Halfway through the Resource Roundtable series, it feels like a good time to reflect on the format of Company Concentric’s monthly Zoom meetings. What distinguishes a roundtable from a panel discussion? How do Mikaela and I as co-hosts ensure that our events feel ’round’? And why might artists feel particularly welcomed in the roundtable setting?
An ideal shape
It goes without saying that, at Company Concentric, we love circular shapes. Our cross-disciplinary work thrives when ideas pass around and when the artists involved sit together to reflect on their collaborations. Although mathematically, a circle gathers all points equidistant from a centre, in our practice, equal distance to an idea or project has proved difficult to achieve. At the roundtables, some people sit on the outer circles of the Zoom room as listeners. Others move centre stage by clicking ‘unmute’, raising a hand, or chipping in through the chat. All of these modes of engagement are valid choices.
Indeed, what we mean by ’roundtable’ is the possibility, not the obligation, for anyone in the Zoom room to contribute. The shape of a circle illustrates this vision because it is a configuration where all individuals can easily see and listen to everyone else around. Neither panellists nor passive members of the public, they can thus rotate roles over the course of a single event.
The planning of our roundtables begins by putting a topic of discussion in the centre and inviting a suitable guest contributor. In most cases, this person will be more experienced, better informed and metaphorically closer to the centre point than any of the event attendees. As co-hosts, Mikaela and I support our guest and also research the topic before each event. That way, we position ourselves close to the centre, but certainly not as close as the contributor.
If we shaped our digital encounters as panel discussions, those attending would find themselves in a pre-defined square, reserved for ‘audience members’. In a Zoom webinar, this would make them silent and invisible. Instead, we use the standard Zoom meeting format to let attendees move around at any point in the conversation.
Shape shifting
In November, we invited Crystal Nicholls, a wellness coach for performers, to contribute to our fifth roundtable titled ‘Boosting Your Creativity’. Crystal was very well prepared and started us off with a comprehensive list of food and drink recommendations for creatives. This part of the discussion was highly didactic. Like an interview, it drew a straight line between Mikaela, who was prompting questions and Crystal, who responded with plenty of information.
Crystal recommended having a 12-hour fasting period between the last thing you eat in the evening and the first thing you eat in the morning. It was pointed out that digesting takes a lot of energy, and therefore lowers the energy available for creative work. No wonder my most productive and creative dance lesson planning time is often post-morning training and pre-lunch! something I have been increasingly aware of this since.
When the focus shifted to the importance of rest and sleep, another attendee picked up the mic. Her intervention turned the two-sided exchange into a triangular dialogue. Other creatives in the Zoom room jumped in, adding a new perspective here and another angle there. Soon, the conversation became a polygon, enriched by many different sides of knowledge and experience.
Within 90 minutes, some portions of the conversation felt more like a talk. There were also moments of silence, spontaneous sub-questions, and chances to split into smaller groups to continue conversations in breakout rooms. Providing smaller circles within the group gathering is a recent addition to the design of the roundtables. As mentioned in Mikaela’s reflections on the October roundtable, this has made the shape of our most recent events even more interesting and given them a rather round and welcoming feeling. Because of their interactive nature, our roundtables change shape.
Warmth across cold screens
Many of the artists who join our roundtables have expressed that they found a sense of community there. The November roundtable felt like a particularly warm and friendly one. Even individuals who were initially quiet and off camera ended up showing their face and speaking to the whole group when they came back from their breakout rooms. People asked very relevant questions, and nobody took advantage of space and airtime in the group conversation. Perhaps our intuitive design of circular exchanges created what it was meant to offer: a welcoming, circular community.
Yanaëlle Thiran