNDERSTAND MORE ABOUT CONTINUITY :

7• Good creativity spawns more creativity

• Recurring events help

• Artistry needs to fill four conditions to be sustainable

1. FUNCTION2. ACQUISITION (pass on art forms)

3. MOTIVATION4. ENVIRONMENT

International

INTEGRATE & CELEBRATE7GRADE SUSTAINABILITY ON A HOPE TO HOPELESS SCALE :

Extinct

AND FINALLY…KNOW WHEN TO LET GO!

Dormant

Shifting

Locked

Threatened

Vigorous

National / Regional