Practical Politics - Art and Welfare

THANK YOU!

2007-10-27T02:40:00.000-07:00

Stella and Jenny would like to thank all students for your inspiring, exciting, entertaining, provoking, intelligent and eye-opening presentations on Thursday 25th. We also thank you for your contribution to the course during all three weeks and wish you best of luck with your coming projects!

See you in next election!

Best,
S&J

FINAL PRESENTATIONS/ELECTION SCHEDULE

2007-10-24T07:51:00.000-07:00

PARTY POLITICAL ELECTION
PRACTICAL POLITICS – ART AND WELFARE
KONSTFACK 25 OCTOBER 2007

13.00 Welcoming music while audience/electorates arrives and are seated
13.05-13.10 Introduction by electoral hosts Jenny Bergström and Stella d’Ailly
Presentations of political parties
13.10 – 13.25 CCCC – Cyber Community for Cultural Co-existance
13.25 – 13.30 Questions
13.30 – 13.50 Open House Group
13.50 - 13.55 Questions
13.55 – 14.15 R.E.N.U.E.
14.15 – 14.20 Questions
14.20 – 14.35 The Radical Green party
14.35 – 14.40 Questions
14.40 – 14.50 Zone Zero
14.50 – 15.00 Election – one person per vote

15.00 – 15.15 Break

15.15 – 15.25 Introduction to guests
15.25 – 15.40 Discussion about CCCC
15.40 – 15.55 Discussion about Open House Group
15.55 – 16.10 Discussion about R.E.N.E.U.
16.10 – 16.25 Discussion about The Radical Green Party
16.25 – 16.40 Discussion about Zone Zero
16.40 – 17.00 Presentation of the winners of the Party Political Election

Special guests coming to final presentations

2007-10-24T05:13:00.000-07:00

Åsa Anesäter - KLYS
Görel Elf - Feminist Initiative
Karin Jonsson - artist
Dan Kihlström - The Christian Democrats
Anne Ludvigsson - Social Democratic Party
Esabelle Reshdouni - The Green Party of Sweden
Cecilia Wikström - The Liberal Party
Karin Willén - KRO (artists union)

Important!

2007-10-23T06:05:00.000-07:00

As soon as possible, we would like each group to send us summarys of your presentations (updated versions of the material you sent to Samira). This in order to plan the day of the final critique.

2007-10-23T06:00:00.000-07:00

Rehearsal studio available!!!

2007-10-23T01:15:00.000-07:00

Dear students of Practical Politics - Art and Welfare!
The lecture hall Svarta Havet is booked for your final presentation preparations. Please contact Jenny or Stella if your group is interested in rehearsing and for how many hours and we'll try fascilitate everyones request.

Jenny 0736503318
Stella 0704832453

Schedule for rhetorics worskhop

2007-10-16T08:55:00.000-07:00

Monday 22 October 2007
S1, Konstfack

Group 5, 9.00-10.00
Group 4, 10.30-11.30
LUNCH
Group 3, 12.30-13.30
Group 2, 13.45-14.45
Group 1, 15.15-16.15

State of Things

2007-10-12T05:38:00.000-07:00

On Monday 15th of October 13.00 pm (Lecture Hall S4), the artist duo Pernilla Karlsson Sjödin and Tobias Karlsson will be holding a lecture about their project State of Things. The work is based on documentation of malls and other commersial spaces with a blurred border between the private and public space and their agencies. A large number of photos work both as a documantation of a specific time and as a visual investigation of our urge for consuming and the structures that lays behind it.

"The culture of shopping formed in the modern arenas of consumption has an unstable status. From various positions within political, cultural and social life, the culture of consumption is criticised for seducing, blinding, and stupefying its passive participants. But how does this actually work? What roles do media play in the processes of consumption? Are there better, sharper arguments to support the critiques? Or are there perhaps important and valuable social and cultural relationships being developed behind the facade of commercialisation? What are the meanings of those acts that appear irrational, aimless or economically wasteful? Are they perhaps goal-oriented and satisfying, even productive? What tensions are concealed within the communicative acts and encounters that form this central aspect of contemporary daily life?"

This text is describing the research project Popular Passages: Media in the Modern Consumption Space. You can read more about this. See Links.

ATTENTION!

2007-10-11T06:05:00.001-07:00

Please e-mail us and send us your mobile/tel. number at the same time so we know how to reach you 24/7...NOT!

Jenny Bergström 0736503318
bergstrom.jenny@gmail.com

Stella d'Ailly 0704832453
stella@mossutstallningar.com

Short description of rhetorics and disposition

2007-10-11T05:37:00.000-07:00

Rhetorics
Rhetorics is a 2000 year old teaching that provides forms, means, and strategies for communicating any message to any audience. The term rhetoric often refers to argumentation, and not seldom with a pejorative connotation, that rhetorics is all about propaganda and hiding the ”truth”. On the contrary modern rhetorics is as much an instrument for analysing information as a method for training to be an effective communicator. Today rhetorics deal with both the spoken and written word. Contemporary rhetorical theory includes studies of rhetoric and gender, intercultural communication, branding and the rhetorics of new media, among others.

Disposition
The disposition of an argumentative speech contains the following parts:
• The introduction - to capture the attention of your listeners and to introduce them to your speech.
• The thesis - a sentence specifying the purpose and the subject of the speech.
• The outline of the major points in the speech (partitio)
• The arguments - different arguments supporting the purpose and the thesis of the speech.
• The refutation of possible opposing arguments
• The conclusion
• Possibly exhort to action.

The model is flexible and not all parts must be included in every speech. For example a partitio might just take up too much time, if the speech is short. In other cases it can be a good idea to rearrange the structure and start by refuting an opposing argument. However, to have a captivating introduction, ONE clear thesis, a few well chosen arguments and a good ending, is the best ”recipe” for a successful speech.

PREPERATION - RHETORIC WORKSHOP

2007-10-11T05:33:00.000-07:00

Preparation and deadlines for rhetoric workshop

On Thursday 18th of October (before 12:00) all groups should have sent a description (one description per group) of their presentation by e-mail to samira.davet@bredband.net

On the final presentation you may use keywords but not a manuscript to follow word by word!

The description should include:
The society/context that you imagine the party operating within
Your thesis (One sentence)
A succinct outline of your party including political directives (maximum of 10)
Description of what your oral presentation will consist of
Thoughts around your message, the presentation as a group and what tools to use when presenting.

These things must be considered when writing your description:
Purpose of your speech (there should be one clear purpose such as “you should vote for us”)
What is your message? (“our politics will make your life better”)
What are your arguments? (“it will make your life better because”)
What tools will you use during your presentation? (Pictures, microphone, costumes etc.)
If you use pictures/visual material, what is the purpose of these?
Audience/Situation/Room (Ex: how will you be placed in the room, in what way will you be standing in relation to each other when each one presents their speech, how do you address your audience, do you have a specific target audience?)

Also write down some questions you have concerning the layout of the presentation. Things you have found difficult and in particular want help with.

On Monday 22 October (between 09:00-16:00) each group will meet with Samira and Suzana for a one hour Workshop in Rhetoric. They will focus on helping you with your performance as a group and how to get your message through, the content. Before this meeting you should have rehearsed your speech two or three times.

Preparing you speech
Each person is to give a speech that is maximum 3 minutes long.
Some advice from S&S when giving each other feedback when you practice the speech together:
Important that you support each other and not to be too critical, the most important thing is for you as a group to feel comfortable and sure with one and other. A way to do this is that during rehearsal after each speech, you let every person say how they felt their speech went. After that you can give feedback to each other but firstly with something positive and secondly with a remark on what could be improved.
Help each other and be nice!

Good Luck!

TUTORIALS

2007-10-10T06:55:00.000-07:00

Friday 12 October outside S1, Konstfack

9:30-10:00
Group 1

10:00-10:30
Group 2

10:30-11:00
Group 3

11:00-11:30
Group 4

11:30-12:00
Group 5

Paper, colour, metal and wood for example.

2007-10-09T08:53:00.000-07:00

There are several workshops at Konstfack where you can get professional guidance when visualizing your ideas. Please pay attention to the hours to get help from the heads of these workshops.

Sahn Gnista, Måleristudion/Colour studio, sahn.gnista@konstfack.se
The field of Colour creation, paper and fiber art. Creating colours and creating with colours as well as paper and fiber art. From classic materials and techniques used in thousands of years in cultures over the world, to contemporary products and methods in our high-industrial society, side by side. Used in art, architecture, craft and design. Exposed in daylight, by the fireside and in the artificial light of today. Ecological aspects.

Love Hansson, Skulpturstudion/Sculpture studio, love.hansson@konstfack.se
A studio for the transformation of mentally artistical processes into works of "art" in real space. The studio works in a vast range of materials i.e. in everything from food, plastics, crap to bronze. No material or method is seen as having a greater potential then the other as a carreer of artisitic quality. It all comes down to how they are used conceptually.

Luigi Inganni, Muralstudion/The field of Mural, luigi.inganni@konstfack.se
The mural material used as colour on the surface is in concentrated form the building material. Concrete revolutionery constructions in architecture. The first known example is Pantheon during the Roman period and today one of the most common material in contemporary buildings. Mosaics from stone and glas are well known artworks as well as stucco.

Henrik Brandt, Metallverkstan/Metal Workshop, henrik.brandt@konstfack.se
In the metal workshop you as a student are welcome to work with metal of all sorts. It's equipped with the most common set of tools and machines such as lathe, milling machine, different welding machines, TIG and MIG. There is a plasma cutter, band saw and other cutting and drilling machines and tools for tube bending.
The metal workshop is selling some material. This material is suited to fit the machines and tools in the workshop. The material that we sell is in different shapes, tubes, sheet metals, rods, etc. If you have any questions, mail, call or visit the workshop.
Phone: 450 42 73

Recomended reading for this course

2007-10-09T05:40:00.000-07:00

This is a list of the texts given to you as a hand-out.

Machiavelli, Niccoló, "The Prince", 1532.
Chapter XXI: How a prince should conduct himself so as to gain renown.

Harding, David (Ed.) "Decadent - Public Art: Contentious Term and Contested Practice", Büchler, Pawel, "Stalin's Shoes", 1997. (pp.26 - 39)

Kuzma, Marta/Osborne, Peter (Ed.) "Art and Welfare" Verksted #7, Till, Jeremy, "Modernity and Order: Architecture and the Welfare State", 2006. (pp.41 - 60)

AVL Constitution, 2001

Morris, William, "News from Nowhere (Or an Epoch of Rest)", 1890.
Chapter I: Discussion in Bed
Chapter II: A Morning Bath

NIFCA INFO 2/04, "Populism", Tereskinas, Arturas, "The Body of Populism: Sentimental Politics, Conspiracy Theories and the Lithuanian Presidency as a Performance", 2005. (pp.2 - 6)

Council of Europe/ERICarts, "Compendium of Cultural Policies and Trends in Europe, 8th edition", 2007. (pp.1 - 17)

Harding, Tobias, "Nationalising Culture: The Reorganisation of Natural Culture in Swedish Cultural Policy 1970-2002", 2007. (pp. 93 - 113, 356 - 360)

LECTURES

2007-10-04T11:46:00.000-07:00

Tuesday 9th of October 10.00 am, Lecture Hall S1
Jenny Bergström and Stella d'Ailly "From Little Paris to Pig City" Introduction lecture to "Practical Politics - Art and Welfare"

Wednesday 10th of October 10.00 am, Mandelgren Lecture Hall
Tobias Harding "Nationalising Culture: The Reorganisation of National Culture in Swedish Cultural Policy 1970–2002"

Tobias Harding has a Ph.D. from the Department of Culture Studies at Linköping University. In his dissertation Nationalising Culture he analyzed Swedish cultural policy 1970-2002 as a part of a process in which Swedish national culture is continuously (re-)institutionalized and how this process relates to issues such as globalization, citizenship and the relationship between high and low culture. His studies included the art policy, heritage policy and religion policy of the Swedish state. He is currently working for the Swedish Cultural Policy Commission.

Please read the selected chapters handed out today (9 October). If you don't have a copy, please call us.

For this lecture we have also invited representatives from KLYS and KRO in order to be part of a dialogue regarding the potential significance for artists and designers working conditions as a result of the new directives for cultural policies in the future.

Monday 15th of October 13.00 pm, Lecture Hall S4
Pernilla Karlsson Sjödin & Tobias Sjödin ”State of Things” (See under Links)

WORKSHOP IN RHETORICS

2007-10-04T11:21:00.000-07:00

This workshop will be held by Samira Davet and Suzana Löfman. The purpose is to help you to improve your oral presentations in an convincing and pursuasive manner. Each group will have one hour with these two experts on rhetorics where they give you feed back on your performance. In order to gain as much as possible from this meeting Samira and Suzana wants you to send them material and questions in advance. Write a few lines about what you want to focus on and what you find difficult with presenting.

We are rhetoric consultants working in the strategic communication field, primarily teaching rhetoric and coaching groups and individuals. We are examined from Södertörns högskola, one of Sweden’s few master programs in rhetoric. We believe that rhetoric is the art of finding the most appropriate way of convincing your listeners of what you want to say, in each specific situation.
Samira & Suzana

FINAL PRESENTATIONS

2007-10-04T11:03:00.000-07:00

25/10/07 13.00-17.00 Svarta Havet Lecture Hall

The final presentations will take place in Svarta Havet where each group will present the results of their assignments for half an hour each, giving each group member approx. 5 minutes each to present an aspect of the assignment. We have invited polticians and other guests that are interested in cultural poltics to discuss your political party and its effect on society.

Görel Elk/Feministiskt Initiativ/Feminist intitiative
Work and leisure, home and public life, the various stages in life - all parts of our lives are connected. This is also valid for politics. The dominance of men and the patriarchal power relations will therefore not be broken through one single act. This is why Feminist Initiative analyses all areas of politics from women’s perspective and experience and places our political demands on this ground. We will ensure that feminist policies are taken seriously in the Swedish parliament.In order to equalise unjust salaries, a national work evaluation has to be done. We cannot accept a gap of more than four thousand Swedish kronor, which exist for example between the salary of a nurse and a mechanic. Everybody must have the possibility to have full-time employment. Part-time unemployment among women must be reduced and the workday needs to be shortened.

Karin Johnson, visual artist, Sweden
Flash back? Even though art can work criss-crossing boundaries, or even claiming freedom, art, from my point of view, is framed forever. Want to try shaking it loose? To do what? After ten years of art practice I still try to grasp artistic activity in relation to the surrounding world. Right now I am strongly influenced by the 1920 movie The Cabinet of Doctor Caligari, one of the earliest examples of a motion picture ”frame story”, where the freaky plot is presented as a flashback. Other things interesting in the film, maybe also to this seminar, are the issues of profession, to show, the fugitive, death and resumption.

FIELD TRIPS, w. 42

2007-10-04T10:59:00.000-07:00

Wednesday 17 October 1.00 pm, Riksdagshuset, Allmänhetens entré, Mynttorget 2
Siv Holma/Vänsterpartiet/The Left party of Sweden

Siv Holma is a member of parliament and represents Norrbotten. She is one of two presidents of the cultural committee.

Vänsterpartiet/The Left party of Sweden
"Vänsterpartiet is a socialist and feminist political party. The Party was founded as the Social Democratic Left Party of Sweden in May 1917, a year of political and social upheaval. Since then it evolved into the Communist Party of Sweden, the Left Party – Communists and since 1990 it is known simply as the Left Party. Throughout its 90-year history the Party has been struggling for welfare, equality, peace, solidarity and democracy."

Wednesday 17 October 3.00 pm, Guided Tour at Riksdagshuset.

Wednesday 17 October 4.30 pm, Riksdagshuset, Allmänhetens entré, Riksgatan 3
Cecilia Magnusson, Moderaterna/The Moderate Party

Cecilia Magnusson is a member of parliament and represents Göteborg. She is also a member of the cultural committee.

Moderata samlingspartiet/The moderate party
"The economy of freedom; we believe the market economy is the economy of freedom – a prerequisite for political democracy. The market economy is the economy of prosperity. It enables companies and other actors to freely compete to meet demand and fulfil wishes. That is a prerequisite for prosperity to continue growing – and benefiting everybody. The market economy is better than the alternatives, but it is vital that laws and regulations, especially those applicable to the labour market, are drafted to ensure that the market economy walks hand-in-hand with our shared endeavours towards social security."

Thursday 18 October 1.00 pm, Riksdagshuset, Allmänhetens entré, Riksgatan 3
Margareta Israelsson/Socialdemokraterna/The Social democratic party

Margareta Israelsson is a member of parliament and represents Västerås. She is a member of the cultural committee where she is the group leader of the Social Democrats. Margareta is also member of the War Delegation. She has a background as a elementary school teacher.

Socialdemokraterna/The Social democratic party
"Everything that happens in the world affects everyone and concerns everyone. The future of mankind is more than ever before a common concern, regardless of whether we like it or not. The Social Democratic movement has chosen to regard it as our common concern. For those of us who are social democrats mankind is our goal -development and freedom, the will to grow, the sense of responsibility for coming generations, solidarity with others. The purpose of politics is the liberation of people. For this reason social democrats strive to combat economic and social divisions, widen the scope of solidarity and contribute to the creation of a world in which poverty and powerlessness are things of the past."

THE ASSIGNMENT

2007-10-04T10:09:00.000-07:00

1. Create a political party, a current one in the future or a future one in the future (how distant in the future you determine yourselves).
2. Make up minister posts for each group member.
3. Make party political directives. (Maximum of 10)
4. Visualize an effect of your politics. For example city planning, a public space, a monument, an infrastructure, the headquarters.
5. To convincingly propagate for your parties political directives to a audience. To win votes. (This last section you will gain professional help to develop by a consultant of rhetoric Samira Davet.)

Possible questions for politicians

2007-10-04T08:23:00.000-07:00

Here are a few possible questions to ask the representatives for the political parties about their cultural policies when we come visit in the parliament in week 42. Please prepare your own questions for the field trips. You are also very welcome to post them here if you like:

Which are your most important party political questions?

Which are your most important visions for promoting a vibrant cultural climate?

How has cultural politics changed within the last decade?

How have the cultural directives changed within the party since it was first founded?

The various parties include various areas under ”culture”. For example youth and sports matters lies within cultural committee of the Left Party. What areas can be contained within cultural umbrella and why are they grouped differently for each party? How does that affect the work around the traditional cultural disciplines?

How do you view the relationship between art and commerce?

How do you look upon the idea of the political decision making being ”an armslength away” from the production of art?

What is your thinking in relation to making art functional to society at large, for example instrumentalising art for political means such as health, regeneration etc?

What is your parties view upon the following issues regarding Konstfack:
- the replacing of Konstfacks from Karlaplan to Telefonplan
- the remaking of the gaduation system after the Bologna process
- a new research department where artistic practices can be researched within scientific or academic frameworks

What is your view upon the following institutions and their roles in the future: Swedens' regional museums/Swedish Travelling Exhibitions/the plans for creating a design and architecture museum/The National Public Art Council Sweden

What is the role of a modern museum?

How do you look upon the cultural climate of Sweden today? What would you like to change for the better? How?

What is your engagement with the current public inquiry into the cultural directives? In which direction do you wish it will head? What are the threats to be wary of?

Assignment Groups 1-5

2007-10-04T07:46:00.000-07:00

GROUP 1
Eurén, Elisabet (IS)
Ceder, Lotten (IA)
Arta, Mehrdad (GDI)
Chirakranont, Ada (T)
So, Wai-Ling (ID)

GROUP 2
Vetterstad, Kjersti (K)
Gratacos, Michelle (IS)
Christogiannopoulou, Anastasia (IA)
Berggren Öberg, Ellen (GDI)
Castro, Miriam (MF)

GROUP 3
Casselbrant, Ulrika (K)
Wernö, Johanne Nordby (IS)
Hansson, Jessica (IA)
Deak Huszar, Anton (ID)
Fuentes, Romina (MF)
Chytraeus, Christer (KOG)

GROUP 4
Kharkina, Anna (IS)
Björlin, Pontus (GDI)
Betrice Brovia (ID)
Carlson, Helen (T)
MacLeod, Cameron (K)

GROUP 5
Christensen, Lise (K)
Bussien, Michel (IA)
Mencak, Daniel (GDI)
Gudmundsdottir, Helga Sif (T)
Hållander, Frida (KOG)