23 November 2018

First Meeting of A Writing Initiative (AWI)

to sign up, please email: ninkeoverbeek@gmail.com

 

15.00-17.00, Nieuwekade 1, Utrecht (HKU)

 

After the initial meeting at the ARIAS meeting in September, a Writing Initiative (aWI) will have their first meeting to further discuss and develop ideas on creative, alternative or ‘other’ writing strategies within artistic and academic research. Members of the group work as researchers, teachers and artists at (among other institutes) UvA, VU, HvA, Rietveld Art Academy, Fontys Hogeschool and HKU.We have two aims for this first session. We want to write together (we will make use of creative writing exercises) and to discuss what type of content will be of interest for everyone interested in or affiliated with this group. We will use this session to present research done at the Professorship of Performative Processes as well. This possibly leads to the group branching out into different sections, as we still harbour a broad range of interests in (alternative) writing, researching, creating and publishing. We will use this session as a practical meeting as well.

 

The event’s notes and overview can be seen below:

aWi: an initial gathering at HKU

 

Utrecht

Attending: Nirav Christophe, Amal Chatterjee, Marjolijn van den Berg, Mia Lerm Hayes, Miriam Rasch, Ulrike Scholtes, Ninke Overbeek , Iris van Rijn

 

On Friday, 23rd November 2018, the Professorship at the HKU hosted a gathering attended by people interested in aWi. It served as an initial meeting, to exchange ideas and consider ways forward. The attendees shared experience and perspectives. Ninke and Marjolijn provided examples of writing exercises and techniques, and led interesting discussions.

 

Examples of related publications were provided by Nirav and Miriam. There was also discussion about what the aWi could be, with several attendees providing feedback that an “open” association of those involved with Creative Writing and research of all kinds was desirable, providing a pivot that allows associates to be informed about initiatives that might interest them, and to generate new projects and ideas. HKU and Amal proposed that strands be identified, existing projects; new collaborations; training/workshops; and outcomes. The outcomes could include publications, online and print, performances and exhibitions, meetings and symposia. They suggest setting concrete targets, events or publications that several partners can collaborate on. To collate knowledge of existing projects, they suggest a register of interests, existing projects, events, proposal, suggestions and invitation. To enable that, they will draw up a one page feedback to be distributed to all who have, to date, expressed interest, and, in future, to others. This will be returnable within a defined period, say by mid Jan/February. Besides being made available through Arias, the information could be discussed at the next aWi related meeting by those present.

 

Questions and topics asked/ explored during the session on 23/11/18:

-Existing ideas about language and physicality.
-Existing ideas within art education (HBO and University level) about writing practices.
-Differences and similarities in approaching artworks, art-analysis both in academic and artistic practice.
-The availability of freewriting and other creative strategies to academics.
-Questions of emotional engagement (on all levels of research and artistic practice) and its translation into academic writing.
-Possible measurability of artistic writing products as research results.
-Possibilities of hybrid forms of writing that overcome a dichotomy between ‘academic’ and ‘creative’ writing.
-Questions of authorial voice within academic writing.
-Process versus product; didactic strategies.
-Alternative sites of publication.

 

Going Forward:

 

Topics to be included in the questionnaire/feedback sheet could include:

 

Building a network on institutes interested in this type of research by

-Collating information on interested projects, institutes and individuals
-Mapping and making available information on what is in place
-Creating register of this, and a mailing list (already begun)

 

Asking about

-The type of research people are interested in; academic, artistic, cross-overs
-The type of writing they want to explore
-The products that they want to come out of the efforts of this group.

 

Suggestions for outcomes, for example

-Registering and disseminating information on ongoing and upcoming publications
-Proposing Seminars/symposia
-Proposing paper(s) on practice/goals
-Developing cross over publications and other outcomes, including performance, art and word
-Discussing opportunities for collaboration, including but not exclusively, new publication
-Proposing, offering, requesting training/development events/collaboration