Accountable spaces

 'Message in a bottle'. G. Sfougaras 2023. 

I was fortunate recently to connect with the talented Chrissi Nerantzi over our shared interest in family histories. We were having a discussion concerning 'Safe Spaces' and expressing one's difficult processes. 

She introduced me to a wonderful article by Elise Ahenkorah, that works with organizations to build equitable team dynamics and inclusive workplaces. The article “Safe and Brave Spaces Don’t Work (and What You Can Do Instead)” article felt like another missing piece in a lifetime of trying to figure out several things, namely relating to personal comfort and ease, friendships, and relationships.

A brave space is a space where participants feel comfortable learning, sharing, and growing. Brave spaces are inclusive of all races, sexes, genders, abilities, immigration status, and lived experiences. Brave spaces highlight the importance of being brave enough to enter spaces where you can be your authentic self and share personal lived experiences. In short, brave spaces are exhausting.

I read it, nodded to myself, breathed in and out, and suddenly I was not the only one to have felt these emotions. Not the only one who has gone on to tell himself off for being too sensitive, for overreacting; for not being sufficiently robust to ignore some of the seemingly minor events that have over the years made one withdraw from certain people and situations.  

The article unexpectedly made me think back to a creative collaboration with an art organisation early in my career. Our lives had converged briefly at our first teaching job in the same school in the 1980s.  We met up again a lifetime later to collaborate on a commission for a public space. I was excited to hear someone else's ideas, so different from my own and to undertake the creative process as a team, rather than solo. I was looking forward to learning and growing as an artist. I saw the possibilities of my practice growing, and becoming a real career. Of course, the euphoria was short-lived.  We had different life experiences and that was fine. We did not agree on everything and that was fine. However, we saw social inequalities and structural issues related to race from different perspectives. 

I parked my concerns and threw myself into the project. Two months into the work, I started feeling that something indefinable had happened to create a dissonance. I looked through old emails, examined my motives, and looked for anything that I may have contributed to the situation, namely a feeling that we could not communicate effectively about the work we were creating.  Yep.  It was there.  I had started to withdraw. I had played my part and surely it was all my fault. I carried that guilt ever since.

Then the article came along and reading it I had an epiphany. It was not my fault that I had begun to feel uncomfortable. We simply did not have what was needed when people commit to working together on something as personal as making art. Some of my colleagues did not understand the driving force behind my art, the links with my life experiences.

My collaborators were not to blame. They were all well-informed, socially aware, and to the left of centre in terms of politics. They were warm, caring people. However, all this did not place them in a position to truly see and understand my work, and what was perhaps the hardest thing to accept is that they framed my  life experiences within the context of 'life is difficult and we all suffer.'  We had many discussions about these matters, but not enough time before the project deadline to effectively come together and speak the same language. We appeared temporarily stuck where we were, unable to reach out and help each other to walk in tandem.  

I went back to the article recently and many aspects of that experience, that discomfort,  began to fall into place.  I highlight some things below that enabled me to reflect on what creative partnerships could work for me in the future.  Please read the full article, it really is worth it:

Brave spaces negate the daily bravery of equity-deserving communities and provide little value to those who must carry their bravery into a space intended to support them and their lived experiences.

This is where accountable space guidelines shine.

................but understanding that aligning your intent with action is the true test of commitment.

Accountable space guidelines allow for allies and marginalized communities to agree on a set of actionable behaviours/actions during the discussion to show allyship in real-time and after the event. It allows participants to align their well-meaning intentions with impact through a collective set of guidelines.

So, my friends and I completed the project. I learned a lot from them and I am still learning, as this blog post hopefully, demonstrates. I am now left with a strong conviction and a greater understanding than I had previously. Art is far too personal, far-reaching, and dare I say it...fragile (at least in my case) to thrive in a partnership that does not share the same values. It is also too important to expect it to just happen regardless. Yes, of course, art will survive, art will be made in the most difficult, even life-threatening circumstances. But, I am not referring to that here.  I am talking about creative partnerships, and the need to choose people to work with, who can 'see you'; acknowledge you; value you, whom you trust, and okay...let's say it plainly:  who accept and acknowledge your pain.  

In an ideal world, I would really like to commit to working in accountable spaces where all participants align their well-meaning intentions with action.