Clara-project proposal

What are you making?

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 have a creative take on the problems and solve them through the ridiculous of a triggered children's imagination. The method aims to trigger quick responses trying to escape the adult way of overthinking and analyzing. This method aims to be therapeutic. With a set topic and a set structure the participants are taken on a story making journey to solve and express the topic given to them. The workshop opens conversations as the participants are invited to discuss the story they created to solve their given problem. It aims to create a playful way to tackle serious topics. It also aims to opens minds and create a new perspective of problem solving.

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 development of this 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.

The workshops use a printed and set story structure with elements to be filled in by the participants. For each workshop the fill in story is changed to adapt to the topic of the workshop. The workshop given to younger participants will change and adapt to the ages. After the story is filled in the participants are asked to illustrate their stories. After each session the stories are scanned to keep a digital copy of the stories and the participants will be given their books back. The contents gathered will be used as material for a publication of this graduation work.

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?

Thinking outside the normal is something fascinating. To think and create with the imagination of a young child. To have no boundaries. I think that very little can say a lot and that's what this project started from. The simplicity of children's stories and the crazy idea that come from a child's imagination put together as a method to solve problems. I want to allow for a different way to express issues and I want it to be playful. I want to open conversations and 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.