On Wednesday 7th July 2021, Mikaela and I co-hosted the first of a series of 10 roundtable discussions for artists. As well as reflecting on the theme of Working for the Collective, this 90-minute meeting gave us a chance to put ideas on effective collective work into practice. One point that came up in the group conversation was that the work of a collective can be strengthened by the various experiences of its members. This is precisely what happened within the roundtable: people shared their ways of working in large or smaller art collectives, asked each other questions, and reflected on practical aspects of their creative processes or day to day management of collectives.
Resources
The book Co-Art: Artists on Creative Collaboration edited by E.M. De Wachter and published by Phaidon, is one of the key resources we referred to. Another source, Tate’s Art Terms, mentions how ‘artists working within a collective are united by shared ideologies, aesthetics and, or, political beliefs’. As the discussion went on, we acknowledged that this shared vision or set of values could make space for strong friendship in collective endeavours. Participants noted that there is a lot of trust and group reliance involved in collective structures. We discussed how trust in individual members, combined with trust in the collective as a whole, allows roles to shift and change organically within a collective. Each member’s workload can vary at different points in the collective’s life and each project might require a specific balance of tasks and responsibilities.
Reflections
As I reflect on the way this roundtable unfolded, the event itself feels like a practical example of collective work and an exploration of what it means to operate as a collective. People spontaneously joined the give and take process of sharing ideas and thoughts, bouncing off each other’s reflections and digging deeper with further questions. Of course, some spoke more than others, and there were times when it was necessary to pass the mic on.
From a dance student and recent graduates to experienced freelancers, everyone around the table had something to share. Being in a group where participants picked up and enriched the conversation so spontaneously made my job as a co-host very easy. This month’s roundtablers were 15 creatives with diverse backgrounds. Alongside our guest contributors Robyn Holder and Sophie Thorpe of Feet Off The Ground, there were artists involved in collectives such as The Yonis, the Follow Through Collective and Contact Improv India.
Towards the end of the session, we discussed if and how collectives could also support individual practices. As well as organising free events, we at Company Concentric support individuals in our circles by compiling a toolbox of links and resources after each roundtable. You can request a toolbox using our online form and join our next roundtables live on Zoom on the first Wednesday of each month until April 2022. Keep an eye on our calendar or sign up for our newsletter to find out what each month’s topic will be. We hope that these events and toolboxes will be relevant and useful to your practice!
Yanaëlle Thiran