This week, we had our first group induction at Summerhall’s Collective Space, a warm, wood-panelled room tucked inside one of Edinburgh’s most creatively charged venues. I arrived thinking it would be a basic orientation, but I left with a heart full of new ideas. This wasn’t just about booking a space. It was about rethinking what curating can feel like when it’s shared, soft, and sensory.

 First Impressions: More than Just a Room

There’s something irresistibly gentle about the space. The soft chairs, the ambient light, the way the layout invites you to sit down instead of just pass through. It felt less like a classroom and more like someone’s lounge. Immediately, I started imagining how Fluid Curating could unfold here. Maybe it doesn’t need pristine white walls or polished installations. Maybe what it needs is presence, care, and an openness to small, shared rituals.

Planning Ahead: Our Group Bookings

We’ve officially booked two slots at Summerhall:

• March 20 (1–3pm): A preparation session with film sharing and early interaction testing
• March 29 (1–3pm): Our group session with playful, collaborative activities

Both will take place in the Collective Space room, where we hope to build something that feels light, interactive, and deeply personal.

Group Vision: Feeling, Play and Everyday Curation

In our 11:11 team meeting, one thing was clear. We’re not aiming for a flawless exhibition. Instead, we want to create a space where curating feels like friendship.

For the March 20 session, we’re preparing a film-sharing afternoon. Each of us will bring a short experimental video, ideally from UbuWeb or elsewhere, and share why we chose it. We’ll keep each screening around 10 minutes, then take a moment to talk. It’s not a lecture. It’s a chance to let the emotional weight or beauty of the work linger in the room.

We’ve assigned responsibilities too:

• Sarah is bringing the projector and extension cable
• Yiran Gu and I will bring paper to cover the windows
• Beichen is bringing popcorn
• Yuman is bringing tape
  Everyone will bring their own chosen video and talk about it briefly beforehand

Following the screening, we’ll play a wordless charades-style game, interpreting emotions through body movement. The idea is to explore how feelings are communicated visually and how curation might hold space for non-verbal forms of meaning.

Planning for Week 2 orWeek 3

For Week 2-3, we’re planning a quiet flower arranging session just for our group. Each of us will bring a small bouquet, and together we’ll build a shared installation using what we’ve gathered. There won’t be any audience or pressure. It’s just us, spending time with the materials, moving gently, seeing what happens.

I love how this feels. It’s not about creating something impressive. It’s about noticing small changes, being present with each other, and letting the space shift with our touch. To me, this is also a form of curating. Not fixed, not finished. Just unfolding, slowly and softly.

Group Schedule at a Glance

📝 Final Thoughts

This week wasn’t just about getting access to a venue. It was about co-creating a space that might host something delicate, something in process. I feel lucky to be part of a group that values process over polish and vulnerability over perfection.

Curating, I’m beginning to see, doesn’t need to shout. Sometimes it’s about whispering softly and making room for someone to hear themselves.