Extending Practices...Building Networks An Institute on Research in Practice in Adult Literacy – June 17-21, 2003
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Suggested Arts-Based Activities

Collage

  • work individually to create a collage of words and images from magazines that representsyour research, and paste your collage to Bristol board
  • share visual stories in a poster gallery

Percussion instruments

  • choose a percussion instrument
  • in pairs, take turns playing the instrument to describe a day your life using sound and rhythm
  • the person who has listened to the aural description talks about what they experienced in the sounds

Body Sculpture

  • two photos of peoplewrite a word on a card that represents the theme of your research
  • in pairs, one person sculpts the other person to represent the word
  • the rest of the group calls out words and phrases to describe the sculpture. These words "amplify" or help to re-conceptualize the word on the card. For example, the word inclusion evoked open, welcome, inviting, receptive, embracing, vulnerable, which made the researcher reflect,"The gates of inclusion can expand or retract, there is vulnerability within inclusion."
  • Make the meaning from the doing
  • What is collected? Data? Meaning? Information?
  • How are findings disseminated? Using words? Music? How is it made accessible?
  • Does arts-based research mean controlling and manipulating traditional cultural practices?
  • If you need to add text to explain the products of arts-based research, aren't you undermining and invalidating the artistic or cultural practice?

The discussions clearly revealed that researchers bring a range of views to artsbased research practices. The course provided prompts and opportunities to reflect on some of these practices. It also provided a range of activities that could be used by researchers in the field as well as instructors in the classroom.

Quotes offered by Joe:

"He who defines me negates me." Kirkegaard
"If I could put it into words, I wouldn't have to dance." Martha Graham
"All we have are stories. Even the statistics are stories." Laurel Richardson
"I've been framed." The Three Little Pigs by A. Wolf
"Play is the work of the young child." June Cottrell