COMMON LAB MANUAL: CASE STUDY
ASPECTS OF DIGITAL EVENTS & COMMUNICATION FORMATS

​Text: Max Spielmann

Tale of X Cities with its comprehensive perimeter and the high number of participants would not have been possible without digital event and communication formats. Due to the opening of society to digital formats as a result of the Corona pandemic, it was only possible to think about and tackle such a project in the first place. One consequence of the pandemic is to consider the realization of such projects in the future. There are many reasons to do so, which we will explore in this section.

In the discussions, the convenience of digital was a major theme at the workshops and seminars. There is no need for time-consuming travel to and from the event. Video recording of workshop/sessions is easy to realize and allows time-delayed visioning. It is possible to take care of other things in the household for a short time and still participate (household work, child supervision). These arguments are often mentioned in the context of home office and digital forms of work. They could also be a reason for the high proportion of female participants. One effect of the digital implementation is the everyday encounters between participants from different cities in the catchment area. This mix allows a broad exchange of different opinions and perceptions and strengthens diversity in the development of ideas and approaches.

Specifically, something we would like to call the limbo effect stands out. The term "limbo" is used in cinematography and here refers to a shot setting that is realized "neutrally" from the surroundings, usually a close-up. The shot can thus be edited into a scene shot in a completely different location without being noticed. There is some evidence that something similar can happen in the digital space of videoconferencing. Digital space should be understood as a heterotopic space (Michel Foucault). A space in which different rules apply than in everyday spaces and which is separated from them by a clear threshold. The opening and closing of the respective software/website are the entry and exit gate into the other space. Like the rituals of transition or passage (liminality) described by Victor Turner, a temporary communality (communitas) can emerge in this virtual space. The usual hierarchical rules and norms are partially suspended. I encounter the counterpart in another "tile" with openness and curiosity. This effect is very helpful for the project work. The participants in Tale of X Cities were able to exchange ideas without the position of the counterpart in the project, but also without professional qualification, social status or origin playing a major role. This enabled a more open exchange, a more content-related attention, and a mutual appreciation independent of hierarchical position and structural power relations. Especially in a creative environment, such effects can be liberating for the participants and contribute to having more confidence in themselves, working more creatively and associatively.

This limbo effect is neither to be understood absolutely, nor does it occur automatically. In the project peripher_ies, a worldwide exchange project on soundscapes and acoustic ecology, we had the experience that in combination with simple tasks an intensive intercultural exchange became possible. We made very similar experiences in the first part of the How To... events with short texts, images, or videos. Such guidelines, which include all participants, simple actions and small ritualization seem to be necessary to cause this limbo effect formulated as a thesis. Targeted investigations are necessary to gather more experiences and to make reliable statements about the observed phenomenon.

There is some evidence that the effect occurred in Tale of X Cities and was involved in the following positive outcomes:

• High mix of participants by age and professional background.
• High quality of video work, especially from non-professionals.
• The high percentage of regular attendees at the workshops.
• Specific statements from individual participants.

In summary, the advantages of digital trading in Tale of X Cities are as follows:

• Economic advantages
  • Basic feasibility and cost savings
• Geographical advantages 
  • Practical feasibility of the program
  • Support for the theme of regional cohesion
• Low-threshold nature of the offer for participants
  • Convenience
  • Openness of the exchange
• High quality of exchanges and results (limbo effect)

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Bibliography

Foucault, Michel, Die Heterotopien. Der utopische Körper, Berlin: Suhrkamp, 2013

Turner, Victor, Das Ritual - Struktur und Anti-Struktur, Campus: Frankfurt am Main,  2005

TABLE OF CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION
About Common Lab
​Background
Timeline

ACTIVITIES RATIONALE 
​Tale of X Cities & media competences for community building
State of the Arts & the digital public spheres

KEY THEORETICAL CONCEPTS
​Social innovation through art
​Art for social change
​Post-industrial design
Cultural and creative industries
Bibliography

CASE STUDY: TALE OF X CITIES
​About the case study
​Tale of X Cities key results & findings
​Lessons learned & recommendations 
Model project flow
​Media productions as evaluation tool
​Digital events and communication formats