Preparing for The PED Process

6.1.1 Developing The PED Process

In my discussion of the literature on event design processes in Chapter 3, I noted that while there have been a number of potential options which incorporate elements of participatory working presented in the theory, there is a lack of detail on best practice applied at its different levels. My examination of the literature in the discipline of participatory design studies discussed at the end of Chapter 3, revealed some useful strategies (Sanders and Stappers, 2008; Brandt, Binder and Sanders, 2013; DiSalvo, Clement and Pipek, 2013). In the early stages of the project I adopted a very structured approach to preparations. I prepared a bank of activities that focused on visual methods such as storyboarding and proto typing, I anticipated that these methods would be the most useful. In my first action research cycle with the Chipawo alumni, I prepared a programme of Boal techniques and facilitated the day’s activities using visioning games, modelling sequences and image theatre (Boal, 2002). As the research project progressed, and I spent more time reflecting on the PAR principles that the project was based on, it became clear that going into the workshops with a pre-planned agenda and set of activities would be imposing my own tyranny of the PAR process (Cooke and Kothari, 2001). Therefore, when I arranged the initial meeting and design workshop with the group of visual artists in the later action cycles I prepared very flexible agendas that would

195 be finalised by the group at the beginning of each session. I also travelled with a bag full of paper, post-it notes, markers and magazines so that if the group wanted to use any of these resources they could. The only firm rule I tried to adhere to and shared with the group was that I would use what I called the 80:20 rule – where I would check in with myself to only talk 20% of the time in sessions and ensure my co-researchers talked 80% of the time – this helped me to check in with my thoughts regularly and to avoid taking over sessions and talking too much.

6.1.2 Agreeing Rules of Engagement

As discussed in the research methods strategy in Chapter 5, the group discussed the rules of engagement which all members would adhere to for the project. The first phase of setting up the project was to agree on a level of participatory working that all project participants would be happy with, using Arnstein’s Ladder of Participation refer Figure 16. The group deliberated over the top 3 levels and spent some time getting a clear idea of the difference between partnership, delegated power and citizen control. The group finally agreed on the highest level of Citizen Control which included active involvement in all aspects of decision making regarding the project – with myself as the research facilitator, sourcing resources and acting on decisions made.

196 Figure 16 - Arnstein’s Ladder of Participation (1969)

While deliberating on setting participatory working at the level of ‘Citizen Control, it was interesting to note that the group were more concerned about how things would work amongst themselves rather than the relationship between them and myself as the research facilitator and insider-outsider (Greenwood and Levin, 1998; Smith, 2012). A key point for discussion amongst group members at the beginning was the power to make decisions. Members shared that they had been involved in projects where some individuals would not engage until the end when they would start to offer opinions and hinder progress by challenging decisions that had previously been made. Some of the group members therefore proposed that only those who were contributing all the time should be allowed to make the final decisions. The group finally agreed that including a rule like this would set up what could potentially be an oppressive power structure – silencing some members of the group. As the group had called themselves

‘Visual Artists Ready to be Heard’, this would defeat the purpose of the project. The group then went through a process to make each other accountable to being fully engaged in the

Citizen Control

Delegated Power

Partnership

Placation

Consultation

Informing

Therapy

Manipualtion

Authentic Participation

Degrees of citizen power

Degrees of tokenism

No Power

197 project without any prompting from myself as research-facilitator. This was not always so easy to practice, as there were regular periods in the project when silent members were confronted by their peers – the exchange below is a good example:

(23 days into the project) …

Nana: I think seriousness should be part of our ways of thinking because I see people joining and not saying anything just like bearer cheques⁵ not buying anything

Marypoppins: I think there should be a cut off time for participation as in, I get it that we have lives, but contribution (especially since funds were availed for that contribution) is necessary and we need to move forward together. So I think perhaps it should be reiterated, so that the work load is balanced because this is an indication of things to come re: the actual event when people now need to actually work.

Zoro1: @ nana I agree with you, but note some are facing challenges, be happy that they have joined Slack. It’s a big step they’ve taken. There are others who are still to do so. Tomorrow they’ll take another step. Relax.

WBM: Kikkkk⁶, it’s true

Nana: We happy but we can't be too patient Zoro time is money

Mrmagoo: Nana, Nana, you have to be at least a little bit patient, you're saying that cause you are already in the Bus⁷ that's why you want to tell the driver that the bus is full. Just wait and be patient please…

Group members also spent some time determining whether there would be any restrictions regarding conversation topics such as politics, sexual preference and religion – the group finally agreed that there would be no taboo topics.

5 Reference to the introduction of a parallel currency called a Bond Note by the Zimbabwean

government in response to the country’s cash crisis. This move was very unpopular, even though the government claimed the currency was pegged at 1:1 to the US Dollar, the currency could only be used in Zimbabwe and had no value anywhere else.

6 This is Zimbabwean term for laughing used on social media – similar to ‘laugh out loud’ – ‘lol’

7 This refers to the commuter omnibuses that are used as public transport – passengers usually have to sit in the vehicle and wait for it to fill up to a capacity where the driver is willing to move - there are no formalised timetables for these buses.

198 The next step was to set boundaries and agree on what was acceptable and expected from everyone in the group and we started this process by setting the aspirational project values.

All group members were keen and quick to engage in this discussion. I facilitated this process by sharing my research values and then each group members shared theirs. The word cloud I generated in Figure 17 illustrates the most popular value behaviours that group members identified. Transparency, dialogue and mutual respect were frequently referred to and these values were similar to my own. I had initially picked those values as I thought they best aligned with the PAR philosophy and critical pedagogy (Freire, 1996) but as the project progressed and the artists started reflecting on the challenges they were facing, I could see that issues relating to a lack of mutual respect and transparency were at the root of the oppressive power structures that framed the design of art exhibitions in Zimbabwe.

Figure 17 - Priority Group Value behaviours

6.2 Our PED

Process

6.2.1 Dialogue,

Critical

Reflection and Problematising

After the group had agreed on using Slack for the initial group discussions, I set up the space for our project and invited the group members who had opted in and signed consent forms.

199 The first phase of discussions focused on the challenges the artists were facing and their reflections on what they enjoyed about being visual artists in Zimbabwe. This initial phase of dialogue and critical reflection was an introduction to our process of conscientisation (Freire, 1996). During this phase of critical reflection and dialogue on Slack, my role was to actively listen and I would regularly summarise the discussions and prompt the group to gradually develop a key area of focus and refine their discussion. We then completed the conscientisation process at the beginning of the design workshop. The following conversation thread presents the nature of the critical reflection process which started with group members sharing their thoughts and listening to each other’s contributions. We then went through several iterations of refining the issues raised to focus on the key problems.

Taft: It is difficult at the moment in Zimbabwe to become a successful artist without struggling. First the economy right now is affecting the arts. You buy your materials at very exorbitant price against a work that the art dealers ask for a mark down or a wholesale price for my work. The other thing the bond note⁸ which is on its way it's a scary thought of how I will travel outside country, when we only have bond notes, and the guys who exchange at a high rate will use high rates for sure. When I would have sold my work at a negotiable price with the art dealer that's a challenge.

Richone: Hie, the thing is the bond note is inevitable it’s coming so we have to see what we can do. I think if we get links to market our works internationally is the best idea, creating websites to get in touch with other artists across the world, maybe a blog would also work.

The exchange between Taft and Richone above immediately highlighted some of the critical economic issues the country was facing and the specific impact on the artists. In June 2016

8 Reference to the introduction of a parallel currency called a Bond Note by the Zimbabwean

government in response to the country’s cash crisis. This move was very unpopular, even though the government claimed the currency was pegged at 1:1 to the US Dollar, the currency could only be used in Zimbabwe and had no value anywhere else