Artists' Support Group
Naama Ityel & Diana Sirianni
This is a self-organised community support group that took place in a dance studio in Berlin Neukölln based on this call for participation:
Artists* of Berlin, we would like to meet and share with you playful practices of mutual support. Every person is potentially an artist because every person is creative. If creativity is at the centre of your life or you would like it to be, you are most welcome to join us.
We meet every 2 weeks. Diana Sirianni and Naama Ityel facilitate the beginning of each meeting while the second part is under the responsibility of the other participants. Each one of you is invited to share and lead a practice whether it is theoretical, physical, social..We come from very different backgrounds and competences and can benefit a lot from this variety. If you want to lead a session, please contact us at least a week in advance with your proposal so that we can create an organic design around it.
Because of the oppressive social structures we live in we develop patterns of isolation, competition and invalidation around our own art and the art of others.
These patterns are neither inherent to us nor inevitable. They do definitely not feed our creativity, our intelligence, neither they do justice to the nature of art in general. We become tired, unmotivated and even consider letting it all go. It is very hard to keep active and creative within a capitalist structure. We all go through it. It is not our fault.
It is possible to change this condition. Together we can heal our wounds and feel good about ourselves and about being artists. We can get own power back and behave in a more supportive way towards other artists. We can transform our distress into energy for individual and social change. Great art will unfold naturally as we feel connected with ourselves and other human beings.
These are some of the practices we share:
Mutual listening
Shared readings
Practice of validation
of oneself and others
Writing of your artist’s manifesto
Dance
Play
Embodiment
Touch
Practices of wildness, sensitivity, connection
The support group took place 16 times between October 2018 and July 2019. There were over 100 participating artists. The sessions were led by: Erin Christine Bell, Maayan Dannoch, Monica Gentile, Helena Hentschel, Naama Ityel, Elena Mazzi, Michael McDermott, Pauline Payen, Saman Pourisa, Pedro Risse, Yael Sherill, Diana Sirianni, Vanessa Türing.
Photo: Diana Sirianni