Clara-project proposal

What do you want to make?

I am developing generative short story workshops as methods to "solve" problems. "Solve" in quotation because the aim of the workshops is not to realistically solve problems but rather to take a creative take on the perspective of the problems and solve them through the ridiculous of a triggered children's imagination. The workshops use a printed and set story structure with elements to be filled in by the participants. The method aims to trigger quick responses trying to escape the adult way of overthinking and analyzing. My creative story-making method is adaptable to different audiences and in turn can help express and deal with relevant topics for these audiences. The material of the workshop is strongly inspired by the structure and methods used in children’s stories and fables to teach morals and ways of behaving, as well as social media platforms that try to quickly convey information concisely and in short amounts of time. It gives short sentences in combination with illustration space to speak and convey more than what is simply written.

How do you plan to make it?

I'm creating structures that are then printed filled in and scanned. I'm also conversing with specific audiences about relevant topics they would want to address.

Planning

November
~ Organizing and doing workshop with School voor Jong Talent at KABK
~ Adapt a workshop or an overview of work for November 29th Xpub session
~ Get in contact with Page Not Found about participating in Page of Possibilities
~ Brainstorm about the form that the work could take for the graduation (and then prototype)
~ Preparation for december workshop ioth office workers
~ Come up with a transportable method to scan all the produced book and give back to participants

December
~ Workshop with office workers
~ Work on form that the work will take for graduation (digitalizing)
~ Possibly contact more places for workshops to take place
~ Collaboration with Yara with kids in Palestine

January~February
~ More workshops
~ Work on form that the work will take for graduation (digitalizing)
~ Brainstorm on way to bring all the content back into a publication

March~May
~ Print publication created
~ Finalise graduation format and plan/gather what would be physically needed

Why do you want to make it?

To allow for a different way to express things that need a platform. To open conversations. To allow for the participants to get in touch with their creativity and their locked away "childish" way of thinking.

Who do you want to make it with?

Different age groups and specific audiences

Who can help you and how?

Page of Possibilities organizer ~ knowledge and experience doing workshops with kids (also with multiple languages)
School voor Jong Talent educators ~ know how to structure art lessons and workshops for kids
Leslie ~ putting me in contact with places to organize workshops
Michael and Manetta ~ with brainstorming and technical aspects of digitalization

Relation to previous practice

Tiny's adventure was one of the first step towards this type of project. I created short one line stories about daily life..

Relation to larger context

I believe this method can help get people out of their daily life for a short amount of time and give them a new perspective. It could become a form of therapy to trigger a creative way to open up about problems.