week 4 Building a Collective: Crafting Our Curatorial Manifesto
In this session, we embarked on the process of forming our curatorial collective by defining key values and working methods. This exercise was not just about drafting a set of guiding principles but also about reflecting on how collaboration shapes curatorial practice.
Drafting the 10-Point Manifesto
Our group discussions began with identifying the fundamental aspects of collective work—transparency, trust, shared responsibilities, and creative exchange. Inspired by discussions from James Clegg’s workshop and previous lectures on collectives, we structured our manifesto as follows:
- Listen first, then think, then talk and argue. Active listening is key to meaningful dialogue.
- Listen to teammates’ advice. Acknowledging different perspectives strengthens collective decisions.
- Be transparent and sincere. Openly express needs and challenges to foster mutual understanding.
- Trust your peers. Understanding different viewpoints enriches our curatorial practice.
- Commitment to deadlines. Ensuring smooth progress requires shared accountability.
- Respect different work rhythms. Everyone has unique working styles—flexibility is essential.
- Encourage creative ideas. A space where diverse opinions are valued fosters innovation.
- Share responsibilities fairly. Tasks should align with individual strengths while remaining equitable.
- Do not blame your peers. Instead of assigning fault, we focus on problem-solving.
- Check progress regularly. Identifying delays early helps maintain efficiency.
Reflections and Next Steps
This exercise illuminated the complexities of collective work. While shared values provide structure, adaptability remains crucial. Moving forward, we will refine our manifesto based on real-time challenges and begin integrating these principles into our speculative curatorial projects.
Next week, we will revisit our individual research and test how these collective principles translate into our curatorial methodologies.
