Mekong Cultural Hub

Answer: Participants do not need to be tech-savvy.We have considered that the app chosen for the digital collaging activity is user-friendly. It should be easy to start to use it and it can be used on both mobile phones and laptops. When the participants work on their collage during the workshop, they will be given time and work on their laptops or mobile phones as well as offline on paper. The method of using collage in the learning workshop is to support the participants’ learning not about the technology. Through the use of collaging, we engage with our contexts differently, perhaps revealing details and nuances we are not aware of. This will help us to think differently, provide fresh insights into the ethical dilemmas we need to address.

Answer: The workshop will involve a mix of methods, these include; introducing guiding principles, small group discussions, plenary discussions, case study discussions and journaling. Participants will also be encouraged to bring and share their own cases into the workshop content for discussion. The Facilitator will share short presentations of examples of principles and tools for developing our intuitive responses to working on ethics in arts practices. This will be drawn from her experiences.

The workshop aims to foster a participatory learning environment where everyone learns from each other. A tool-kit will include all materials prepared by the facilitator, as well as materials which participants wish to share with each other. The toolkit is aimed to serve as a resource and reference for participants beyond the workshop.

Answer:  One past participant working on community-based filmmaking faced the dilemma of representing a marginalized community with dignity while dealing with funders who wanted to emphasize the community’s hardships. The participant had to navigate the ethical challenges of storytelling when the stories are not hers, funding, and community involvement to ensure a respectful and impactful representation.  

Participant stories are critical for the workshop and so the facilitator will be guided by the dilemmas which are particular to them. The facilitator will also bring in relevant cases to enrich the discussion and support the conversations.

Answer: Yes, the workshop will provide space to critically examine both personal and prevailing ethical practices in the arts. Participants will engage in rigorous self-critique and discussion of broader ethical issues in the field, aiming for transformative and reparative approaches to their work.  The workshop will foster an environment where participants feel safe to admit mistakes and critique both their own and others’ practices for understanding deeper and seeking how to do better in their work while considering ethics. Facilitator will guide the discussions to ensure respectful and constructive dialogue, allowing for honest and critical reflections.

Answer:  There are questions in the application form which we invite you to spend some time and care. The one question asks about any dilemmas you have faced or are facing. Your answer will help the facilitator to prepare the workshop content so as to ensure relevance and navigate the discussions and conversation within the groups. 

Another very important question in the application relates to the creation of a safe space for learning and sharing for all. Please do share with us what will make you feel to create a safe space for you and what facilitator/working team should know or pay attention to support you feel safe. It may be related to how you wish to be called and identified – your name, your gender OR it could be being able to identify triggers within the conversations which may need some icebreaker or deep breathing exercises to be done during the session, being granted to have some break, using anonymous names when sharing case studies…There are many more…Please share with us, so as to guide our facilitation.