Noga Yechieli- Let's Talk Sex Work update

I realized a few things over the last few weeks of working on this project. Working on it alone with Salina, we both realized in our last meeting that we put too many expectations, and too many goals, which resulted in both of us feeling overwhelmed and drowning in the amount of work, and not getting anything done. We decided to readjust our agenda, and focus more on preparing for New Works, with the idea of performing in communities outside of CalArts as an agenda to move forward around April. We realized that because the show is still in process, and there isn't a clear description of how the product looks, it makes many aspects difficult in trying to work on outreach. So we decided to focus on outreach, when we will have more of a structured product. 

With these new goals in mind, we decided that the connections we are focused on now, should be collaborating with activists to help improve the process and connect them possibly with the cast, and from that connection and collaboration, to later continue working with them when performing in communities like we originally planned. I am still in process of research for which kind of organizations would be good to collaborate with. I think what has been a block in that is my personal doubts and fears about the project. It is very important for me to do justice to this topic and to the women and girls I have met and worked with. However many organizations here have agendas that are slightly different, but just as valid. I think I have lost some confidence in myself, which has stopped me from reaching out to a few of these organizations. Thanks to Camila, who is helping with our team, she reminded me that it really isn't about my narrative vs. theirs, and that both are valid. I needed to be reminded that the true stories that I am sharing are legitimate to share, and this project will make some people angry and that's okay. I think I was scared of making sex workers angry, because I wanted them to feel they were being represented, but I can't represent everyone. So now I am trying a new approach of finding possibly organizations that have a similar agenda to my own, so that we can work with the cast in a similar mindset, and then expand to organizations that will bring in voices that also oppose mine and paint a different reality, even though I am sure that a lot will overlap. Making it a two step process I think is the conclusion I got to from my fears and doubts. 

Re:

MELIS NUR YORUK WEEK 5 

***THE COUPLE IN THE CAGE***

The couple in the cage was an interactive piece in which Guillernmo Gomez-Pena and Coco Fusco would be dressed up as amerindians in which they were  from Guatinau and called themselves Guatinauis. They would be in this cage performing everyday activities from watching television to sowing voodoo dolls. The strategy in which they used to keep the audiences engaged was the female would dance to rap music for some money and the male would tell a story in their native tongue. Also the male would show you his penis if you payed him five dollars. This kept and audience engaged because they have never heard of this specific type of people and they were locked up, fed bananas, on leashes when brought to the bathroom. Guillermo and Coco wanted to keep the audiences engaged to promote and expose the racism, colonialism and voyeurism in how they were appeared. 

What other way would he have had the audience engaged to learn more about these people. The thought of people buying something from this specific group of people also speaks louder then words can. 

On Tue, Feb 2, 2016 at 9:29 PM, Melis Nur Yoruk <melisyoruk@alum.calarts.edu> wrote:

1. Content: What is the issue, need, idea or opportunity addressed by this project? This project is addressing the teenagers of Oakland talk about the issues that affect their lives, sex, violence, families, school and the future. It is so their voices can be heard rather then stay hidden inside. Teenagers mostly don't have a voice in society and so this brings attention to that. Also turning teenage voices into a work of art. Teenage stereo types in the media.
   

2. Form: What medium and techniques were used to embody the content? 

She used teenagers from Oakland so you can hear them speak and express their ideas and thoughts. She also used cars where teenagers all sat in the cars and talked. She also used a roof top as the setting.

3. Context: What are the circumstances and setting that frame our understanding of this project? 

The circumstances of the setting and frame of understanding of this project is that it is taken place on a roof top in Oakland California and the performers are all intercity kids who live in Oakland. Suzanne explains in "THE ROOF IS ON FIRE" how media is what gives a judgement on these teenagers rather then for them to speak up for them selves especially in the circumstances of how and where they live and so this project will give them the opportunity to express all their feelings in which for once they will be heard solely from themselves. 

4. Stakeholders: Who can affect or be affected by this project?

The teenagers are the ones who affect the audience members, who would be adults in the city whom don't listen to the teenagers voices. Also the media in seeing how that not all stereotypes of these specific teenagers of Oakland. 

5. Audience or communities engaged: For whom and/or with whom was this project created? The media.

6. Engagement strategies: How were the stakeholders, audiences, and community members engaged in this project? How were the goals of the project advanced?

They were engaged by walking around the roof in watching these conversations happen between the teenagers. This kept them engaged in the conversation in listening.

7. Resources: What tangible or intangible resources were used to pursue the project's goals? The tangible resources were being able to use teenagers from that specific area of California and have them talk about there thoughts about deep topics today. The intangible resources were just what the kids would say and feel its unscripted so its unknown until it is said but it is still a resource for the topic being addressed. 

8. Goal: What are the project's objectives? The projects objectives were to reach the media in listening to these teenagers voices instead of just airing all these stereotypes on television and media. Not all kids from a specific area are the same. 

9. Outcomes: What were the results and the impact of this project? Did they match the goals? Yes they did because the teenagers were able to speak out and feel free to speak. Also people listened and so did it go out into social media to be spread.

10. Values: What were this project's guiding values and/or core beliefs? TO BE HEARD! TO LISTEN!

MELIS NUR YORUK 

THE ROOF IS ON FIRE

 

On Wed, Jan 27, 2016 at 11:54 AM, Melis Nur Yoruk <melisyoruk@alum.calarts.edu> wrote:

Melis Nur Yoruk 

1. Content: What is the issue, need, idea or opportunity addressed by this project?  Racism and Resistance in Us History and today.

2. Form: What medium and techniques were used to embody the content? One she used young children as actors and used there voices to spread the message and she used TO as her medium. Specifically The Joker System by Augosto Boal. Joker system is a spectacular discussion or even trial, where different ideas and feelings about historical characters or events can be presented and debated.

3. Context: What are the circumstances and setting that frame our understanding of this project? The circumstances are CAP which is to teach younger kids by cal arts and other students and teachers. The plaza de la raza and Red Cat. The biggest frame of this project is that they have to make a play with young kids and teenagers and thats there circumstance.

4. Stakeholders: Who can affect or be affected by this project?

This project can affect people who have either had been exposed to racism in their life. The people who could get affected by this project in my opinion could be privileged white people who especially don't know what their privilege means.  

5. Audience or communities engaged: For whom and/or with whom was this project created?

6. Engagement strategies: How were the stakeholders, audiences, and community members engaged in this project? How were the goals of the project advanced?

7. Resources: What tangible or intangible resources were used to pursue the project's goals? They used the voice of the children and also history. 

8. Goal: What are the project's objectives?

The projects objective was to let the kids voice be heard but overall have the audience engaged and let all kids play the so called "bad role" and "good role"

9. Outcomes: What were the results and the impact of this project? Did they match the goals?

Yes they did Ive noticed from the children atleast

10. Values: What were this project's guiding values and/or core beliefs? There core beliefs were to incorporate The joker into a play written and having the children speak there mind into it as well so its more engaging where they don't just play a character in a play but we engaged in the play. 

Project Reflection "Seeking Human Kindness" Week 7- Sophia Pietrkowski

I have the meeting tomorrow with John Malpede. We have conducted research and I am going to see his gallery show in April. We are talking to all the right people. The audition went well. It was a physical workshop of the Linklater exercizes called River Stories. It made the actors very vulnerable and passionate about the project at hand. I opened up the conversation to discuss specific interest in what people wanted to explore within the homeless community. I also reiterated that the project was about building relationships and that this process is not going to be easy. We are in the midst of scheduling another meeting with the local Bridge to Home foundation that supports the Santa Clarita homeless community. We are building our knowledge every day and I can't wait to get these interviews rolling and build a connection with a local shelter(s).

Dialogical Art- Sophia Pietrkowski

1) Insulated from the media- Zurich Boat Talks brought the oppressed and the political together without the media in order to have a direct conversation. This is the purest form of political dialogue.   

 

2) Improvisational Dialogue- The Roof is on Fire gave kids the chance to speak uncensored and unplanned about issues of importance to them while the audience performed the act of listening without interruption.

 

3) Provides a performative space- Code 33 gave cops and teenagers the opportunity to speak and listen without the typical tension between the two groups during street interactions.

 

4) Smaller intimate discussions- The Lacy Performances used smaller discussions to create a more intimate atmosphere and therefore a more truthful setting to spark dialogue for an upcoming performance.

 

5) Creating a space where roles and context can be broken-This allows people to interact in new and unforeseeable ways. This is seen in the 1930's German lifted image art when they took out pictures from magazines and juxtaposed them in an image montage. This was a way of doing this using material based art. Another example is the boat talks when the media was absent and the conversation happened over water.

Joshua Rivas - Week 6

Dialogical Art

I personally really connect with Suzanne Lacey's "The Roof Is On Fire" Project.

-Meet the audience and the others involved where they are at. In Lacey's project the dialogue served as a tool that allowed the audience to watch and have their thoughts and the restrictions from their involvement in the conversation gave them permission to have their thoughts to themselves. The people involved could not talk about anything else other then what was prompted and what they have to say on that subject is where they are at and they are in a space of a car which is intimate, which creates this idea that no one can hear or see your thoughts.

-Abolishes Stereotypes or preconceptions of this group of people. Audience members would have come to this event with many ideas of these teenagers but giving themselves the opportunity to really listen and hear how these teens thought and felt would shift the inner thoughts of any audience member. Since the audience member is left to be silent they also cannot battle, defend, or refute these teens so the teens are heard exactly the way they want to be heard.

-Authentic Dialogue. The teenagers have nothing to lose or gain but to be authentic in their conversations.

-Allows the audience and participant to discover and expand for themselves through the process. So the participant may at times act as an audience member being changed by the art or dialogue. The teens had multiple moments where the discussion between peers would have been met at a place of conflict and either it remained a conflict or not the space created was safe and allowed each side to be heard and this allowed all parties to pause and really hear what others have to say.

-Live Dialogical Art is powerful and the voice speaks to the audience on many different levels. Hearing these teens speak and the tones in the voice and seeing their eyes and fiction in their bodies brings art to life. Using the body as a place for art is so extremely powerful and using teenagers who may not be performers and putting them in this situation really creates potent and strong art.

Dialogical Art- Camila Ascencio

1. Willingness to evolve and grow- "The Roof is on Fire" started out as a dialogue that was malleable, the conversation had the space to give marginalized youth the platform to speak, and then led to other collaborations where they were able to hold more discussions and include other people. It wasn't just one performance and that's it- it continued the dialogue and even brought in police officers, members of the community that could either be important allies or a source of tension. 

2. Listening- There cannot be dialogue without listening to one another. The ROUTES project really emphasized the bus drivers bringing in stories and documenting what their experiences were. 

3. The objective is in the process not the product- the goal is not to produce something visual, but rather to spark discussion. The are unfolds through the performative interaction, again: "The roof is on Fire" is a great example of the process being the art rather than a specific piece that was created, the piece was more about the unfolding and progression of the dialogue through different spaces and with different people. 

4. Working together- Bringing together many different worlds to converse and have a broader discussion with a more diverse group. In WochenKlausur's Intervention to Aid Drug-addicted Women, sex workers, journalists and activists all came together. 

5. Specific focus- All of the projects mentioned had a specific conversation that it wanted to start. Specifically, Routes, focused on the experiences the bus drivers experienced whether they be similar or different, there was a specific topic. 

Dialogical Art-Week 6 Madeline Quint

• Context Providers-Is when a group of people open up a dialogue about a particular topic thrown from the media. Then, if it is in an art setting like, WochenKlausur who set up a boat talk full of people to discuss drug addictions, it allows the people to "communicate outside of the rhetorical demands of their official status." You can also stage dialogues in open areas for people to come and listen to you discuss the topic, like the group of high school students in Oakland California.
• Consultative Approach-this work exists mostly outside the international art network including museums, galleries, curators, and collectors. Lacy, an active art critic, says..." this type of work represents a new genre of public art." This artwork is collected work about the "broader social and political world" and the intellect that aesthetic experience's can produce. 
• Dialogical Exchange-is when you focus on a single dimension of the object that you neglect other important parts. For example, the author in the piece we are required to read, said she payed very little attention to Suzanne Lacy's orchestration of public dialogue. 
• Shifts in conceptual and minimal art- gradual movement away from object-based practices, making work dependent on physical or perceptual interactions with the viewers, and a shift toward durational concept of aesthetic experiences. Together, these create a great art piece! 
• Dialogical Aesthetic-this is an investigation of the emergence that is a category of knowledge in modern philosophy. This makes problematic claims for its transcendent authority and is a range of enlightenment. 

Serina Bernstein—DIALOGICAL ART

·      Dialogue-based public art. Example: Suzanne Lacy's The Roof is on Fire: A piece where young people or color dialogued improvisationally in parked cars about the issues they faced because of their background.

·      The upset of the norm through a phsycial/spatial method as a way of trying to create a new interaction. Example: WochenKlausur's Intervention to Aid Drug-addicted Women: A series of talks held unconventionally on a boat between sex workers, journalists, political people and activists. (The boat being the method)

·      Performative interaction. Example: Code 33 Project: Conversation between many police and young people of color in a parking garage. The interaction is a performance.

·      Activist: Example: Routes: A project that used interaction between Bus drivers in Belfast and different types of visual artists as a way to learn from the knowledge of the Bus drivers and apply it to emerging peace struggles around religious differences.

·      Less-aesthetic focused. Example: Intervention to Aid was less about the aesthetic of the piece, but more about the practical strategy of the aesthetic.

Cris Hernandez - DIALOGICAL ART

1. Communication - How do I reach out and to where?

2. Resources -  What are we able to accomplish? What is the most we can do with the materials given.

3. Community - Who can we work with. How do we get people to work with us and who is willing to.

4. Criticism - What in a community are we challenging? What is the history behind that and how can we further grow our knowledge on it.

5. Juxtaposition - the final execution. How are things put into perspective visually/audibly the easiest for someone to understand. How do we make it come off as impactful as it means to us for the audience. 

Josh Lowenstein - Dialogical Art

1. Community - Attempting to identify with a community with works of art.
2. Collective Identity - People tend to be more accepting of those who are different than them when working on a community engaged project. This can have a dramatic impact on decreasing prejudice because people from multiple backgrounds can relate and identify with one another.
3. Capitalism - It is important to not make the art "too" forcefully engaging in a community because it can seem like the art piece is trying to sell you something.
4. Conversational Art - The type of art coined by Mikhail Bakhtin which is art that can have various meanings and gets people thinking and talking about the art
5. Art that helps bring awareness to a particular subject in a community such as the drug/prostitution problem in Zurich, Switzerland. 

Re:

Week 6

aidan bach

-A dialogical approach must engage minority body of people in some way. Whether it be by race, gender, sexuality, a subjects circumstance, or so on, the subjects should have something with in them that they can give to the art world.This is demonstrated in much of Lacey's work such as "There are Voices in the Dessert " which commemorated the people of an area of desert known of bodies of women whom where kill in domestic violence cases where known to show up.

-In many cases, dialogical approaches often yield large scale, or very prominent projects. As noted by critics, a dialogical approach typically does not yield a strong aesthetic appeal, and must be made interesting in another way. Also, dialogical art typically makes use of a larger body of people to operate to its fullest."Boat Colliqous" for example require more than a gallery space, they relied on inviting viewers of the project to come aboard real boats in which the group being surveyed

-Dialogical works typically produce an eviroment that is comfortable or familiar to the group that is being studied. In this evrioment, the people art of the art are more at ease and thus more likely to feel more natural and express themselves more freely. It is more as if the viewer of the work  is being invited to scope the people of the project in a way that they never had before. This is demonstrated in numerous times through out this form of art such as "The Roof is on Fire, " "the Bus Dialogues,  "

-These projects are meant to produce a positive outcome for their subjects. No matter the subject matter, or the state of the people involved, dialogical art  is meant to give a face and voice to people who often overlooked are ridiculed. "Intervention to Aide Drug Addicted Women " for example is not meant to ridicule or demean drug addicted women in anyway, but is instead intended to demonstrate to the community their struggles and prosperity.

-Though dialogical response work can be appreciated by many unassociated people, it is work made by a community for a community. Related to the idea dialogical art is meant to serve those who form it, it is meant to boost the representation and draw much needed attention or clear understanding to them. In "Shelter " for example, despite the teens and families represented with in the play, the subject matter and the location of the play will engage an audience of many races and privileges, it is a work that serves to demonstrate a relevant issue that is often overseen. 

On Tue, Feb 16, 2016 at 9:01 PM, Aidan Bach <aidanbach@alum.calarts.edu> wrote:

What inspired me most when reading Battle in Seattle was the level of community that the WTO protestors had engaged. In my home city of San Diego, despite being over twice the size of Seattle, may causes for protest with in the city (such as the police brutality protests of last year ) generate much less organizers. Despite the effort exhibited, I also think that the employment of peace and fun tied in with  the anarchist protest is a very effective protest. It goes to show, that anarchy and peace, when executed catiously, can be acheived. 

-Aidan Bach

Idle No More - Jon Bangs

onathan Bangs

Feb, 2016

 

​Back in 2010 I was involved in a summer theatre group located in Atlanta, GA. The first time I ever saw a flash mob I was actually a functioning member ofone; this action in particular always seems to work based on the reality that there is strength in numbers, even if you are unfamiliar with the message behind the tribal-type dance you still yearn to be part of it. I chose the "Idle No More and the Round Dance Flash Mob"case study because I had no clue that "flash mobs" had Canadian indigenous origins. When writing this blog post I wanted to keep it as clear and concise as possible, due to the unexpected enlightenment I received after reading the case study I intently plan on doing outside research on "flash mobs."

 

Jonathan Bangs Blog Idle No More.docx

Re: Assignment

On Tuesday, February 16, 2016, Jonathan Bangs <jonathanbangs@alum.calarts.edu> wrote:

Noga Yechieli- Dialogical Art

1. collaboration with the communities that are being worked with- meaning not creating art for them but collaboratively with them like in the Routes project, where the drivers could bring in their own experiences. This collaboration allows a different level of dialogue. 

2. Performative interaction- the performance itself is interactive, for instance with the floating boats in Zurich, the art, the performance itself was the dialogue between the sex workers, activists and politicians.  

3. the goal is not the visual product but the process- Even though it is art, the goal is not the final product. For instance the Code 33 project wasn't about the final artistic project, but the goal was rather the dialogue that was created between the police and the youth of Oakland.  

 

4. Dialogue as an aesthetic- Making a dialogue into an aesthetic concept. For instance with "the Roof is on Fire", the piece was the internal dialogue between the teens of Oakland. However that dialogue was an aesthetic choice as well, since they held the conversations in cars, and people could witness these conversations in a different setting. Thus turning the dialogue into an aesthetic choice. 

 

5. Accessible but not simplistic- Art that is easily accessible to the public, but doesn't lose its value because it is available to the masses. "The Roof is on Fire" is a good example of that as well, because it was filmed it was available on national television, and it took place in a public space so anyone could come and see the piece. However this accessibility did not lower the value of the piece, because part of the goal was to make it accessible.     

Keanu Beausier Conversation Pieces

Conversation Pieces                                                    Keanu Beausier

 

1.     Looking to help a group of people through social justice rather then focus on making a good piece of art to view such as the piece about sex workers in Zurich

2.     It's also having everybody from a place have their voice heard and have people listen such as the roof is on fire. Where a large part of the project was how the media reacted to highschoolers from Oakland even doing a project in the first place

3.     Another is pure investigation, such as the routes project, where we see bus workers having to fear their own jobs because how they are identified

4.     Although it is still trying to help the people around them, it is still identified as art and wants to treated as so such as each project we saw here.

5.     These project cannot viewed or judged by normal art critics who value the aesthetics more then the message. 

Beautiful Trouble- Paige McGhee

I chose to focus on the case study: Barbie Liberation Organization.

Their main goal was to fight society and the media's idea of gender norms/stereotypes by using popular brands such as Barbie and GI Joe. Their stunt achieved their goals by switching the voice boxes of dolls right before Christmas time, which added the advantage of many buyers. The media was a key role they need to obtain in this project and they did this by attaching a instruction sheet, so the parents would know who to go to about this so called problem. I thought was an amazing strategy to get BLO's work out there, so people wouldn't think it was a common mistake but actually that it was BLO's project. It got people thinking!! Why is it typically not okay for a GI Joe to say, "I love to shop with you" and for a Barbie to say, "Dead men tell no lies"; because of stereotypes implanted in our brains. Also an excellent tactic was keeping their work lighthearted and funny, not to offended children and their parents.  

Monique Wilmoth: Beautiful Trouble – Conflict Kitchen

Focusing on the storefronts of these takeout windows present itself with a visual interesting facade. The point of the project seems to be to connect a feeling of comfort (from the food served) and celebration of places that are currently known for being in conflict. The patterns, colors, and typographic choices are relatable and recognizable to visitors engaging with the installation. The bright color palette and application of each designed element attracts visitors to the location with friendly and curious feelings regarding each country iterated in the installation.

http://beautifultrouble.org/case/conflict-kitchen/

Beautiful Trouble - Joshua Rivas

Justice for Janitors a movement that happened in 1994 was extremely successful in getting improved benefits and wages for Janitors who are not apart of the union. The Janitors used 'Days Of Rage' as their system to promote awareness on their issues to provoke change in their community. These events were blockades of bridges and roadways and all places of importance to many big businesses in order to frustrate members of the community in a way, that they could use the anger and redirect it at their problem rather than at themselves. This was crucial in their success by redirecting the anger at the protestors towards the government and big corporations. This action put these people of power in a position where they had to be the ones to end the blockades by giving into the needs of the protestors. 

This  campaign was so affective because it was clearly visible. The blockades and events were thought out strategically for maximum impact on the community and maximum response from that impact. And using the frustration towards a clear target that helps create a political crisis in which the Target must respond in positive ways towards the protestors or risk losing their status in the community. 

Beautiful Trouble - Justice For Janitors

Justice for Janitors a movement that happened in 1994 was extremely successful in getting improved benefits and wages for Janitors who are not apart of the union. The Janitors used 'Days Of Rage' as their system to promote awareness on their issues to provoke change in their community. These events were blockades of bridges and roadways and all places of importance to many big businesses in order to frustrate members of the community in a way, that they could use the anger and redirect it at their problem rather than at themselves. This was crucial in their success by redirecting the anger at the protestors towards the government and big corporations. This action put these people of power in a position where they had to be the ones to end the blockades by giving into the needs of the protestors. 

This  campaign was so affective because it was clearly visible. The blockades and events were thought out strategically for maximum impact on the community and maximum response from that impact. And using the frustration towards a clear target that helps create a political crisis in which the Target must respond in positive ways towards the protestors or risk losing their status in the community. 

Cris Hernandez - PROJECT CHECK IN #2 AND BEAUTIFUL TROUBLE CREATIVE ACTION

PROJECT CHECK IN:
We are at the pre-auditioning stage for "Seeking Human Kindness" and I have created flyers. Next step will be to begin work on a brand identity for the event.

BEAUTIFUL TROUBLE CREATIVE:
Mining The Museum (http://beautifultrouble.org/case/mining-the-museum/)
African-American Artist Fred Wilson rearrange a museum collection to better suite its historical significance and viewpoint. In a new, critical light. The museum's artifacts of slavery had previous been showcased in the viewpoint of a white man. Wilson is quoted "What they put on view says a lot about a museum, but what they don't put on view says even more." I think this is interesting and effective project. As a graphic design student one of our main purposes is to manipulate content to make it best suitable for an audience. 

Serina Bernstein—Barbie Liberation Organization

BLO's tactic of switching the voice boxes on Barbies and GI Jo's to make a comment about the limitations and imposition of gender roles is clever and sly. They were also on top of getting media attention. However, the act in and of itself is jarring, and perhaps scary for children. The message is not implicit in the act. One would hope that the media coverage would make the message more transparent. You can't expect people to draw the same meaning form an abnormal occurrence that has no established framework to structure their understaning of it. It's likely that most people probably just saw it as a cruel and malicious prank.

What inspired me most when reading Battle in Seattle was the level of community that the WTO protestors had engaged. In my home city of San Diego, despite being over twice the size of Seattle, may causes for protest with in the city (such as the police brutality protests of last year ) generate much less organizers. Despite the effort exhibited, I also think that the employment of peace and fun tied in with  the anarchist protest is a very effective protest. It goes to show, that anarchy and peace, when executed catiously, can be acheived. 

-Aidan Bach

Tanner Polednak

DOW Chemical Apology for Bhopal Disaster:

This piece attracted me because I am familiar with the Yes Men's work and had heard about how they pulled this stunt, so I wanted to know more about how they managed to do it and what the repercussions were thereafter. It was interesting to me that the website that initially attracted the BBC was not intended to yield them such an enormous spotlight, which makes me wonder what the original webpage was for. It seems the nature of this project was highly improvised, from its conception to its execution when he had to fool millions of viewers that a large company is capable of showing remorse and compassion . Not everybody is faced or confronted with disasters like Bhopal who support DOW and when they learned that the information is false, it forces them to question why it has not been acted upon. If the Yes Men are willing to operate at such a high profile, they must have a steady knowledge of the legal barriers they can and can't cross. It seems like DOW would be hasty to sue after a commotion like that, especially since they dropped their stocks.

Beautiful Trouble Creative Action-Madeline Quint

I chose the Case study called "Harry Potter Alliance" because I was intrigued to find out what someone was doing or how they would make an alliance out of that. To my pleasant surprise, the Harry Potter Alliance, created by Andrew Slack, was based off the idea of Harry Potter actually being real and what he would be doing if he was. Based off of that, Andrew wanted to create a "Dumbledore Army" that would wake up our media and governments and stop global warming and end genocide in Darfur. And what a better way to do it than by making it fun and an easy point of reference. With this idea, Andrew took it to a lot of his friends in the media department so they could help spread it, and it indeed spread like wild fire. They also went to every Harry Potter movie premiere and got thousands of signatures for their petition. That along with having online and offline ideas and sites they successfully helped spread the word of this study very quickly! 

Sophia Pietrkowski Beautiful Trouble

Case Study: Lysistrata Project

 

I love that Katherine Blume uses the media as a platform to build an international team of collaborators. She made a step-by-step process for stage readings of Lysistrata to protest the war with Iraq in 2003. She made the process easy but also gave the collaborators a chance to make it their own because Greek plays have open domains. Adaptations make this even more effective and can get a community very involved.

 

The humor of the show itself is also a beautiful device for involvement. It doesn't scare people away from the issue. My question here is did the audience members really internalize that the experience of watching Lysistrata is to prevent the war that was at hand in 2003? I wonder how long the time line was from the first time they sent an email to the date of the performance. How fast did the project date and guidelines happen?

 

It seems that the project was effective in grabbing mass public attention. The news picked up a story on the happenings, which tells me that the media is a strong platform to get out information. I wish they delved deeper into how they sent the project out to everyone. I also liked the charity aspect of the project using the money to go to anti war foundations. 

Josh Lowenstein - 99% Bat Signal

Beautiful Trouble Assignment

On November 17, 2011, New York City labor unions wanted to celebrate the two-month anniversary of "Occupy Wall Street." They decided to replicate the spotlight from the Batman movies, but have "99%" in the middle. The team was able to find an apartment to project from and used "the Verizon building" across the street as a projection screen. In addition, there was a 20,000-person rally on the Brooklyn Bridge, located meters away from the projection, who cheered along with the images, which actually changed on the fly and went along with what the crowd was chanting and cheering. 

The main strategy used in this piece is called "guerrilla projection," which is a very effective tactic used to display a large image to a crowd with little to no promotion beforehand. It worked very well in this case because the image was incredibly relatable and truly brought the crowd of people together in unity. Furthermore, the team of artists did a very thorough job of appealing to cultural popularity because projection art is very well-received in New York City.

Assignment

Noga Yechieli- Lysistrata Project

The Lysistrata project was a brilliant initiative in 2003 to protest against the war in Iraq. The New York group Theaters Against War took the famous Greek play Lysistrata, which tells the story of women who protested a war by refusing sex to the men of the city until they stopped fighting, and created a modern adaptation of it. 

In order to engage communities and turn this project into a political initiative on a global scale they used a few smart tactics. 

First they created a free website  that served as an instruction manual for organizing a reading of the play. It had a lot of information regarding the war in Iraq and reasons to oppose it, downloadable logos, posters, fliers, a sample press release, and contact information for listed readings organized by geographical areas. This strategy allowed people around the world to participate in the project, either as audience or as actors/activists, which subsequently took the pressure off of each performance since it was so global, it could be done on any scale and still have significance. 

The other important strategy in my opinion was giving a deadline date for the performance. Had they left it open, people would have performed it on different dates and the coverage would have spread out and lost a lot of its significance, and also people would have taken their time with the initiative and perhaps ended up not doing it at all. However because they gave a specific date for the performances, it forced anyone who wanted to take part in the project to organize it quickly and take action as soon as possible. Moreover, having 1029 readings on every continent on the same day was such a powerful number that forced the media to cover it, and it just could not be ignored. Furthermore the last strategy that was probably the most brilliant of them all, was choosing a play that would be irresistible for people to participate in or go and view as an audience. Because it is about sex, women refusing sex and contains nudity, people were more inclined to participate. It is a form of talking about politics in a way that is funny and sex always sells unfortunately, or fortunately in this case. 

Plaza de la Raza

Site Visit Observations*

2/10

People

of Plaza (A.M. Hours)

Dog walkers

exercisers

possibly more kids on weekends and after school

Ambiance:

Super sunny, greenery, nature, fresh air, birds, friendly, open

Assets:

Bathroom for public

Trees

Pastel Wall

Cornerstone Immigration Play

(a group to look into concerning the Shelter project b/c they have done a similar

project)

Arches

and Walls of Plaza

TheMetro bus' route passes by on the main road, maybe something can be made of that

Benches and many beautiful trees that cause shade

Skate park next to the children's playground

We can engage in a conversation with the older people at the park first by asking questions in

which they can further engage then tell them about the Shelter Project

Picnic tables

Baseball field

Art area

Little forest area

Dog Walkers

Adrian's bloody feet on roads

Stand and lamp posts

Birds are territorial

I can feel the moisture of the lake in the air

There is decent parking around the perimeter of the park (at least in the day), also where the

Lincoln statue is than in the back where Plaza and the lake are

A variety of people occupy the park be they locals who are using it as a place to relax, jog, etc.

people who drove from out of the neighborhood as a destination

There is a baseball field on the far side of the park. On game days there must be lots of people

who flock to the park to watch

There are picnic tables next to the field where I am sure people throw birthday parties

especially on the weekends

I saw no homeless people in the park which isn't exactly typical for a public area like this

Geese will be aggravated

Parking is hard

Make sure weather is comfortable

People using bathrooms during the show

Noise from traffic

Sunlight:

specific time of day we visited

Lots of families in the park

Man fishing in the park at the pond

Teens at the skate park

Mural area with people walking in between

All races walking throughout the park

2 ducks, one behind the other, potential best friends

Guests use the space

Tribal

Call of Birds (when one goose starts the others chime in)

Sleeping goose was disturbed by an obnoxious goose moment later and the pack followed suit

Loads of birds

Restrooms are used by people who are out walking

Beautiful trees

People sit around the lake

Mother and child birdwatching

Orchestra of Geese

People walk through the park in all spaces

Beautiful brick house

Dog walking

Where are the borders working out?

Will duck sounds be a problem?

Or

Traffic hum?

Make use of the poles on the playing space

Or

the trees as well

Small clearing near bathrooms could be good because space feels established

Accessible and close to the walking space

Corner of Lincoln and Main

Lincoln Statue

Small Kiosk stand

2 benches and bus strip

group of palm trees

Corner of Mission and Main

pressed gravel

areas of wood chips and trees

grass surround

*(aka some of the best band names ever)

Jaron Crespi - Week 3

TEN LENSES: Tent of Meeting

1. Content: What is the issue, need, idea or opportunity addressed by this project?

The overall idea addressed by this project is that God is a father and He both is and desires to be very near to us.

2. Form: What medium and techniques were used to embody the content?

The techniques used to embody this content include turning the ROD concert hall into the inside of a tent representing the tabernacle which was the dwelling place of God during the reign of King David in Israel. There are dancers performing along with music to represent the worship that happened in the tabernacle during that time, which for 33 years there was no requirement for animal sacrifices for sin because King David instituted 24/7 worship in the tabernacle. There was no sacrifice required because God does not take pleasure in animal sacrifices, but in a broken spirit and contrite heart that desires to be covered by His love and in His presence. The live lighting/visuals represent the heavenly experience of the tabernacle during those 33 years because when people would go into the tabernacle they would walk into and be in the midst of the throne room of God.

The idea of this piece ultimately is for the community to engage with one another the way community engaged with one another in the Garden of Eden before the fall of man - in the context of home (a place where love rules) and family (people who are in covenant relationship with God as their father). The tabernacle set represents this home and the people gathering together represent this family (there will be no chairs and the audience will sit along the perimeter of the stage on pillows/rugs). The dancers will be going back and forth from the audience and stage to show that this experience of immersion is not only for those on stage but for those off as well.

3. Context: What are the circumstances and setting that frame our understanding of this project?

Everybody has their own history with this topic which will definitely frame the understanding of it at face value. However, I believe that this project will break down walls that are divisive of the pursuit of love and unity.

4. Stakeholders: Who can affect or be affected by this project?

Everybody who takes part in either the performance or audience both affects and is affected by this project.

5. Audience or communities engaged: For whom and/or with whom was this project created?

This project has a very large number of collaborators spanning multiple disciplines of art within the school. The main idea is that of my own but the execution can only happen by everybody involved pulling their weight and contributing each in their own unique way. This piece is created with God for family, then friends, then for the greater CalArts community.

6. Engagement strategies: How were the stakeholders, audiences, and community members engaged in this project? How were the goals of the project advanced?

TBA

7. Resources: What tangible or intangible resources were used to pursue the project's goals?

TBA

8. Goal: What are the project's objectives?

For every single person in the ROD to experience love.

9. Outcomes: What were the results and the impact of this project? Did they match the goals?

TBA

10. Values: What were this project's guiding values and/or core beliefs?

The core belief of this project is that Jesus' sacrifice on the cross became the way for my body to become this tabernacle or "tent of meeting." Because of the price that he paid, within me lives the Spirit of the living God and His desire is for my life to be the tent of meeting that this project represents. I am a redeemed man. Every ounce of fear, shame, guilt, hypocrisy, anxiety, depression, suicidal tendencies, cynicism, anger, sexual misuse and substance abuse has been nailed to the cross with Christ, and what has been resurrected in my life is boldness, courage, strength, hope, joy, peace, love, kindness, patience, self-control, and an intimate relationship with my Father in heaven. All the death that once dominated my soul has been swallowed up by the abundance of life given to me through the Holy Spirit, and the blueprint of this transformed life is expressed in the tent of meeting. This transformed life is not something that is to be grasped or held onto by me, but to be given away freely. Where I go, the home and family of God goes as well. Where I go a place where love rules happens because of the covenant relationship I have with God because of the death and resurrection of Jesus, sealed by the person of Holy Spirit. "Tent of Meeting" is the physical expression of my spiritual reality.

CRIS R HERNANDEZ - WEEK 3

TEN LENSES:

1. Content: What is the issue, need, idea or opportunity addressed by this project?

A performance featuring over 200 public high school students sitting in cars sharing unedited conversations about their lives and future.

2. Form: What medium and techniques were used to embody the content?
Performance

3. Context: What are the circumstances and setting that frame our understanding of this project?

How are teens reacting to culture/unhealthy culture?

4. Stakeholders: Who can affect or be affected by this project?
Everyone around them, those who will be passing the torch to this generation.

5. Audience or communities engaged: For whom and/or with whom was this project created?
Parents, family, communities, strangers, people with different opinions.

6. Engagement strategies: How were the stakeholders, audiences, and community members engaged in this project? How were the goals of the project advanced?

They walked around and chose to speak to different performers who were not acting but sharing exactly how they feel.

7. Resources: What tangible or intangible resources were used to pursue the project's goals?

Multiple cars and a large space. Mainly a large space and a place to converse freely.

8. Goal: What are the project's objectives?

To give a growing generation the ability to speak their mind's freely and to be able to have healthy arguments. At the same time, to give an older generation the ability to listen.

9. Outcomes: What were the results and the impact of this project? Did they match the goals?

Both the audience and performers experienced multiple situations/conversations that they could not in such a limited amount of time and space. I would like to think that they did in fact match the goals.

10. Values: What were this project's guiding values and/or core beliefs?

To allow the youth to freely share their opinions on current issues and what they expect in the future.

CRIS R HERNANDEZ - WEEK 2

TEN LENSES:

1. Content: What is the issue, need, idea or opportunity addressed by this project?

Students do not wish to play small cliche roles pertaining to their culture but instead seemed to intuit that they might get a glimpse into the spirit of their own history by exploring that of others, without limitations.

2. Form: What medium and techniques were used to embody the content?
Theatre, The Joker System

3. Context: What are the circumstances and setting that frame our understanding of this project?

Those who do not yet have an understanding of diversity and cultural history

4. Stakeholders: Who can affect or be affected by this project?
Communities, audiences, parents

5. Audience or communities engaged: For whom and/or with whom was this project created?
Young communities and children growing up

6. Engagement strategies: How were the stakeholders, audiences, and community members engaged in this project? How were the goals of the project advanced?

To put people in every possible perspective, despite cultural backgrounds.

Example: For the representation of the beating of Rodney King, all cast members were given the opportunity to fill the roll of officer Laurence Powell.

7. Resources: What tangible or intangible resources were used to pursue the project's goals?

It really just needs a space and people willing to participate

8. Goal: What are the project's objectives?

To incorporate all varying points of view -

The youth learned in their bodies how to change channels without losing the subtleties of each character.

9. Outcomes: What were the results and the impact of this project? Did they match the goals?

I personally think so. They gave people an opportunity to be more open minded and see things differently, especially a younger audience that is still learning.

10. Values: What were this project's guiding values and/or core beliefs?

T0 convey a recurring and dynamic plot about power, to tell a story that contained within it many stories, and to learn complicity, flexibility, and teamwork.

CRIS R H - WEEK 1

QUESTIONS:

1. "criticized by others for its exploitation of communities and/or reduction of art to a kind of inadequate and ineffectual social work" I'm still a bit curious about this criticism.

2. When does art in public interest cross into the territory of design? 

3. What exactly does it mean when the artist is maintaining a dual identity?

4. Can certain groups rely less on the conduit?

5. What does an artist gain or lose in the process of becoming a mentor/teacher figure? Is there?

TAKEAWAYS:

1. This reminds me a lot of Indira Freitas Johnson's installation of 100 Buddha sculptures around Chicago, part of her 2013 Ten Thousands Ripples project. They were scattered across various neighborhoods with issues in gang activity, gun violence, bullying, etc.

2. "What exists in the space between the words public and art is an unknown relationship between artist and audience, a relationship that may itself be the artwork." as someone who favors performance/outdoor art I really like this. Work that can respond individually to those that make contact with it and claim that contact as art.

3. I bring up question 2 because back during World War II, the very first modern graphic designers rose from artists sharing their political opinions through mass production in publications/posters/etc.

4. The examples given remind me of Chicago artist Hebru Brantley

10 lenses- Let's Talk Sex Work: A Play

1. Content: What is the issue, need, idea or opportunity addressed by this project?

"Let's Talk Sex Work" addresses the silencing of women in sex work, by telling true stories of women in prostitution and bringing them to life. The play specifically focuses on the issue of choice, addressing the recent debate about this topic, and tackling it through personal stories that rarely get told. 

2. Form: What medium and techniques were used to embody the content?

The play uses immersive techniques by staging the play among the audience. It uses true stories, testimonies and improv in order to perform the content. 

3. Context: What are the circumstances and setting that frame our understanding of this project?

The circumstances that frame this project are two fold. It is the way prostitution is represented in the media, public discourse or policy making, which frames sex workers as woman who are either crazy drug addicts lying in some street corner, or upper middle class women who thrive in the industry, love what they do and who chose specifically prostitution as their career. On the other hand there is the majority of sex workers that don't fall under either of these descriptions. The circumstances of the piece are the merging between what is portrayed to the public and what the reality is. 

4. Stakeholders: Who can affect or be affected by this project?

The project can affect any person who does not know enough about sex work, and through this project learn about this industry and their responsibility in it. Sex workers themselves may be affected by it, if viewers take action after seeing the performance, and just by raising the topic and bringing it into a more public discourse. the project could affect men who go to see prostitutes and maybe break some of the stereotypes they know of, which allow them to feel comfortable and ethical to go see a sex worker. 

5. Audience or communities engaged: For whom and/or with whom was this project created?

This project was created with a group of women actors. It is based on true stories of sex workers. This project is created for any college campus, rehab center, or community that would be willing to host the project, and help raise the issue of sex work within that community, and encourage a conversation. 

6. Engagement strategies: How were the stakeholders, audiences, and community members engaged in this project? How were the goals of the project advanced?

The community or stakeholders that come to see the performance as an audience are engaged in the piece through the staging, which involves an open discussion about the topic at the end, and more information is provided such as pamphlets, reading material for them to take home and continue the engagement. The project has a social media page as well, in order to allow anyone to follow the process of the creation of the piece, be exposed to the material that the actors are reading, and invite the project to their community. These goals are being advanced through continually refining the staging, and trying to find more ways to engage the public in the process, as well as reaching out to organizations working with sex workers, in order to collaborate with them in order to advance the piece and the topic at hand. 

7. Resources: What tangible or intangible resources were used to pursue the project's goals?

The project plans to bring guest speakers to talk about some of the subjects at hand, however this has been a tangible and intangible resource at the same time. The producer is still trying to reach certain individuals and bring them as guest speakers, but unfortunately we have also had some failure with either budget issues or no cooperation. 

8. Goal: What are the project's objectives?

The objective is to raise awareness about women in prostitution, and bring these stories to life in a way that will engage the audience as active participants, so that they will not be able to detach from the topic while watching the piece, and force them to be an active audience. 

9. Outcomes: What were the results and the impact of this project? Did they match the goals?

The play is still in production so the success cannot be confirmed yet.

10. Values: What were this project's guiding values and/or core beliefs?

The core belief of the creators of the project is that most sex workers do not choose actively to be in prostitution, and that understanding the connection between prostitution and childhood sexual abuse is critical. The biggest guiding value of this project was discussing these issues, but not speaking for these women, but using their words to express their reality, rather than using the actors'/writer's words.