In May 2010, Engine Room researcher Denise Rocca was invited to contribute at the “Methods Processes of Change” workshop, held in Biella, Italy at the Fondazione Pistoletto. The workshop was organised by Love Difference and Artway of Thinking with the support of the EU funding Lifelong Learning Programme Grundtvig.

“Methods Processes of Change” is a research project aiming at investigating participatory and interdisciplinary methodologies generating creative processes able to trigger a social, responsible transformation. Denise attended the 5 days-long workshop in its 5th edition giving a presentation on evaluation methodologies applied to the arts based upon her work with the education-based projects Creativity Matters and Creativity Connects and the industry-based project with Polka Theatre.

The workshop was structured as a multi-method discussion that comprised focus groups, presentations, experiential activities and one-to-one meetings, upon different topics, one each day – the human being, co- , the social system, integration, sustainability and the common good –.  Several professionals from Europe, the UK, the USA and Asia, ranging from fine and media artists, psychologists, arts managers, researchers, architects, and curators, were welcomed by world-known artist Michelangelo Pistoletto in the beautiful setting of Città dell’Arte.

Denise’s speech focussed on sustainability in the arts and discussed the practice of evaluation as a means to promote professional and economical growth within arts organisations.  The presentation argued that embedding an evaluation methodology from the early stages of a project can effectively engage the professionals involved in reflective practices to allow focusing on the process, which is often as key as the final product when artistic outputs are concerned.  Too often time for reflection and flexibility towards change are sacrificed in view of costs cutting and delivery constraints.  Denise further argued that the application of a multi-vocal evaluation will result in providing the organisation with reliable yet catching documentation able to inform and support future funding opportunities.

Thanks to the suggestive and convivial setting Citta dell’Arte offered as well as an informal yet rigorous structure, the workshop went far beyond a moment of professional reflection and practice sharing to embrace a holistic approach that mirrored the ethos of the event and truly enriched the professionals and the people behind them alike.  Meditation, drama, cooking, chiropractics, video-making, dream analysis and dance are among the activities proposed by the participants to lighten yet complement the intensive working days.  These activities provided an invaluable insight into the disciplines represented at the workshop and their contribution to the theme, a genuine and fascinating pick into someone’s practice.

For more on the workshop visit http://methodsprocessesofchange.wordpress.com/