Project 2: Collaborative text & publication on the theme of "Dialogue"

We are now into week 5 of our degree studies; the first project on the theme of Identities is now beginning to crystallise into a proposal for a final piece.

Our next four week assignment will be to conduct an in-depth and disciplined approach to help us develop a collaborative product.  This will be a publication of some sort which explores the theme of dialogue in some way.

The brief given is that it must be cheap to produce, we should aim to create between 25 to 50 copies, more if successful.  (2 copies will be required for assessment and additional copies will be required for an end of term exhibition).  We have a free range on materials / media / size etc.  We were told to work in collaborative groups of 4 people, preferrably with two students who we didn't know and had not worked with before, so we quite quickly formed into a group of two males and two female students.

My initial instinct, (after many years of conditioning from being a Project Manager), was to think of an approach, just like any other project or task... That is, to create a plan.  My thoughts were almost automatic in Establishing an "OST"  (Objective(s),  Strategy, and Tactics....  Collaborative - delegation of duties, i.e. What needs doing, by whom and by when.  Creating a timeline of sub-products to bla bla bla.....
-  I immediately stopped myself from taking charge and putting my views forward, and I allowed  the group to evolve it's own ideas before committing any of my own rather regimented preconceptions.  This was a good thing to do, as it allowed for a better cohesiveness between the team members.

We adjourned to the relaxed atmosphere of the SU bar;  discussed potential topics for the publication (not), and then after generally chatting and getting to know one another briefly, coming up almost spontaneously that a good topic, which we had just been chatting about for a while, might be "DREAMS"...

We returned to the studio.  Three different exercises were presented by Bob, Jill and Christian, our degree tutors to help us with our dialogues project.  These exercises were all focused on achieving the act of dialogue.  Each provided a concept or vehicle to start a conversation, or to exchange images, or movements or an ongoing process of creative meaning, through sharing.  i.e. "A dialogue".