Unintentional Outcomes
Poems produced by Bridging Histories
When we search for something specific in a shop, an inspiring voice in a crowd, an engaging artefact in a conference room perhaps we are ready to take on a meaningful unintentional task at hand or respond productively to what we have affection for.
“Did you know that there is a global 'I Am From' poetry project? People all over the world have written these poems. Give it a try...” source: BRIDGING HISTORIES.
Be A Monument Detective. Produced by Bridging Histories.
Serendipity intervenes
I arrived at Southwark town hall to photo-document a community-led-presentation on an ongoing Yoruba Heritage Trails and Murals project, a Culturetree production. I did not imagine I might walk onto a range of colourful writing prompts by happenstance. The use of language by members of the audience to re-imagine storied spaces, real life and imaginary experiences, came to mind.
Be A Change Maker. Produced Bridging Histories.
Before I stumbled onto a colourful set of writing prompts.
As I walked through a high ceiling reception, into a low ceiling conference space, a semi-circle amphitheatre arrangement was in place. I placed my tripod and camera right at a central location. From this vantage point I trained the lens on a two seat set up. It seemed like an intimate set up for an interactive interview, with consideration for the audience to participate.
Gbemisola Isimi, founder and director of Culturetree, keeps her eyes on the footage of a moment .
In between Joanna and myself getting up to speed about these colourful writing prompts
Gbemisola Isimi, my colleague who runs Culturetree and is a locus for community nurturing, beelines me to come over to document moments. The point: to bring in multiple narrative points of view associated with the project. I found these moments an invaluable opportunity to build relationships with individuals in the frame, as I sought quiet permission to be a fly-on-the-wall documentary photographer.
Gbemisola Isimi (back to the lens) having a conversation with Queen Ronke Ademiluyi.
Where did my gaze go? What do we tend to look at?
Recipes. Produced by Bridging Histories.
How might we explore the boundaries of this “Fried Rice Recipe Nigerian Style?”
Recipes. Produced by Bridging Histories.
“A single recipe is never one true version of a dish” so says Yewande Komolafe. This is what came to mind as I read this note.
Whilst I was setting up, I had noticed a lady organising these set of colourful cards, A5 in size. Each one had a signpost at the back, for example "activity #2:...RECIPES," with an illustration of herbs, spices and vegetables as they float and pour into a bowl. In 5-10 minutes, Dr. Joanna Burch-Brown and myself had acquainted ourselves with each other, a function of the prompts and her young son, who turned out to be a diligent assistant. She had driven all the way from Bristol for this gig and was driving back the same evening. I thought fate has a task for us to get on with.
Dr. Joanna Burch-Brown, in the shirt with stripes listens intently to a voice in the audience.
How might we use writing prompts to facilitate a community jam, that accommodates the priorities of key influencers in the room?
I thought this is an invitation by serendipity to enter into today's agenda, in concert with Joanna’s intentions, to explore the interests of the audience through participatory activity - one of six activities at a time. Her objective to my mind was self evident as I read the design of each writing prompt as a visual instruction. In my view, these are prompts to inspire rapid brainstorming session or enhance story making capacity in the room. Specifically to elicit future facing imaginary experiences, creative thinking and or oral story telling.
Mayor of Southwark Michael Situ seems to ponder for a moment, on his way to the conference room.
Live decision making when we don’t have a lot of time. Talker after talker ticked their box in the evening’s agenda. As time flew by, the need to guide the conversation around participant engagement called out, in good conscience. We need to remove any feeling of judgement. We need to help people find space to be present, and create room for non-verbal collaboration. The question was, in the moment, how might we curate and adapt this space as is.
Be A Changemeker produced by Bridging Histories.
An inciting incident occurs when the views of an influential member of the audience aligns with this prompt Be A Change Maker as a culture probe. They share their idea eagerly in their speech to the audience, about change: “school children learning science, technology, engineering and technology in Yoruba, ” as Japanese or Danish children are taught STEM in their languages. This incident allows us to jump in a similar creative spot with this influential voice in the community. We were able to redirect participation from a section of the audience, in a pop-up fashion, open the floor to next steps, highlight what feedback we require from people in the audience. All this in between change in a speakers’ line-up. As this dynamic happens in the moment, I would suggest it is useful to have alignment with the priorities of every stakeholder in the room.
Improvisation: prep to adapt, and take alternative pathways
Over the course of the event, a show and tell format, I listened to an influential presenter take on a change-maker persona, kept Joanna in the loop. I made a beeline for the presenter, invited them to use a prompt with the signpost "Activity #6: BE A CHANGEMAKER." They were happy to be an expert witness as they understood the context of the assignment. We seem to meet them where their energy is.
In addition, their active role was visible to those in proximity to them, to help prompt discussion from a small cross-section of the audience.
In my view, how we embrace serendipity and unintentional outcomes matters. I find this an invaluable learning experience on how people tell, or might tell stories, at their leisure at time starved situations.
An unintended lesson in improvisation facilitation. All things, cultural and social circumstances, place, space, considered.
Street Histories produced by Bridging Histories.
Street Histories produced by Bridging Histories.
