On 30th November, EDN celebrated its first Atelier. The meeting served as space to reflect together about the future strategies of the network and to write an action plan. David Márquez and Natalia Balseiro, both independent curators, offered us a specially designed methodology that we share with you all.

Introduction

If we are going to discuss dance and movement, then we need to go the whole way and change our perspective. We will start with the idea of taking a 180º turn and observing the situation from the other side, re-positioning our look in order to face it. To achieve this we will modify the logic of a process of strategic development and begin at the end so that, once the process has made some progress, we can identify the main strategic lines of work serving the EDN in the medium term.

The values on which the projects are based –in this case valuing dance and what is meant by and makes up dance today, the choreography and associated thinking– should not only take in the context of the projects but also their operational and functional approaches. Furthermore, all activities are guided by two major criteria moving the EDN project: sustainability and relevance. Today’s management models must change and be consistent with the concepts used to generate thinking, knowledge and action. This is why we propose a shift to a new way of working and generating collective thinking processes and activities in EDN, open to other people and in particular open to the artists and the general public, who are the people for whom these projects are developed.

Room layout

Tables and chairs with the possibility of altering the layout as so desired. Display boards showing EDN main goals, the agenda for the day and activities planned for the first year.

Methodology

Activities planned for the first year - for approval (85 min)

• (5 min) We will begin with a presentation of the work plan for the day and the goals to be achieved.
• (5 min) All the activities planned for the first year will be listed horizontally on a display board. The leaders of each of the activities will write their names and the name of their organisation beneath each one. They will also nominate a coordinator for each activity.
• (20 min) The leaders of each of the first-year activities will be allowed two minutes to present briefly the activity they are leading. They should indicate the following: name and brief description of the activity, dates and venue.
• (5 min) Following this presentation, the participants can enrol for the activity that interests them most, thus creating the working groups for the first-year activities.
• (5 min) Once the groups have been set up, they can make themselves at home anywhere in the workspace (public spaces in the Mercat de les Flors on the ground and first floors and also the SG Auditorium). They will have to decide on the following:
  • (5 min) The person responsible for taking notes and supporting decision-making in the group.
  • (15 min) The activity coordinator’s responsibilities in relation to the network and other duties.
  • (15 min) The proposals with specific content that may be continued by each person.
    (20 min) The schedule and methodology to be followed by the working group (meetings, work methods, dates).

Discussion: Themes and ideas that emerged from previous meetings and new ones that may emerge: channelling them into specific activities and projects

• (15 min) We will note down the themes and ideas that emerged in previous meetings on a sheet of paper. This will be pasted on each table (each first-year-activity working group works at their own table). We will explore these themes and ideas and any others that may arise in order to reach a consensus and write down the name of one or more activities and/or projects that it would be interesting to put into practice, including a brief descriptiton of no more than five lines. To be written in large, legible letters for easy reading by the other participants.
• (15 min) Once the proposals have been written down, there will be a period of silent reflection to allow each participant to offer feedback on each of the proposals coming from the other groups. This feedback will be supplied individually in writting, in post-its that will be placed on top of the documents generated by the groups.
• (15 min) Having collected feedback on all the projects, we will return to our ideas and review the feedback in order to rework the proposals -if considered appropiate and opportune- redefining and rewriting them through consensus.
• (10 min) Once reworked, they will put on the display board again and read to the other participants so that they can be implemented as second or third-year activities or as EDN projects or projects with external partners or collaborators.
• (5 min) We will examine the ideas that emerge to decide which could be activities (likely to be developed by EDN) and which could be projects (developable both within and outside EDN).

Braimstorming: Activities planned for the second year

• (30 min) The activities planned for the second year and those emerging from the previous methodology are shown on the display board and presented by their leaders. Those wishing to propose an activity can do so by writing it down on the display board next to those already scheduled (in the project). Together these will make up the second-year activity plan. Activity leaders should write down the activity names, venues and schedules and present them briefly. Once presented all the proposed activities the participants can enrol for the activity that interests them most and which they want to work on.
• Once the participants have chosen the activities in which they wish to participate, we will activate those groups with a minimum of three people.
• Once established the activities and groups, the first-year work guidelines will be followed in order to decide who will coordinate the activity, his/her duties, the content thay may be proposed, and the methodology and the work plan to be followed.
• (5 min) Once the groups have been set up, they can make themselves at home anywhere in the workspace. They will have to decide on the following:
  • (5 min) The person responsible for taking notes and supporting decision-making in the group.
  • (15 min) The activity coordinator’s responsibilities in relation to the network and other duties.
  • (15 min) The proposals with specific content that each person may contribute.
  • (20 min) The schedule and methodology to be followed by the working group (meetings, work methods, dates, etc).

Third-year activities

• (30 min) The activities planned for the second year and those arising from the previous methodology are shown on the display board and presented  by their leaders. Those wishing to propose an activity can do so writing it down on the display board next to those already scheduled (in the project). Together these will make up the third-year activity plan. Activity leaders should write down the activity names, venues and schedules and present them briefly.
• Once presented all the proposed activities the participants can enrol for the activity that interests them most and which they want to work on.
• Once the participants have chosen the activities in which they wish to participate, we will activate those groups with a minimum of 3 people.
• Once established the activities and groups, the same guidelines will be followed in order to decide who will coordinate the activity, his/her duties, the content that may be proposed, and the methodology and work plan to be followed.
• (5 min) Once the groups have been set up, they can make themselves at home anywhere in the workspace. They will have to decide on the following:
  • (5 min) The person responsible for taking notes and supporting decision-making in the group.
  • (15 min) The activity coordinator’s responsibilities in relation to the network and other tasks.
  • (15 min) The proposals with specific content that each person may contribute.
  • (20 min) The schedule and methodology to be followed by the working group (meetings, work methods, dates).

Trips (Outreach activities) and collaborators: Any particular themes needing attention?

Video documentation

Watch the clip of the Atelier "EDN Future Strategies" that took place at Mercat de les Flors in Barcelona the 30th November 2014. We worked together to reflect on how the network should continue acting in the short term on our two major criteria: relevance and sustainability for dance art.