OUR ROLE IN THE ROOM
So this month I’ve been contemplating the phrase “member-led” … it’s been around a long time and I remember a statement by a practitioner many many years ago when featuring a youth theatre piece, stating that it was all youth-led and their own work, and I remember thinking - then what was the point of you being there?
At SAVVY we’ve always provided a platform for member voices to directly influence the artistic programme, but in the room, it is up to the multi-faceted skill of the facilitator to bring all of the ideas into a cohesive story/programme of work.
Without the highly skilled facilitator, trust me - it all falls apart.
I did an experiment this month to test this theory.
I let one of our regular groups lead the warm-up. They’re a long-standing group, all know each other, have played the chosen game many times, so I thought I’d sit back and let it be “member led” … and it fell apart.
Why? The main reason was that there was no one guiding the energy. Providing encouragement, reminding them that mistakes are OK and that the important thing is to commit to playing the game etc… etc…
Like a team without a coach.
So I think I’m liking less and less the term “member-led” as without a ‘coach’ directing the action and providing encouragement and bringing their vast skills to help shape the action … then I would argue, the work produced can fall flat.
Maybe member-led should go hand-in-hand with co-creation … as any good facilitator does exactly that, facilitates a space, provides the outside eye, the skills and the safety net for members to take the lead.
As someone with VAST experience of facilitating community-led projects, my aim is always to honour their experiences and stories, while also raising their expectations and introducing them to new ideas and ways of thinking…
It’s not about railroading the group with my own ideas and insisting I take the group down a path they don’t want to go. That also never works and the work falls flat. It’s about presenting all options, using creative skill to shape their ideas and also gently point out when some ideas might not be appropriate for a particular narrative being developed … the skill of diplomacy and explaining the shelving of ideas for a different production or how the expected audience for this production will involve children so certain language & themes need to be avoided on this occasion etc etc …
I guess the real skill of the facilitator lies in being diplomatic and providing the energy to creatively coach a diverse member/community/youth led group (the aims of which changes with every project) into raising their expectations and producing an experience that leaves a palpable sense of achievement.
That’s our role in the room!
Books I'm reading this month:
Reasons to be Graeae: A Work in Progress
(a unique insight into the UK flagship disabled-led theatre company)
Theatres of Learning Disability: Good, Bad, or Plain Ugly?
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