COLLABORATION 

 

noun [ mass noun ]

1 The action of working with someone to produce something: he wrote a book in collaboration with his son.

• [ count noun ] Something produced in collaboration with someone: his recent opera was a collaboration with Lessing.

2 Traitorous cooperation with an enemy: he faces charges of collaboration.

 

 

Collaboration is a word often used within the arts sector, sometimes to qualify a project, yet taken with the broad meaning of to work with someone to produce something. It is applied to many forms of working together. For example; a service is provided by a skilled worker in exchange for something else or when division of labour is involved to gain an outcome, when permission is given to utilize facilities or when a dialogue is formed by two entities. All of which in my opinion does not mean Collaboration with a capital C.

 

Collaboration is to be on equal footing, to share every aspect of the creative process, decision making and share complete authorship, equal merit and value over the work made and presented.

 

Collaboration in this sense does not come without the willingness to explore new untested ideas and therefore be prepared to fail. Communication, trust and willingness to share all knowledge and skills for the benefit of all. Members have to be open to criticism and discussion.

 

Having made this distinction, I have collaborated as part of Marion Phillini, in making the Art Parlour presentation and the group presentations.

I have worked in a team to organise the (i) Atina Art Residency (ii) The Anti Gallery Gallery Show Workshop (iii) The Interim exhibition at The Crypt gallery St Pancreas.