Convenings

Past Learning Exchange Reports:
Chicago, November 16–18, 2001

Pam Korza
2001

The Chicago report is also available in PDF format.

Learning Exchanges
The Animating Democracy Lab encourages cultural organizations, artists and dialogue practitioners to experiment and test ideas and approaches to arts-based civic dialogue. Animating Democracy Learning Exchanges are opportunities for Lab participants to come together periodically, to share and build knowledge that can help the projects meet their full potential for success. Learning Exchanges encourage critical thinking about the philosophical and practical dimensions of arts-based civic dialogue projects, through peer feedback and exchange. The intent of these convenings is to enable practitioners in various disciplines to inform each other about their work, explore common questions or problems, and draw on differing perspectives. Exchanges occur as the projects are evolving, providing a forum for ideas to develop, as well as in-process analysis of principles and practices of arts-based civic dialogue work. L.E.s range from 70-125 participants, including programmers and artistic directors, cultural organization leaders, community partners, artists, and dialogue specialists associated with Lab projects. Although Learning Exchanges are geared to serve the interests of Lab participants, a small number of guest artists, curators, arts and cultural institution leaders, critics, scholars, and civic dialogue leaders are invited to diversify perspectives and enrich discussion. It is hoped that Learning Exchanges promote a sense of community, cumulative learning, and collective growth. Animating Democracy encourages participants to maintain contact in-between Exchanges and to extend their learning to the broader field.

Documentation 
Animating Democracy reviews notes from Learning Exchange sessions to identify key findings, and questions for further discussion or investigation, for reporting purposes. Here are notes from two case sessions and two challenge sessions at the November 2001 Learning Exchange in Chicago, hosted by the Chicago Cultural Center. For participants in the Exchange and other interested readers, these summaries capture the key points raised in presentations and the substance of discussion around those key points. This is not a transcript. Material is arranged under clear headings that allow readers to browse or jump to the topics in which they're interested.  Session formats vary. Some material has been omitted to respect confidentiality. Animating Democracy has tried to represent all voices with accuracy but was dependent on the quality of notes from each session.

Also below, you will find a link to artist Suzanne Lacy’s essay, “Seeking An American Identity (Working Inward from the Margins),” (pdf) based on her experience at the Chicago Learning Exchange.

The Chicago Learning Exchange was the first opportunity at which new participants from the second Animating Democracy Lab and participants from the first round of projects came together. It happened two months after the September 11 attacks on the World Trade Center. One half-day arts-based civic dialogue experience was facilitated by artist, Marty Pottenger is not documented here due to the experiential nature of the activity. 

Content

  1. Case Sessions
    In these two case sessions, Lab projects sharing common ground or contrasting approaches/ points of view examined philosophies, hypotheses, goals, principles, and/or practices related to their arts/humanities-based civic dialogue efforts. All projects except one were, at the time, still in progress, therefore, the sessions were an opportunity to put forward in-progress investigations, questions, and ruminations regarding dialogue, artistic, and curatorial methodologies and critical issues.
    1. Artistic Practice in Arts-based Civic Dialogue: Cases in Theater
      1. Dell' Arte, The Dentalium Project
      2. San Diego Repertory Theater, Nuestro Pueblo   (subsequently renamed Nuestro California)
      3. Flint Youth Theatre,  . . . My Soul to Take
    2. The High Stakes of History: Pursuing Critical Issues in the Community
      1. St, Augustine's Church & The Lower East Side Tenement Museum, The Slave Galleries Restoration Project
      2. The Andy Warhol Museum, Without Sanctuary
      3. Rhode Island Committee for the Humanities, Traces of the Trade
  2. Challenge Sessions
    1. Northern Lakes Center for the Arts, The Water Project
    2. The Jewish Museum, Mirroring Evil:  Nazi Imagery/Recent Art
  3. Evaluation and Documentation
    Animating Democracy advisors, Steve Day and Rebecca Schaffer, explored issues and practices in documenting and evaluating arts and humanities based civic dialogue projects with emphasis on outcomes based and participatory approaches. 

Seeking An American Identity (Working Inward from the Margins) (pdf)
by Suzanne Lacy
Artist, writer, and educator, Suzanne Lacy participated in an Animating Democracy Learning Exchange in Chicago. She joined more than a hundred artists, cultural organization leaders, community partners, and scholars from around the country who are involved in arts-based civic dialogue work, most through the Animating Democracy Lab. In the shadow of September 11th and stimulated by artist Marty Pottenger’s exploration of the meaning of U.S. citizenship at the gathering, Lacy considers anew what it means to participate as an artist in civic life. Her essay, “Seeking an American Identity (Working Inward from the Margins),” pursues a host of questions about “civic discourse art” related to identity, representation, transparency, aesthetics, and gauging effect, prompted by the arts-based civic dialogue endeavors of Animating Democracy project organizers and artists. Lacy weaves an eloquent exploration of these questions through a fabric of historical context and her own artistic and personal experience, and opens up the issues and possibilities at the intersection of art and civic dialogue for fresh investigation.