[OSList] Sharing about making work in Open Space

[Harrison Owen]

Stella - I love what you are doing, as I am sure do all the other odd folks
in OS-Land. Congratulations! But I think you may be missing something -
perhaps a most important "something." You say, and I am sure it is true,
that you have done it all in Open Space, but it is equally true, and
possibly more important, that you and your colleagues are intentionally
working in the naturally occurring domain of self organization. And the
pluses that you experience in terms of enhanced creativity, ease of
operation, and just plain fun  have less to do with Open Space per se - and
everything to do with the natural flow of a well functioning self organizing
system, I think.

 

This may seem like academic hair splitting but the potential payoff is by no
means simply academic. I think you are building bridges, creating knowledge
and experience towards a profound "next step" in the human journey when we
finally accept the liberating experience we associate with Open Space to be
the totally natural or normative experience of being human. That really puts
us in a new and different place and will require no small amount of
recalibration when it comes to the practical business of living and working
in our world. A lot of this recalibration will involve learning what not to
do. But I am also sure that there will be some marvelous new tricks that we
never thought possible. Maybe something like coming to understand what it
might mean to be a gymnast in a gravity free world. Pretty free! 

 

Anyhow, I really think you are on to something and look forward to updates
on your continuing adventure!

 

Harrison   

 

Harrison Owen

7808 River Falls Dr.

Potomac, MD 20854

USA

 

189 Beaucaire Ave. (summer)

Camden, Maine 20854

 

Phone 301-365-2093

(summer)  207-763-3261

 

www.openspaceworld.com

www.ho-image.com (Personal Website)

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From: oslist-bounces at lists.openspacetech.org
[mailto:oslist-bounces at lists.openspacetech.org] On Behalf Of Stella Duffy
Sent: Monday, May 28, 2012 6:20 PM
To: oslist at lists.openspacetech.org
Subject: [OSList] Sharing about making work in Open Space

 

For the past two years, since the Improbable-hosted Devoted & Disgruntled in
2010, I've been convening a group of writers, directors, artists, actors,
musicians, performers (approx 60 in all, but we've been coming together in
different combinations of between 12 to 30)  towards making a show together,
entirely in Open Space. 
Having worked on 14 days over two years, we decided we wanted to aim for
performance in 2013, with a week's R&D this summer. And that, while we would
continue to make the work whether we had funding or not, we would apply to
the Arts Council (of Great Britain) for funding for the R&D, 25 people,
rehearsal space, 6 days ... Not a cheap thing.
Like any of those application forms, the Arts Council funding application
form has plenty of questions asking the name of the leader or the writer or
the director ... And we kept saying the same thing "a show about individuals
and community, made by a community of individuals" (it's about loads else,
of course, but that sums up the basics pretty well). 
We explained Open Space and how well it's working for us, that it feels very
new (to welcome a 3 year old and a 6 year old into the rehearsal room for
eg), but also very old (if theatre started around a campfire), and therefore
very right.
And we did all this - the actual filling out of the application - in Open
Space. Eleven people, all writing on flip chart paper, working out how best
to explain who we are and what it is we're trying to make and - perhaps
especially - how we're trying to make it. 
We added the photo of us doing this in OS to our application. 
Last week we heard we've been successful and have been granted funding for
the R&D. And we know that's a long way from a completed show, but it's a big
step forward. And it also feels like a vindication of our choice to work
entirely in OS. And it started at D&D. 
Thank you community,
Stella Duffy 

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