The idea of a Contact Lab is to focus on the development of practice. While some approach the Jam situation in this way, it is more explicitly the group intention at a Lab. As such, there is more explicit focus on discussion and feedback at the Lab.
The following is a format for a Lab for a large group, where the desire is to break out into smaller work groups. Afterwards, some variations are described. These have been very successful at, amongst other places, the Pacific Northwest CI Gathering and the Lasqueti Island Winter Contact Intensive.
The Circle: First is a facilitated talking circle, which may go for about 10 to 20 minutes. In this conversation, dancers name curiosities that they would like to work on. Since we have 30 voices to juggle, cross talk is kept to a minimum. While there is some space for clarifying questions, we save discussion for after we break into work groups. As someone names a curiosity, they aren't committing themselves necessarily, but just putting possibilities out in the air. As it feels like enough input has been put out and people have heard and spoken enough, we start the process of breaking into work groups.
Dividing into Work Groups: To begin breaking into work groups, someone stands and names that they would like to work on subject X in manner Y. If people want to join them, they walk over and stand next to them. Then someone else names a subject and manner of working and people assemble around that person. Each time someone names a new topic, people have the option to reassess what they would like to work on. In other words , while 10 people may originally go to the first topic, as other topics are named, some may defect to the new topic, as they are attracted to do so. This process continues until everyone has found a satisfactorily interesting group to engage in. Groups can be as large or small as group affinity and intention dictate. As groups divide up the work space, there is negotiation, starting from the basic idea that groups get fractions of the space representative of the number participating in the group, with perhaps some flex based on specific subject matter.
Subjects can be anything, as broad or as specific as you like. Manner's of working may also vary widely. Some examples of styles of working include:
- one person leads a class
- several people volunteer exercises to explore for short periods,
- the group discusses a topic for a space of time and then jams based around what was put out in the conversation (they may try to reach agreement of what they are doing, or they may just listen to each other's curiosities and thoughts and then dance)
- the group may simply convene to talk about the topic and figure out through the conversation how best to work on it as a group
- the group spends the whole time in discussion, which might contain within it physical demonstrations to make or clarify points, but the mode is primarilly intellectual/theoretical.
The workgroups and subjects may be more or less inclusive. For example a topic might be open for anyone to join, or might be specific to people who already have a certain skill set or established aesthetic, or perhaps a few people who have already established affinity name that they are goingto work together for that session.
Workgroups may be of
the form of someone sharing research that they have already been
doing, or they may be using the opportunity to try some new explorations,
or even arrive at specific explorations through a group process
focussed around a loose concept.
Once groups have been established, people work until the end of
the time or until they feel done, usually leaving some space at
the end for wrap-up discussion.
With this simple framework, a lot of interesting work can be accomplished,
everyone is basically pursuing something guided by their own curiosity
(either initiating a topic or joining one that they relate
to), and great conversations emerge, as people want to pursue threads
that they didn't have space to complete in work sessions and want
to hear from each other how other work groups went. 'makes
for a potentially very rich feeling of active exploration and research
at a gathering.
It is perhaps important to mention that we follow our curiosity
but limited by other's curiosity... that is, we can propose what
we like, but we can not expect that others will join us, as no one
is obliged to join. If we put something out that doesn't arouse
what we feel is a critical mass of interest, then we may not get
to explore that thing in that Lab time.
Variations:
Discussion Groups: Sometimes
it is nice to have more space for dialog as different curiosities
can emerge out of more in-depth conversations. One alternate score
is to do two work sessions. The second would be the same as
described previously, but this would be preceded by a dividing
out into groups for an hour or so specifically around discussions.
We use the same dividing process, but all the groups are discussion
oriented. After this discussion period, the group reconvenes
to divide out again into work groups which might be more directly
physically investigative.
One may chose to also have this be a more amorphous process, where
people can leave discussion groups as they lose interest or are
pulled elsewhere and can similarly discretely announce the formation
of new groups as new interests arise over the discussion period.
If one joins a new group, it is good to get clued in by someone
on the side before just jumping in order to avoid repetition.
If the discussion is lasting a longer time (an hour or so) and is
a larger group, it is nice to take regular 5 minute breaks as needed,
so that people can have side conversations without taking up the
whole group's attention (this can make the whole meeting much livelier
and get a lot more information processed).
Fluid work groups: One
could also name that one's work group is more or less fluid in terms
of people joining mid process. If there are a few groups
that are fluid, then people can try one out for a while and if it
isn't really what they are interested in, they can wander over to
join another fluid group or perhaps form a new one. One could
also spend time observing groups and then join a fluid group.
If a group is fluid, this fluidity can also be framed specifically...
OK to just jump in whenever, or perhaps only at an exercise or score's
end.