Reflecting on a continuing professional development choice: Example B

CPD activity:  Workshop for young artists

Subject area: Art in public space

Institution: Contemporary art center - State museum of contemporary art

Year of attendance: 2008

Estimated hours: 24 hours discussion/speeches + 100 hours workshop. 

            Two years ago, the state museum of contemporary art, made a call to young artists, in order them to participate in a workshop. The organizers informed the participants that the workshop would be divided into two stages. The first stage would include speeches, while the second stage would encourage the participants to imagine, design, and create (individually or in groups) any kind of artistic intervention in urban space. However, the workshop didn’t seem to be organized under strict curriculum guidelines or to assure the participants for specific educational outcomes.

            The first thing that excited my interest for participation was the second stage of the workshop, where apparently I would have the opportunity to start thinking into multiple directions, to express openly my ideas and thoughts, and to create “corporeal” artwork - able to be shown in public, touched or experienced by other people. So, primarily I selected this CPD (continuing professional development) activity, because I wanted to act as a creator and not to participate pathetically in a learning activity by receiving information, hearing about other people’s experiences, etc.

Furthermore, I perceived this particular CPD episode as an opportunity to meet interesting people, to discuss with them, to understand their perception about art and art theory, to exchange ideas, etc. Most of all, I was expecting to see how other artist work, to observe their progression as it happens, and at the same time to expose my work to them, to accept their evaluation and criticism, to learn from them and them from me. Generally, the idea that a small group of people would have to work together under a participatory activity seemed to me a valuable and intriguing learning experience, that I wouldn’t have to miss.

Reasons for attending the art workshop

Reasons Stimuli for Creation Presenting my artwork Exchanging ideas

            After all, I perceived it as an opportunity to escape from the daily working routine, to overcome the restrictions of the profession (the demands of the employers, the economical restrictions, the dominant aesthetic, etc) and to do something alternative. And although, the workshop didn’t seem to warrantee any specific learning outcome, nevertheless I was hoping that, at the end, I could manage to think, design and materialize an innovative idea.