E.3.1.a Self-organised Assembly
Spirit of free school, big annual family gathering, retreat, visits.
The Assembly is a key moment as well as a key device for Arts Collaboratory to operate as a translocal organisation according to our ethical principles.
It provides a temporary space for all the organizations to gather, live together, share experiences, address issues and challenges in a mode of collective study, and collective engagement in decision-making processes. It also plays a crucial role as a laboratory for studying together ways for individual organisations to navigate local dynamics while collectively envisioning ways to deal with unfolding challenges in and beyond AC.
It permits the nurturing of our sense of empathy and the galvanizing of an ‘energy pot’ comprised of our lived and inherited experiential knowledge of various historical contexts.
Through this extensive time of physically being together, we also develop common languages and enrich our commonwealths.
The Assembly is self-organised by the AC members and therefore the moment when we exercise self-governance and develop forms of accountability. It provide a practical training ground to exercise self-organization and horizontality.
It is the perfect setting for new members to experience and understand Arts Collaboratory’s intricacies on an emotional, ideological and practical level.
Practical framework
The Assembly takes place once a year, for at least 10 full days (excluding travel time); The 2016 Assembly in Kyrgyzstan took place in June and the 2017 Assembly in Costa Rica is scheduled from June 11th to June 22nd.
The Assembly takes place in a different country each time, where at least one of the organizations of AC is based.
The Assembly Working Group is the one in charge of organising and facilitating the Assembly. The hosting team(s) should be an integral part of the group which also includes members from other organizations that signed up during the previous assembly.
During the Assembly, working sessions are facilitated by the facilitation group. Specialized sessions are also facilitated by the members of specific working groups according to the issue to be addressed. The role of facilitation is not to make decisions but rather to make progress happen.
It’s important that we challenge the boundaries between host and guests. The hosting team and Assembly Working Group creates a structure to facilitate the Assembly and the stay of the AC members. However, members should take part in coordinating the Assembly, especially the reproductive labour such as cooking, cleaning, taking care of each other. As such, even before the Assembly, some tasks are delegated to each member such as: ticket booking and purchasing, visa application, etc.
Each member should pay for their ticket, visa, and accomodation from the collective pot.
Additional assembly funds have been budgeted for the remaining expenses: A maximum of 31,860 EUR.
Main Objectives
The assembly is the occasion to collectively study our Sustainability Lifeline Plans as well as to (re)-visit our Ethical Principles; and our collective entity (governance).
It is an opportunity for the triangles to meet, work together and share their processes.
The assembly nurtures the desire for collaborative projects and exchanges among the AC organisations.
Time and space are allocated to develop the tooling methods for sharing what we learn with others;
We evaluate Banga Meetings that had took place and the tools generated by them, and address possible future meetings;
As part of the collective study, we visit and explore other communities and organisations that are part of the local environment, outside and inside the field of art, as a mean to mutually transform and extend our affinity lines;
The assembly allows us to engage in non-discursive and non-verbal moments where our emotions and bodies are directly involved, experimenting communication methods. This could be in a form of party, dancing, picnic, or ‘emotional assembly’;
We visit and evaluate the common resources that are tangible, intangible, imaginary and material;
We study the resource map and determine the need for continuing the work of the Temporary Working Groups and we look for ways of rotating the participation in these groups while implementing self-care and self-limitation.
We dedicate part of our time for updating and fundraising new resources;
Lastly, we decide collectively on the location for the next Assembly, following proposition(s) by members
Techniques used during Assembly:
The techniques described below are not used exclusively during the Assembly but also while working remotely. They are however better exemplified and experienced during an Assembly.
Small groups. As much as possible, we try to work in small groups while allowing for key moments to be shared all-together. Small groups allow for intimate setting, faster-pace, the participation of everyone, and in-depth knowledge and understanding of others. The results are always shared with the whole network. The groups vary most of the time so everyone can work with everyone.
Language. Arts Collaboratory is multilingual and doesn’t recognize one language as prominent. Although, for practical reasons, English is most widely used and spread. Translation and navigating between languages is an ongoing process. As much as possible, all major texts are translated and available in English, French, and Spanish (sometimes also Russians and Arabic). Working within small groups also allows for easier translation and circulation of the conversation. Most of the time, translation is an informal process undertaken by volunteers. AC tries to provide a space where the members can express freely in any language they are most comfortable with.
Harvesting technique.
Drawings and maps. The preferred expression mode of Arts Collaboratory, alongside writing and publishing, is drawing and mapping (our constellation, resources, governance model, etc.) Over time, we have renewed our commitment to express ourselves not only in words but also in images and drawings allowing us to visualize our affinities and connections more vividly.
Decision-making process
The Assembly is the ideal time and space to test and experience the potentiality of Arts Collaboratory, the way it is run, and the application of our ethical principles.
In line with our ethical principles of horizontality and openness, consensus is the preferred mode of decision of Arts Collaboratory, agreed on during the Kyrgyzstan Assembly of 2016.
Working groups can move and decide freely but must report to and consult with the general assembly (all the members), especially for major decisions (including usage of budget, doubt on the conformity with the ethical principles, etc.)
Consensus is exercised during plenary sessions of the Assembly, and it is also practiced using e-mails.
Steps to reach consensus were explained during the Kyrgyzstan Assembly and the processes for making decisions outside of the assembly are included in the Internal Communications Guidelines.
The documentation of the Assembly is also based on the methods of tooling that we develop (see E.3).
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