Conference Breakout Discussion Summaries

---

Group: Susan Stockton

What new perspectives did you gain?

• Leading organizations and people by modeling your behavior as one you wish to have emulated.
• ISPA found a new word (Ubuntu) to explain best what it has always been, a community.
• Discovering a sense of the world awakening—being emotionally touched by the congress and feeling closer to the source of humanity.
• Feelings of empowerment after listening to John Kani and Liz Lerman and the intelligence, caring and humanity they shared with us in how we might approach our worlds differently.
• Liz's physical motion of righting the hierarchy of our worlds and operations to be less top down and more lateral in our processing.
• The concept that there are no super posers in the arts—it is not about economics but impact.
• Little previous awareness of the arts and healing programs.
• Many agreed to feeling re-energized and renewed.
• The notion of inclusion and generosity of behavior versus being protective and in control of information.
• All learning is relearning; felt this congress gave us the opportunity to relearn.

What applies to your situation back home?

• Keen interest in exploring the medical/arts programs.
• Will try to get more people interested in attending our congresses—felt the results for this congress very valuable and can contribute to the bottom line back home in a way that is beyond the normal artist bookings criteria.
• Embracing the notion that starting bigger waves in smaller places can have radical change in our field.
• Will do the 30 question Learning Styles Questionnaire with staff.
• General sense from everyone that most of what was presented applied to their situation to one degree or another.
• Need to focus on why the arts matter.

What will you do differently?

• Taking issues one at a time; the feeling that the congress delivered some pathways for tackling the issues.
• Things need to be said and done to fill-in the real details on issues and not the CNN take on issues.
• Will have new conversations with staff, board and community to establish the Ubuntu concept in our communities.
• Will act on thoughts in response to an unjust incident.
• Renewed energy to tackle ideas that have been on the shelf but will now become forefront challenges (such as artist access to health care).

---

Group: Charlotte Jones

What new perspectives did you gain?

• 'Art can't remedy bad politics'
• The importance of art in assisting the healing process -- art and wellbeing
• The 'ubuntu' concept has unlocked a more open, honest, people-focused debate

What will you do differently? We collected 6 contributions from 6 different countries:

• USA -- California -- 'Engage more with our audience -- get them to care more.'
• South Africa -- 'Make the arts experience a wider experience'
• Korea -- 'Focus more on outreach work with young people -- engage them more in the art form'
• Canada -- 'Develop a more open dialogue about art with a wider range of people'
• UK -- ' Prioritize people -- employees, audience etc -- invest more in our own community'
• 'Mars' (he claimed -- suspect 2nd US contribution) -- 'Focus on the needs and development of the entire performing arts sector -- not just me and my organization'
• Bonus contribution jointly from UK & South Africa 'Develop the Arts and Health thinking -- more research into arts and wellbeing.'

---

Group: Saki Macozoma

1. What are your views about the conference this year?
   1. There was radical thought in the conference. It showed a willingness to take risks in the cultural community.
   2. There was strong thread of shared experience -- more feeling, more warmth and a greater readiness to share experiences.
2. Ubuntu and the arts
   1. Ubuntu is often forgotten in the daily exigencies of daily survival. Experiences shared showed that artists do practice ubuntu.
   2. The theme of ubuntu taught artists to engage audiences as people. That allows for greater audience understanding.
   3. It taught people about the importance of a humanistic organisation. Delegates emphasised how important it is to apply ubuntu to their artistic organisations -- e.g. the importance of Management being interested in the family of the member.
   4. Ubuntu taught about importance of attitude. Attitude in the Congress was that of openness and sharing.
3. Specific Applications
   1. Arts and health
      Arts, health and healing story touched many delegates. Some realised they are doing aspects of it already. A new vista was opened by the presentation.
   2. Technology
      1. Presentation opened new possibilities for engaging young people. Many organisations and art forms struggle in this area. It showed that it is possible to meet young people on their grounds rather than trying to lure them to unfamiliar spaces.
      2. Delegates learnt concepts such as creative use of space, enhanced participation of audiences and multi-tasking in the context of the arts.
         Some delegates wondered if technological innovations shared could be used in different audiences (i.e. non youth) and also if there is a bridge through which new audiences created by technology facilitation can be made part of mainstream audiences
      3. Others argued that the bridge is still the human being and human stories. Creativity is still the key. Ubuntu showed that technology can be harnessed for humanity.
      4. It was argued that the arts should harness technology and not be slaves to it. People were reminded that one candle can still be art.
4. What to do when you get home
   1. Try and create a sense of community (ubuntu) among artists. There are “haves and have-nots,” because some have more resources than others.
   2. Try and improve the quality of exchanges in the cultural sphere. That means moving away from the tendency to invite and engage the esoteric and the picturesque which is unrepresentative.
   3. In doing all these things cultural workers and administrators have to bear in mind that the only thing that will work is what is good.
      Whatever is produced, a new dialogue among artists or the art itself, has to appeal to new audiences.
   4. A point was made that culture is global but entertainment is local. It is important to distinguish between culture and entertainment.