6 Dec 2013 - DoF meeting notes

Notes of "Degrees of Freedom" Group, 4th December 2013 @ the Motown Cafe
Present: Rebecca, Roan, Esperenza, Graham, Ahmed

Ahmed went through the background and the curatorial proposition for the show. This was followed by a discussion to clarify and add to the proposition. The first two collaborative pieces were created and entrusted to Graham for documentation on the blog.

DECISIONS

1.     The proposition was generally and enthusiastically accepted and agreed subject to further clarifications and development

2.     A Group identity will be created under the title "degrees of freedom"

3.     The January 2015  show will be provisionally entitled " degrees of freedom 2015" but this could be revisited as our ideas develop further.

4.     Initially the group will be limited to the five artists attending but this may change as our ideas develop

5.     The group should give some thought to developing a fictitious identity for each of its members for promotional purposes.

6.     The project will have a distinct development phase and time will be given to enable the group to work up its core ideas and approaches to the exhibition.

7.     Although the question of finance will need to be tackled, the initial development phase should focus on generating ideas, enthusiasm, energy and commitment.

8.     Documentation of the the whole of the project will be undertaken as best as we can throughout the life cycle of the project.  This could be in the form of a scrapbook, video collage, photo album.  Digital documents will be put on the blog. It would be great if we could get an artist to document "degrees of freedom" as their project.

9.     The project should aim for:  humour; documenting mistakes; promoting the work of others; inventing a back story; involving audience - interaction       

10.  A blog will be created to help with documentation of the project. A group photo was taken which will be put on the blog.

11.  At least initially all communication will be through email or text. Alternative methods will be explored as and when.

12.  The group will try and meet at least once a month: initially on the 4th Thursday of every month. Thus: 23 January, 27 February, 27 March, 24 April, 22 May, 26 June, 24 July, 22 August,25 September, 23 October, 29 November, 18 December.  It's recognised that not all will be able to make every meeting.

13.  Group members will keep each other updated on exhibitions, courses, workshops, groups, artist opportunities etc that they come across which would be useful to the development of the group.

14.  Core dates for the exhibition will be Thursday 2nd January 2015 to Wednesday 29th January 2015. On top of this we should be able to negotiate access to the gallery over the Christmas and New Year 2014 period to prepare the gallery if this is required. Similarly we need to build in time after the show (30th January - 3rd February, 5 days available to do this) to take down and make good any decorative damage to the gallery.

ACTION

1.     Ahmed to write up the first draft of the curatorial proposition for the next meeting.

2.     Graham to set up blog and put the group photo on it.

3.     Ahmed to send group photo to Graham for the blog.

4.     Rebecca to email everyone about the shuffle festival.

5.     Graham to see if he could get Spencer Rowell to talk to the group about 'Uncertain States'.

6.     All should think about the idea of fictitious individual identities for the next meeting and what their own fictitious identity might be.

7.     All should put the dates of the exhibition, including set up and takedowns, into their diary now.

8.     All should put dates of future meetings into their diary now.

Taken by Ahmed Farooqui, 6th December 2013