Component 1.2 Self Appraisal

Identify your key responsibilities and list the main areas of work you have been involved in. Briefly highlight the skills and competencies that are relevant to this project/work area.

PROJECT MANAGEMENT

Developed with the team timelines and set key deadlines to deliver the exhibition
Divided areas of responsibilities of the project
Created master ‘Project Timeline’ and ‘Action Sheet’ to visualise our goals, deadlines, and individual responsibilities: to prevent burnout and unequal distribution of tasks
Oversaw budget with Margaret

Key competencies: Organisational skills, Administrative skills, Teamwork, Project Management, Scheduling, Budgeting

COMMUNICATION

Led communication efforts by drafting the curatorial rationale, the exhibition labels, and the interpretation text
Led marketing efforts for the programme of events adjacent to the exhibition
Researched inclusive communication strategies to ensure our written materials remained accessible to a diverse audience
Liaised with Winnie, Joey, Keira and Lucas to produce interpretation texts

Key competencies: Written Communication Skills, Marketing, EDI knowledge, Artist Liaison, Administrative Skills, Copy-editing

OUTREACH AND ENGAGEMENT

Ideated, co-ordinated and delivered the engagement programme
Liaised with Community Wellbeing Collective (CWC) and Joey and Keira to organise a workshop to produce submissions for the Living Archive
Assisted Joey and Keira in the delivery of the workshop, by supporting participants
Liaised with Winnie and Queer Film Night to screen Minutes (2019) and Studwork (2018)
Liaised with Edinburgh Student Housing Cooperative for ensuring a venue for Winnie’s screening
Supported QFN in creating marketing materials to promote the event
Researched and prepared for the Q&A following QFN screening with Winnie
Facilitated the Q&A with Winnie and QFN

Key competencies: Creative skills, Social Capital and Networking, Knowledge of Edinburgh art scene, Organisational Skills, Communication Skills- Written and Public Speaking, People Skills, Art Education, Facilitation skills

ARTISTS LIAISON

Acted as the main point of contact for Lucas Priest: communicating our exhibition deadlines, and updating the artist to ensure he could deliver on time his artwork
Led discussions about the exhibition design to ensure Lucas was satisfied with the presentation of his work
Liaised with CRC curator Liv Laumenech to draft Lucas’ contract of agreement and his interpretation text
Liaised with Paolina (responsible for graphic design) to promote Lucas walk through pamphlets, social media and Eventbrite
Liaised with Joey and Keira for the delivery of the Living Archive workshop
Liaised with Winnie for interpretation text, design and delivery of QFN screening

Key competencies: Communication Skills, Organisational Skills, Time Management, Project Management, Admin Skills, Knowledge about Artist Agreements, Marketing, Conflict Mediation

List your key objectives for the whole project and your own role

General Objectives

Gather archival materials to produce the Zine Fundamental for Joey and Keira’s commission. We divided the areas of research in early December, and we will carry out our archival research over winter break and January. We aim to deliver the materials to the artists by January 20^th and set our printing deadline on January 28^th.
Produce curatorial rationale and exhibition labels We began working on the curatorial rationale and interpretation text in December, liaising with artists in early January: we set the printing deadline on January 28^th.
Design, and launch the exhibition on February 8^th Research on the design began in October, with Margaret and Paolina visiting and mapping Travelling Gallery. Over winter break we aim to draft ideas and Rose (exhibition design leader) offered to create a SketchUp to visualise it. We still need to map the space of the gallery in real life. By late January the vinyl and wood needed for installation need to be purchased, and delivered by February 6^th: first day of install.

Personal Objectives

Organise and deliver the Living Archive workshop Brainstorming with Joey and Keira began at the end of November, we reached out to WHALE Arts before winter break, but their lack of response made me realise the initial deadline of January 15^th is not feasible. To mitigate circumstances as an alternative partner I found CWC: after the holidays I will reach out to them hoping to be able to deliver the workshop before the exhibition.
Develop Marketing Campaign for Lucas Priest SoPC walk The walk will take place on February 9^th. We will begin working on marketing halfway through January with posters, social media and an Eventbrite campaign: a new approach to ticketing as Lucas usually organises his walks quite informally.
Organise and deliver Winnie Herbstein’s programme of events In early December, conversations began with Winnie about screening Minutes at ESHC accompanied by her workshop Sweat Equity on February 9^th or 10^th. We are waiting to understand the cost of the workshop and her travel expenses. As a next step, I will have to book the venue and in early January work with Paolina on advertising the event.

Reflect upon the progress of the project to date (both as a whole and with regards to your own specific area/role). 2) Critically reflect upon your experience working with the group. Here you may consider your contribution so far, the value of your specific strengths and expertise, the effectiveness of group communications and your performance in group meetings. How might the group [have] enhance[d] its performance?

While we have been quite ambitious by commissioning a new artwork and imagining two engagement events alongside the exhibition, we managed to deliver every aspect of the show as we had envisioned it. We successfully overcame logistical and technical difficulties to meet our goals and deadlines demonstrating our resilience and organisational skills.

In my areas of responsibility, the collaboration with WHALE Arts fell through and the Living Archive workshop got delayed due to the necessity to change partner organisations. Yet I still manage to organise a well-attended workshop with CWC which took place before the exhibition opening as we imagined. Likewise, the original plan for Winnie’s workshop changed. Due to budget limitations, the idea of delivering Sweat Equity was abandoned and substituted with a screening of Winnie’s film and online Q&A with the artist in partnership with Queer Film Night. A collaboration that ensured us a high turn-out but delayed the event at the end of the exhibition.

I couldn’t have asked for a better team. I contributed to the group with my project management expertise and the creation of the ‘Project Timeline’ and ‘Action Sheet’ has allowed us to divide tasks equally creating a harmonious group dynamic. We organised responsibilities playing on our strengths but also allowing us to focus on skills we each wanted to develop. Moreover, I am satisfied with the way my research about community archives as spaces of resistance and community formation, as well as my work in art education, has contributed to shape an exhibition centred around audience engagement.

We could have enhanced our performance mainly by developing more structured communications with the artists. Creating more formalised artists’ agreements would have allowed us to prevent a series of miscommunications with them, which we still eventually resolved but that led to multiple stressful situations.