MINUTES Culture Pro 2nd MEETING,
Vienna, 03-04 March 2017
This was the second meeting within the framework of the project entitled: CULTURE PRO. Creative path of development (Grant Agreement no. 2014–1-PL01-KA202-026462).
DATES AND VENUE:
03-04.03.2017
03.03: Vienna Economic Chamber, 1040 Vienna, Operngasse 17-21/5th floor (MR 9)
04.03: Marketconsult Kickinger, 1160 Vienna, Enenkelstrasse 28/1/6
PARTICIPANTS AND PARTICIPATING ORGANIZATIONS:
ORANGE HILL – PROJECT LEADER:
Anna Zaroda – Dąbrowska
Małgorzata Błaszczyk
Pawel Mendrek
Verein KULTURAXE – PROJECT PARTNER:
Caroline Kaiser
Elmar Kickinger
Andrea Kickinger
Margarete Jahrmann, Guest speaker
Janos Szurcsik, Guest speaker
Eva Bodnár, Guest speaker
Tim Fekete, Meeting Assistant
DELLE Association – PARTNER ORGANIZATION:
László László Révész
Adrienn Dorsanszki
Emese Dorsanszkine
A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF THE MEETING:
The meeting proceeded under the agenda.
The meeting started with the Appreciation and Gratitude Exercise, a team building exercise derived from theatre. As such the group stood in a circle holding hands while the diversity of the group was praised as strong asset for jointly producing innovative outputs. Each group member was complimented in front of the group highlighting each ones positive characteristics.
The first part of the first day was then devoted to presentations of the Code of Conduct based on Slow Management principles (KulturAXE), the logo of Culture Pro (Delle), the Culture Pro website layout, the executive project summary and a project specific glossary (KulturAXE).
The second part of the first day focused as a start on IO2, namely the two-day workshops. The first two-day-workshop concepts were presented by Orange Hill, Delle and KulturAXE.
Then the emphasis was directed to IO1, the planned interactive promotional video for Culture Pro. Margarete Jahrmann, Professor for Game Design at the University of Arts Zurich and assigned director of the planned video production, gave a short introduction to her Work including such topics as Deep Play & Brainwave methods, functional brain scan analysis and brain-scan data. KulturAXE continued with a research presentation on interactive online videos, indicating the devices they worked on and with which interfaces. This was followed by a KulturAXE presentation on the video concept development.
With the next guest speaker, Janos Szurcsik, CEO of the designschool in Vienna and coach, the topic reverted to IO2, the workshops, specifically on working methods. A KulturAXE presentation on Design Thinking, definition and methods, preceded the discussion with Janos Szurcsik.
The second day started with the elaboration of financial and legal formalities and with the coordination of timelines as well as the testing modalities of the workshops. After a further presentation of workshop concepts (Delle), a short résumé on the basic concept of the interactive video production (IO1) was agreed upon.
The guest speaker Éva Eszter Bodnár, visiting professor, academy of fine arts, Vienna, then opened the discussion on training working methods.
THE MAIN FINDINGS OF THE MEETING:
1) Code of Conduct – Communication guidelines amongst the partners of the project
KulturAXE presented a set of communication guidelines derived from the principles of Slow Management. The intention is that the Culture Pro partners exemplify these principles in their own communication strategy.
The Code of Conduct is based on motivation, trusting each other, promoting passion and positive behaviour, preventing individual dominance over others, valuing the opinions of all partners, using rules in a supportive and not controlling manner and finally by the partners themselves being “Slow Leaders”.
Culture Pro is a project which aims at producing creative innovative outputs and which therefore requires a working environment fostering high motivation of its partners. Communication based on personal appreciation and recognition. This is valid for the internal communication between the partners of the project as well as for inviting highly skilled professionals and artists to the project. Personal motivation is here the strongest criteria for accepting to collaborate.
The partners discussed and agreed upon the Code of Conduct as presented.
Agreement:
The code of conduct was accepted as communication guidelines for the project partners. The role of Quality Management in the project is to facilitate processes in a supportive manner and to keep the timeline. Important decisions are mutually agreed upon. As a communication rule, each partner may decide if a particular issue is meant for all email addressees for comments and/or general information or if it is meant just for one addressee of the group.
2) Culture Pro Executive Summary
KulturAXE presented a proposal for an Executive Summary for Culture Pro. This is of vital importance as the project addresses highly complex topics requiring the partners to develop a common understanding and commitment. This common understanding is also needed in the communication with further stakeholders. KulturAXE and Delle had also prepared a short glossary of technical terms, such as “Slow Management”, “Management Development”, “Just-in-Time teaching”, etc.
This Executive Summary focuses on the training of essential leadership skills in the 21st Century in the context of Slow Management. The promotion of the role of art and culture in developing human resource competences, raising awareness on the impact of art and culture on society and work values and enhancing diversity and a humanistic approach in management.
Agreement:
As project partners we are challenged by very different leadership and management styles in our countries. But we need to find a common understanding and to define a target group valid for all of us. The envisaged training of leadership skills is placed in the context of Slow Management.
3) Corporate Identity Culture Pro
LOGO
Delle presented the layouts for the Culture Pro Logo. The logo is meant to forward a basic and essential vision of the project. It has been designed by a French designer. The logo represents a mix of management and art. Managers are more realistic and close minded, artists are dreamy and open minded. It’s colorful because of the all the different influences and the national colors. It has to be extravagant and playful and a bit sexy. Different variations of the logo were presented.
WEBSITE
KulturAXE presented the first layout and structure of the Culture Pro website.
SOCIAL MEDIA
KulturAXE will prepare a Culture Pro Facebook Page. Once the new logo has been agreed upon and the website layout too. The FB page will reflect the CI presented on the website. KulturAXE will propose an editorial schedule and add team partners as FB page administrators. Orange Hill has started a FB page on Slow Management, but it is not yet published. When published, these pages should be linked. Also a LINKEDIN page should be taken into consideration.
4) IO2 – two-day workshops
ORANGE HILL
Orange Hill started the presentation of the first concepts of the two-day workshop programmes.
“Our concept from the beginning was to use the design thinking method. Its popular in business and very useful for getting to know the real needs of the target group. Now we are on empathy stage. We contacted businesses and people who are experienced in creating training programs and people who are connected with art.”
The 3 topics: “Word” and “Art and Revolution” and “Design Thinking”
WORD
The word workshop needs to refer to real business problems to make it interesting. Addressing real problems. Analyzing how they use words. Written or spoken, but more into spoken words and communication. Different to usual teambuilding concepts, in order to change attitudes, not only building skills. The age gap between managers and young employees and the difficulties of understanding each other could be such a problematic issue to address. Companies on the other hand require business improvement as workshop outcomes – we should give them a kind of tool to take with them after the workshop, like a guidebook, useful for the workplace. It is important do deal with all the changes in communication. How to use the word in communication processes.
ART AND REVOLUTION
The mechanism of art to catch audiences is important. Start with artist, then get another round of people to work together. Process-oriented. The second workshop is supposed to use the faculty of art to change people. Not about particular art discipline, but about the art process.
DESIGN THINKING
The third workshop was not presented during the meeting, however the work on the programme is in progress and external experts invited to this topic started the conceptualization.
DELLE
Delle presented their concepts of the two-days workshops:
Delle contacted three companies to present their workshop ideas and to analyse needs of the managerial employees. The response was very good, the companies interested in the project. Problems arise from being afraid of new things. It is like being in a cage – try to get people out of the cage. What are the steps a person has to take to achieve this? Facilitator points things out, but does really not much changing – the person has to change him or herself.
Delle is thinking about the roll, the personal conditions and personal criteria of the leader of the workshop. At this point we think (s)he should hold the workshops not the normal “upfront way”. Meaning by the upfront way that (s)he not just stands out in front of the group and gives tasks to do. (S)he should be able to understand and use the high level of competitiveness that the managers have.
The 2 topics: “Music” and “Comics/Animation”
MUSIC
As managers are one of the most competitive people of the work market we will use the energy of their competitiveness to create music. As there is a lot of existing music therapy on the market we will use elements of those therapies. Mostly those methods will be used where the different knowledges of music can be combined. The inspiration for creating the workshop methods are the following: The work of John Cage, the research of the consultant of Delle Zsigmond Lázár, and we also consult with Mick Sands who worked out several music therapy programs for children and also for adults.
As Delle functions better if we can test beforehand what we are developing, we will make short sessions of music workshops with companies in Budapest. Practice based development will be the process of our work.
COMICS / ANIMATION
As in the music workshop we will also build the workshops on the competitiveness of the managers. At the comics workshop we will use the character building and the logic of dramatic story lines.
The inspiration for creating the workshop methods are the following: Lajos Egri: The Art of dramatic writing, Miklós Erdély: Kreativitás gyakorlatok, Fafej, Indigo. Idea of either using an existing App to allow workshop participants to produce their animation, or even to design a new App.
KulturAXE
KulturAXE presented their concepts of the two-days workshops:
The 2 topics: “Moving Images” and “Masks”
KulturAXE started by defining five main leadership skills in the 21st Century which would be addressed through the workshops: Authenticity, Risk propensity, Creativity, Self-Awareness and Respect. To each of these skills/profiles there are attributions of contents (such as for example to Authenticity: Originality, Unsophistication, Honesty, Sense of humor, Positive thinking, Self improvement) and methods (such as for ex AIDA-method, DELPHI-method, Balance Score Card, Life Mentoring, Brainstorming, etc.). KulturAXE also presented the “trainer/researcher” teams for the two workshops with one proposal for a training methodologist.
MOVING IMAGES
In the first concept the workshop would aim at following achievements: Playing with 5 senses / VAKOG, Searching of a certain character/skill, Raising of awareness by observing other people, To feel a change of experience, To encourage others, To restore confidence in others. Reflecting on questions such as for example ‘Who am I? What is my position? My function? From whom do I get/take advices? ‘.
Different ideas of implementation were presented. The general process would consist in choosing the main topic of the workshop by using for example “magic boxes”, whereafter a large complex painting would be projected on the wall for a short time. The participants then film themselves while re-enacting one of the characters of their choice as memorized from the painting previously projected.
This footage is displayed on a screen from which the participants make drawings. These drawings are then copied and stapled together like a book or storyboard. Alternatively to the image projection, there is also the idea of working with shadow projections.
Also introduced was the element of playing games either to get in a creative mood or as workshop content. Contents can also be derived from artworks such as the art project HOW TO WORK BETTER by Peter Fischli David Weiss, Guggenheim Museum.
MASKS
This workshop can combine various methods of implementation such as Body language, Dance, Pantomime, Masks, Singing, Jam Sessions, „Kabuki“, Scenic interaction, Collage, Painting ..
The starting point will be to work with a neutral mask effecting exercises for Authenticity so as to notice, create or feel openness, honesty, respect and acceptance. Exercise 2 embraces the personal processing of the mask enhancing creativity, spontaneity, willingness to carry a risk, capacity for innovation, intuition, expect the unexpected. In Exercise 3 which deals with empathy, self-improvement and sensitivity, the participants enter into dialogue with their mask and have switched to the roles of completely new individuals. The final Exercise 4 addresses the restoration of the group and its interaction and points at the qualities tolerance, appreciation, self-improvement, capability for conflict resolution, critical facility.
TIMELINE AND TESTING MODALITIES
Tests of all seven 2-day-workshops will be run in Cracow, Poland.
One supervisor will be sent from KulturAXE and DELLE to Poland for each testing. Orange Hill will be responsible for the testing of all seven 2-day-workshops. Orange Hill will select the respective trainers (7 persons). The testing will be effected from January to December 2018 with groups of 8-10 managers. It will be important for the testing results to find different groups for the different workshops. All workshops will have to be delivered in English, but they will be tested in Polish. Orange Hill will be responsible for the translation into Polish.
After testing, there must be the capacity in all teams to modify the workshops according to testing results. There is only this one round of amendments foreseen. The workshops will be accepted thereafter.
Tests of all 3 3-day-workshops
3-days-workshop (slow food, culture, etc.) will be run in each partner country – Poland, Hungary, Austria. They must not take place in Cracow, Vienna or Budapest, but can be organized in specific locations in the countryside. They will run from May 2018 to September 2018.
DEADLINES FOR ALL WORKSHOPS
All workshops, 2-day and 3-day workshops, have to be finalized until September 2017. They will be presented at the September meeting in Cracow. From Sep until Dec 2017 changes and additions could be made to the workshops. All workshops have to be effected in the national language + in English. The translations into English have to be ready by the end of the year 2017. A supplementary Meeting in December 2017 will be fixed if necessary – on demand.
WORKSHOP VENUES
All workshops will be forwarded with recommendations for the workshop venue. It was discussed that a prominent “arty” venue, which maybe would normally not be accessible for the public, would add to the workshop appeal.
Presentation by Prof.Dr. Margarete Jahrmann
(professor for Game Design at the University of Arts Zurich and lecturer at the University of Applied Arts Vienna), assigned director of the Culture Pro video production, made a short presentation including works/projects such as RESILIENCE: Brainwave Reading – Thought Transmission_ sneak preview dedicated to Nikola Tesla, a clip as part of a lecture performance of Margarete Jahrmann at the NGBK Berlin: “…when exactly did people come up with the idea that electromagnetic waves can record and control minds? Starting out from a technology that will probably have been invented and introduced by 2019 – brain wave recording and analysis over distance – we would like to follow its history.” The film was based on a brainscan undertaken with Stefan Glasauer, a neuroscientist and artist, who realised the computational neuroscience translation of M.Jahrmanns brain data set. She also co-developed together with S. Glasauer a 2nd order neuro game installation at the Opera of Entropy in Vienna.
Presentation by KulturAXE on interactive videos
Reflecting the aims of interactivity: to make decisions, to have a wider look, to influence the storyline. Researching on which browsers existing interactive videos work or do not work. Presenting different examples.
Presentation by KulturAXE on CULTURE PRO interactive video – concept development – IO1
Basic Scenario of IO1: The viewer is taken on a journey in the format of a first person shot. As in a game situation, the viewer becomes the main character. At certain points the journey stops and allows the protagonist to choose how to continue. All routes take the user to experience different artistic and/or cultural scenarios. These can be characterized by colours, sounds, images, icons, symbols, situations, narrative elements… The endpoint is defined by the routes chosen and reflect skills/competences.
Agreement:
The basic scenario of the video production IO1 (as outlined here above) has been agreed upon and will be further developed. Within the frame of this scenario it is still open which artistic scenarios the user experiences on his/her journey (they could for ex relate to the IO2 workshop themes), which are the skills reflected at the endpoints and how the interactivity will be resolved. The final concept of the video is to be effected by December 2017, the production in the first half of 2018.
Design Thinking – Definition and methods
KULTURAXE PRESENTATION ON DESIGN THINKING
Design Thinking embraces the following steps: UNTERSTAND – OBSERVE – POINT OF VIEW – IDEATE – PROTOTYPE – TEST.
UNDERSTAND & EMPATHIZE focuses on learning about the audience for whom you are designing. Understanding being the first phase of the design thinking process.
OBSERVE involves watching how people behave and interact and observing physical spaces and places. Talking to people about what they are doing, asking questions and reflecting on the findings, developing a sense of empathy.
DEFINE is based on users needs and insights; in this phase suggestions are developed about how to make changes that will have an impact on peoples’ experiences.
IDEATE – Brainstorm and come up with creative solutions
PROTOTYPE – Build a representation of one or more of your ideas to show to others
TEST – Return to your original user group and testing your ideas for feedback
Methods: Design a Customer Journey Mapping and/or a Persona (user experience) – a fictional character created to represent the different user types.