"Facilitation", derived from the Latin "facilis," signifies "ease" or "making things easy." To facilitate represents the skill of making complex processes more accessible. The course focuses on facilitation as art practice and specifically facilitation of environments that invites participation. We look at how language, space, objects, time and participants are compositional, interrelated, complex and malleable elements for facilitating participatory, immersive environments. The course is based on artistic practice and research in the fields of game/play, hybrid realms, and participatory performance. Apart from Game/Play and Participatory Performance, the course engages with tools and approaches coming from visual art, socially engaged practice, choreography, mindfulness, and didactics in three ways: 1. by active participation in participatory situations and reflecting onto the facilitator role; 2. by subsequently designing frameworks for and taking on the role of the facilitator in participatory settings; 3. by punctual contextualising lecture inputs.The course finishes with a lab where the student group works are tested and reflected upon.

Charlotta Ruth (participatory art, play, choreography)
charlottaruth.com

Guest Lecturer: Jasmin Schaitl (visual artist and performer)

jasminschaitl.com

- Continuous attendance and active participation in all 4 labs and group meetings.

- Development and communication of a participatory setting during the labs in small groups. Presentation and sharing during the final lab in January.

- Submission of a short written reflection on the participatory nature of the lab.

Limited places: Maximum 15 students

Language: English (German possible)

WHO CAN PARTICIPATE

No prior knowledge is required but an interest in participatory art formats and non-frontal teaching is necessary. Due to the broad scope of the topic ‘facilitation’, all students from different institutes are welcome.

LITERATURE (recommended)

- Rameses, Imani/Ruth, Charlotta/Schaitl, Jasmin: ‘Withdrawing the Performer. Facilitating Participatory Sense-Making’, in: reposition 2/2024 p. 161 - 175.

- Hanna De Jaegher/Ezequiel Di Paolo, ‘Participatory sense-making: An enactive approach to social cognition.’ in: Phenomenology and the cognitive sciences, 6, 2007, p.485-507.