COLLABORATIONIs iNFLUX

a manifesto supported by

a collection of interviews & conversations

“creating the conditions for growth”

collaboration is in fluxcreating the conditions for growth — a manifestoa collection of interviews & conversations by lawrence daykin

1. karen reilly The Neutrinos/The Butcher of Common Sense

2. fred deakin Airside/Lemon Jelly

3. philip langeskov Teacher

4. hannah TURNER wallis Performance Artist

5. SAM HARRONS SHhhh Collective

6. POPOPerations Musician/Artist

7. ellie lewis Design Student

8. dan richards Writer/Artist

9. Rosie Arnold & Ellie Jones Gravy Records/Buoys

Collaboration is to never be alone, loneliness is a man made concept, it is almost impossible to be alone. The romantic idea of the artist as the lone operator is a lie. It is very rare that someone on their own will change the world.

Collaboration is not about you or self, it is about the sum of all parts so leave your ego at the door. Allow a collective consciousness to be created.

Collaboration is to guide and collectively empower, not bulldoze. Hold hands, don’t push or shove.

It is playful. Abandon old rules and create new ones. It is a game of follow the leader backwards and forwards.

Collaboration is “all for one and one for all”; no individual can create something as innovative as several together forming a single entity, many become one and in this unit all must be equal, when you create a hierarchy collaboration becomes diluted.

Collaboration is not about winning or losing it is about making something bigger and better. So forget about the gold star.

Collaboration is to be connected with others forming bonds that take any shape or form and you must always be prepared to adapt .

Collaboration is to chop and change, be the self-saboteur, allow for disagreement and don’t take it personally. Ideas are not about ownership.

Collaboration is riding on the backs of those around you, surf the creative wave and keep it going.

You are alone, unless you allow others to work with you. Don’t shy from criticism or advice; don’t assume that you know everything.

Don’t be secretive.

Collaboration is everything; we collaborate with the world simply by looking at it, so look harder.

But always remember, collaboration is like dating, it’s not always going to work and you have to accept that. There are always plenty more fish in the sea.

1. You are never alone

2. Leave your ego at the door

3. Empower rather than bulldoze

4. “All for one and one for all”

5. Forget about the gold star

6. Stay connected

7. Adapt

8. Be the self saboteur

9. Surf the creative wave

10. You are alone

11. Look harder

12. Collaboration is like dating

The Butcher of Common Sense is an experiment in art and music, developed over a three-year period by a group of 9 artists instigated by the continuing explorations into music and performance in architecture by The Neutrinos and long-term visual artist and collaborator Sal Pittman. This extraordinary project beganwith ten intensive days at Funkhaus Nalepastrassse, a defunct DDR radio station in Berlin, where they immersed themselves into these imposing surroundings to create a range of audio and visual art. They travelled to Berlin to find a new way of working, turning away from the conventional wisdom associated with composition and from this experience an album and a book were created, celebrating what can be created through collaboration.

So I sat down with Karen Riley, one of the nine Butchers and lead singer of The Neutrinos to talk about her experiences with collaboration. I also found myself sitting down with the Butcher himself and taking on his persona at times; so was the nature of our discussion. The Butcher of Common Sense is an entity that the nine artists have created, I learn that the Butcher is the self saboteur, he tells you to edit, chop and change the work you have created but at the same time tells you to question common sense, the norm. I suggested to Karen that: “It’s like having the angel and the devil on your shoulder.”

The discussion began by talking about music, and the process by which they created it. Karen described how there is no sole director or conductor, the song is king, and the song becomes the director. For example if you have a good guitar piece but it doesn’t work for the song, it doesn’t go in, you realise this because you’re working for the song, not for yourself.

This shows that within collaboration, communication is key, you have to deal with rejection, don’t take it as a jab at your character. Reflecting this Karen commented that:

“…You have to be very skilful to empower people rather than bulldoze… Collaboration is in flux, you have to be constantly adapting to the others around you”

We spoke of how the group became a thing greater than the sum of all their parts; you have to feed your ego and care for your contribution but make sure that this isn’t the reason for your part in the collaboration, finding joy in the creation of the group not just your own. This chemistry is important, you have to be able to spark off each other.

KAREN REILLYThe Neutrinos / The BUtcher of Common SenseSUNDAY 19TH JANUARY 2014 @ THE PLAYHOUSE BAR

“Humans are eternally interested by the spark between other humans”

We concluded our discussion by talking about space, and how space takes a very important role within collaboration, the abandoned DDR radio station in Berlin also became the Butcher; “it took over.” The space became just as much a part of the collaboration as the people inside it. Karen mentioned how this changed the entire direction of future work:

“We believed we could walk into a room and harvest a song from the room – the space took centre stage.”

“empower rather than bulldoze”

FRED DEAKINAIRSIDE / LEMON JELLYTHURSDAY 23RD JANUARY 2014 VIA SKYPE

A discussion with Fred Deakin was much desired, being a long time collaborator in design and music. Fred is one of the three founders of Airside; (an award winning design studio) and one half of ambient/electronica music duo Lemon Jelly. We scheduled a discussion over Skype and during this we touched on many points surrounding collaboration, discussing Airside, egos and utopian values.

We began by talking about Airsides business structure; Fred described how they differentiated between business hierarchy and creative hierarchy; understanding that the need for collaboration on these planes was different. When it came to business, there was a power structure, whereby roles had to be designated for admin purposes in order for this process to flow.

On the other hand there was a very loose creative structure, this involved sitting around a table, sharing and collaborating with ideas; in this plane, everyone is equal. Once you exclude someone from the creative process you immediately create a hierarchy, you then miss the opportunity for total collaboration, real synergy.

Fred mentioned how if an intern pitched an idea to the table and that idea was chosen by the client then they would take ownership, and more of a lead role, creating an environment where people “wanted to give their best, and made them feel like they were part of something

where they should give their best because they were part of a group where outcome was greater than the sum of all their parts.”

It was interesting that Fred said this because it was something that mirrored what Karen Reilly said when discussing egos; this was what we discussed next.

“Don’t fetishise your own role.”

It is crucial in the communication structure that people realise how important other people’s jobs are; so as not to think too highly of yourself. I mentioned to Fred that “you have to leave your ego at the door”, his reply was that you must create an atmosphere where people feel comfortable and safe enough to trust one another; a social atmosphere without egos. This was our criticism of art education; we both agreed that this atmosphere isn’t created. This is because everyone is competing with each other to get the gold star; this is the capitalist environment that education is based on.

It is possible to teach collaboration, but it is much easier to teach individuality.

Through further discussion it became apparent that it isn’t just education where this atmosphere is lacking, the client is the classic difficult collaboration. The best clients become part of the team, understanding that creating synergy is the best way forward; the job can easily fall apart if this is not created. Collaboration is to be an equal partnership.

“Working collaboratively creates better well being. Individually we are powerless in society, we don’t always realise we are working with others. You’re surfing the creative wave rather than being the wave yourself.”

Fred summed up the discussion by making it clear that while we both agreed this to be a better way of working it isn’t monotheistic; not everyone should be made to work this way, collaboration isn’t always natural.

“Collaboration is like dating… your not meant to collaborate with everyone…”

“Collaboration is like dating...”

Philip Langeskov is a lecturer at the University of East Anglia; he teaches literature and creative writing, I became aware that he was about to begin a unit teaching collaboration.

I began by asking; what are your reasons for teachings in collaboration? I received an unexpected reply, “I was asked to”. This changed the whole nature of the discussion; I thought he might have chosen to teach it because he thought it a necessity. But actually a higher power thought it necessary.

I thought education didn’t care for collaboration.

Philip went on to tell me that he thought that the value of collaboration is to provide the opportunity for play, for trying things out, also, for trying things out with another person who might not share your sympathies, opinions or views. He told me how he encourages students to think of all creativity as collaboration:

“We don’t write without reading, we’re constantly inserting ourselves into other peoples narratives, we collaborate with the world simply by looking at it and attempting to make sense of it.”

So, when we strike upon something new or innovative we’re very rarely doing it alone – even if that doesn’t make sense with the romantic idea of the artist as the lone operator.

Being a figure within teaching I decided it would be important to talk about collaboration’s place within education; it was suggested that perhaps education shares the suspicion that has long been felt towards collaboration – that its not really serious, that its just messing around. Although, of course, messing around is never just messing around.

There are also practical reasons for the lack of teaching within collaboration, logistically its difficult to organise, it can be hard to assess the precise contribution of each collaborative partner.

“As far as I’m concerned the marks aren’t important – all the value is in the process – but that’s not really how the students seem to feel.”

philip langeskovteacher — Enterprise & Engagement, School of Literature, uea.saturday 25th january 2014discussion via email

Students, on the whole are more concerned with individual success, getting the gold star or the pat on the head. Students find it difficult not to let their egos run the show; there is the idea of hybridity that comes with collaboration, the third mind that is created.

“You need to think along the lines of it’s not me, it’s not you, but something else, formed of both of us.”

HANNAH TURNER WALLISPERFORMANCE ARTISTMONDAY 31ST MARCH 2014@ THE PLAYHOUSE BAR

Hannah Turner Wallis is a performance artist whose practice explores the notion of communication through the use of performance, wandering, exhibition and text. She works collaboratively, mainly on a one to one basis, with both other artists and often more importantly the audience. She is also a colleague and my friend.

In conversation we came to the conclusion that collaboration is playing follow the leader backwards and then forwards, its the constant communication of ideas. You have to allow yourself to be led by other peoples interpretations. It is very important to not be too precious about your ideas, you have to share them and accept that they might be changed. That is the horrifying but beautiful nature of collaboration.

We spoke about where her interest in collaboration rooted from; this was something that she had never fully thought about. Hannah has had to develop her own method of communication, having to rely on others to understand certain situations by reading their lips to develop a clearer understanding of the conversation. This is due to loss of hearing at an early age. This creates a more powerful bond by having a more engaging conversation with another.

This has transferred into her work whereby she collaborates with one individual at a time; this is partly for practicality.

“The most important thing is making the audience feel like they’ve had input.”

It boils down to human nature for Hannah, as a person she prefers to do things with others. “Loneliness is a man made concept.” Hannah’s work aims to create a connection between herself and the audience and for that to be an experience that impresses upon the audience. Performance art is the perfect medium to allow this collaboration to take place.Hannah and myself began

discussing work we are planning together sharing ideas and developing an idea that incorporates both our aims. This led onto discussing our previous experiences at working with others. Both of us having mixed experiences; finding that people we have worked with have had different aims. For others the aim was to get the gold star, for ourselves that was less important.

There should always be space for disagreement, that’s integral, but this needs to be the realisation of all parties.

“Don’t take it personally, its no ones fault if it doesn’t work.”

“lonliness is a man made concept”

“we collaborate

with the world simply by

looking at it”

SAM HARRONSSHHHH COLLECTIVETUESDAY 7TH APRIL 2014@ SHHHH STUDIOs

Sam Harrons is a different breed of twenty-something artist/entrepreneur; i have never met anybody with so many ideas and so much forward energy. Sam is all about sharing, sharing, sharing, planting and growing ideas; it is instinctive for him.

He told me that his early interests in the collaborative arts revolved around public (street) art. This kind of work is constantly being shared with passers by and constantly having some form of impact on them. This kind of work is always being collaborated with, always being over written and added to by others. So SHhhh was born in 2008 as an identity for this kind of work and it instantly became a platform where Sam was not alone and working with friends to make art.

“I had all this fuel, but couldn’t put it all in my car; so I put it in all these other cars.”

He went on to explain that from then onwards SHhhh became one big continuous collaboration and this is where he thrived working with and around others. He explained that the reason why he went to art school is because he knew that he just wanted to be around other creatives. Sam wants to know and work with everybody and its exciting to be around that vibe. I was instantly excited by all these ideas he was sharing with me; he is constantly talking about more work, more stuff, with more people.

We touched upon the subject of ego when working with others, and about credit. It became apparent to me that while the SHhhh brand is his baby and created from his initials that its not about Sam anymore. Its about the hoards of others that have ever had anything to do with the collective and its about putting work out for the audience to view. Sam explained that as soon as you bought a SHhhh T-shirt you became part of that network, part of something bigger. Our conversation lasted roughly two hours and i found myself feeling like part of a bigger picture, as i have felt with all the conversations i’ve had.

While we spoke Sam had layed his numerous sketchbooks on the table, occasionally making a quick sketch to back up what he was saying. He is very much a pen to paper man constantly having new ideas. So as he flicked through his work I began to understand a lot more about his interests. It wasn’t just T-shirt designs, it was all manner of ideas. From clothing, to furniture, to club nights and exhibitions. There simply aren’t enough Sam Harrons in the world to make everything he wants to.

The impressive thing about Sam is that he isn’t precious with his ideas he thrives from feedback and chopping and changing and gaining inspiration from everything.

“Tropical... nah fuck it, I’ll call it Tropico...”

Tropico is a collaborative night held at Hideout which is one of SHHHH’s many branches.

To back up this point he showed me some designs from his new collection. “Oh this one is collaboration; i took a picture of an emperor penguin on the tv and used its colours for this shirt.” Constantly collaborating, no matter with what or who or how.

The future of SHhhh is going to be exciting, working with more and more people, creating more things and having more ideas.

“SHhhh has become a fruit bowl, full of colours and flavours, nothing goes mouldy or stale.”

“...nah fuck it, i’ll call it tropico...”

popoperationsmusician / artistTUESDAY 16TH APRIL 2014@ the playhouse bar

Popoperations is the umbrella term for anything Jay Barsby; artist, musician and maker. Previously fronting the band Death of Death of Discotheque, Jay now operates musically as the solo-act Popop. Popop creates “wonky lo-fi dance music with analogue synths and a voice.” Jay also creates handmade lo-fi DIY noise makers, effects pedals and synths. He has been heavily involved in the Norwich art scene and has strong opinions on the notion of collaboration.

Jays interest in collaboration stemmed from his art school days, and the idea of two or more people sharing an ideology, is something which excites him, not unlike myself. His experiences in collaboration range from joint exhibitions with fellow artist Luke Abbott to musical endeavours with Dodod and Popop.

Collaboration is the ability of the artist to strip away the self and be able to let someone else in, just as in a marriage, a symbiotic relationship should be created. It starts with a necessity for discourse, that even a solo artist needs; someone to reassure you that your ideas are valid. Like I have spoken about previously, the romantic idea of the artist as the lone operator is a myth. Even as a solo artist/musician you are still never really alone.

We spoke of how people more often than not enter into ‘oblivious collaboration’ this can be seen between the artist and the curator, for instance. We spoke about how you’re not alone. We moved on to “intended collaboration” when people want to be taken as ‘us’ not ‘me’. That’s when it becomes interesting, collaboration isn’t about someone not being able to work on their own, it’s not a weakness.

“It is a strength to be able to sacrifice oneself”

He explained how some people had suggested to him that collaboration can de-value you as an artist. But as an artist you have to be always learning and pushing yourself; otherwise, “what’s the point?” And learning from others is key.

“The sign of true collaboration is understanding your role and being happy with it. Knowing your strengths and your weaknesses.”

This directed us to talk about working together as a band, Jay told me of the false-hood of democracy in a band. How you have to understand your part in the machine. There is always someone acting as a leader, someone pulling the strings. That doesn’t make it a dictatorship it makes it organic, it means that you have to allow for compromise.

Three or four people sitting in a room and trying to stay in time is chaotic, it is unpredictable and it is human. You have to accept error and relinquish control from time to time. There is give and take and you have to allow everyone to flourish. That is true collaboration. During our conversation Jay gave me books and paper clippings and all kinds of research that he had done into the subject of collaboration and double acts and love, suggesting that it is all connected. He shared all his ideas and thoughts and presented them to me in order to guide me in my research.

“...someone asked me to make them a pedal that sounded like a robot fighting a dragon...”

ellie lewisdesign studentthursday 17th april@ 74 cambridge street

Ellie Lewis is a fellow design student at the arts school, sharing similar opinions to my own on working with other people. We have worked on many projects together and consistently have had influence on each others practice, she is also my girlfriend and so an interesting person to converse with on the topic of collaboration. So I went to her house for a cup of tea and a chat about her thoughts on the matter, she explained that collaboration was not only about people but about objects and so we talked about this as well as education and her experience of working with others and myself.

I began the same way I have started all of these conversations by simply asking, “what does collaboration mean to you?”

To this she explained that for her it was an umbrella term for communicating with other people, objects and media and the world in general. She has previously explained to me that she learns through tactile process, practical as appose to theory. Collaboration with objects means that you have to understand and appreciate their properties, they determine what you do and that’s an exciting process; learning by doing.

“Different objects have different characteristics, just like people. The media becomes an entity just like a person, you work along side it.”

We spoke about tactile learning and of how objects become just as much a part of the collaboration as you do for some time before talking about working with people. She immediately said something which I have heard her say before; “experiences shared are more often than not better than solitary ones” the idea of sharing the experience with someone being just as important as creating work.

When it boils down to the work the reason she chooses to collaborate is because she understands that two brains are better than one. “A problem shared is a problem halved.” This was followed by the caution that you have to be careful of who you collaborate with. Is there an optimum number of people? Perhaps that number is two? Just like a relationship.

I mentioned this to Ellie and asked her why she thought we worked well as an artistic collaboration. She said exactly what i was thinking, that collaboration is just like a relationship, the reason we can work together is because we share common interests and philosophies.

We compliment each others knowledge and skills. It’s about accepting that our skills differ and that its a benefit not a threat. If we had the same ideas and skills there would be no point in working together, there would be no benefit. Its about complimenting each other on all levels.

As ‘boyfriend & girlfriend’ we obviously know each other well, creating an almost symbiotic relationship at times. This means that when working together we are able to react to each other fluidly and efficiently. It is for this reason that it is not rare to see couples working together in the art world.

“a problem shared is a problem halved”

DAN RICHARDSWRITER / ARTISTFRIDAY 18TH APRIL 2014@ THE BICYCLE SHOP

Dan Richards is well known in Norwich for the six metre long airship he built at the art school several years ago; a Zeppelin which led to the writing of a book about artistic process and workspace — The Beechwood Airship Interviews — to be published next year.His most recent project is called Holloway, a book co-written with Robert Macfarlane & illustrated by Stanley Donwood.

We met at The Bicycle Shop on St Benedict’s Street to discuss ideas about collaborations. Over coffee Dan began to relate his experiences of renovating a house and how elements of collaboration often occurred on-site between people who seldom met — for example a plumber and a carpenter; working different hours but aware of each other and mindful to make allowances.

Later, Dan returns to this point by emphasising that collaboration, in his view, is simply combining forces to achieve more than one can do alone.

It is important to talk about the airship. Dan took an MA in Writing The Visual at Norwich Art School and sought to work in the third dimension as well as on paper. He built a Zeppelin, the idea shaped by the tension and dissonance he felt at the Art School: “It seemed to embody everything the school was rejecting,’ he told me. ‘You know, big art, old-school craft and expertise. The old workshops were dying and the new macs were marching over the hill! (he laughs)… and there I was, apparently meant to be

writing about other people’s art, building this airship, this white beechwood elephant. It was a statement, yes, absolutely. I wasn’t playing the game. I was pushing against the institution’s top-down ideas and finding heuristic alternatives.”

He explains that more than anything, the airship was a collection of ideas. It was hung in Union Bar, the crucible for student conversation and cross-course engagement. A beautiful vaulted neutral space within the campus. (Also: ‘the only place that seemed to have any student art on the walls!’)Dan cites a disagreement about materials as a key moment in his development as an artist and writer: “Basically, one chap at the school said beechwood couldn’t do the job and I thought it could. So I caught a train down to Henley-On-Thames to find out from this amazing group of craftsmen and they said ‘Of course it can be done! In fact, off the top of our heads, here are 6 ways it can be done.’ They were so positive! And I just thought, brilliant!”

That conversation with the Henley boatbuilders proved a watershed and, spurred on to get out and talk to more people, Dan began to travel the UK, interviewing practitioners and artists about their work. He met with the likes of Jenny Saville, Bill Drummond, David Nash, Manic Street Preachers and Dame Judi Dench and the collected conversations became The Beechwood Airship Interviews book.

“They were so chock full of energy, insight and resource. It was amazing. I got drunk on it, time after time.”

Dan’s experience of art school is interesting and suggestive. At first he sought collaboration with the institution but ended up seeking answers and enlightenment outside the school: “I think an art school’s function is to further your journey in whatever direction your process takes you,’ he tells me. ‘There shouldn’t be predetermined outcomes. The moment art schools begin to close down a student’s horizons rather than opening them out, well, you’re fucked really aren’t you? What’s the point?”

But, he insists, all is not lost: “Knowledge and skills abide in people. Tools are there to help you but they’re inanimate objects. They only come to life in skilled hands — be they computers, pencils or saws. As long as art schools invest in knowledgable, practical, skilled people and those people are allowed to teach and inspire, then I’m hugely hopeful. That’s vital collaboration right there — good teacher, inspired student — but I can’t think of a bigger waste of time than a Graphic Design degree centred on the correct use of a mac. (thinks for a moment) Vaughan Oliver once told me that his first act when he got a digital scanner was to slap a bloody great ox tongue down on the glass bed and fire it up! Now, the incorrect use of a mac, that might be really interesting BA!”

“knowledge and skills abide in people”

Rosie Arnold & Ellie JOnesgravy records / buoys / FEVER FEVERwednesday 23rd april 2014@ gravy hq

Rosie and Ellie are two sixths of alt-pop band BUOYS and part of music collective Gravy, a record label born in Norwich from the DIY nature of the local music scene. “One label which epitomises the creativity of the independent community.” We spoke for an hour about bands, record labels, ‘the scene’ and art education.

“Successful creative collaboration is based on support, trust, compromise and a certain degree of luck that whoever your working with is on the same wavelength as you.”

Rosie and Ellie have been working together for eight years. In those eight years they have had one fight - they couldn’t decide where to park their car. This fight lasted twenty minutes and was resolved by Ellie buying Rosie a packet of Skips. They are lucky in that their creative processes are very similar, and have formed a collective understanding over time, whereby they can finish each others sentences.

We began by discussing the creative process of their first band Fever Fever, a Norwich three piece. They now form BUOYS, a six piece divided between Norwich and London. I asked them about the leap between working as a three to a six. They explained that its obviously harder to make

compromises but that’s okay because as a result you have more people to bounce ideas off.

I mentioned to them that I have learnt that you have to leave your ego at the door in order to collaborate effectively.

“Exactly that! It is important to leave your personal ego at the door, learn when to take a step back and create a collective ego in the practice space. Believe that you are awesome!”

I asked them how Gravy came about, they explained to me that it was an organic decision between a group of friends. A passion to rekindle the DIY nature of the Norwich music scene, something which appeared to have become diluted over night. The reason it worked was that they were all friends sharing the same passion and goal.

“Objective number one is fun.”

While being a group of friends is brilliant and makes the whole process more enjoyable, life can get in the way and you have to be reassuring, give and take.

“...scientists rarely make a break through on their own, so why should great art be any different?”

“You have to know how to look after each other. You have to know how to get drunk together.”

We moved on to talking about education, how we collectively believe that collaboration isn’t supported by the institutions anymore. A similar talk to that I had with Dan Richards.

“Scientists rarely make a break through on their own, so why should great art be any different?”

We believe that people should be allowed to move freely between disciplines in order for creativity to thrive and that is the main lesson that I have learnt from these interviews.

“Everything you do creatively should be seen as one big learning curve. Don’t dwell too much on the negatives and don’t make the same mistake twice.”

an exploration of collaboration by lawrence daykin

with thanks to all involved in the creation of this project

also thanks tothe playhouse bar &The Bicycle Shop

Collaboration is in flux is a manifesto written by Lawrence Daykin as a suggestion for growth within collaboration.

This publication stands alongside the manifesto with a series of interviews and conversations which helped influence the manifesto.

I have spoken to a range of people who inspire me in the art world, ranging from musicians to designers based in Norwich and London.

The very act of having these conversations has been a collaborative experience. Ideas have been swapped and shared and most importantly I have enjoyed my time with these other artists.