Ccic module 7 - creative collaboration, community & connection

This programme has been funded with
support from the European Commission
Module 7
Creative Collaboration,
Community & Connection

• Explore the value, importance and benefits of collaboration
• Characteristics of great collaborators and top tips for
collaboration success
• Case studies of successful business to business creative
collaborations
• Working together – Creative Collectives. Why many can
achieve much more!
• Collaborative and Creative Communities - Spotlight on
Placemaking and Creative Projects in Ireland, UK, Poland &
Sweden.
• Collaboration and connection through technology – using 5
online tools for virtual collaboration
Learning Focus:

In Module 2 we looked at several
emerging business models for
self employment, Freelancing,
Slash career types, continuing
professional development and
being part of a creative cluster.
Module 7 is about helping you
explore creative collaborations
and look at how connection can
enhance and grow your Creative
Business Model.
Module 7 is suitable for anyone
who is already working with
others or thinking about
collaborations with others or
looking for ways to develop new
business opportunities.

What is Collaboration?
• Collaboration is the process of two or more people or organisations
working together to realize mutual advantage.
• Options range from informal networks and alliances, through joint
delivery of projects to full merger.
• Collaborative working can last for a fixed length of time or can form
a permanent arrangement. What these options have in common is
that they involve some sort of exchange.
Collaboration is essentially;
• Fostering a positive collective attitude.
• Encouraging a new acceptance of ‘process’.
• Remaining enthusiastic and curious about new tools and technology.
Source: https://gathercontent.com/blog/how-to-collaborate-the-creative-the-practical

Finding your tribe
“If you want to go
fast, go alone. If you
want to go far, go
together.”
African proverb

Why is a tribe so important?
Collaboration, commitment, connection hallmarks of tribal life & work.
• As a creative entrepreneur , you may sometimes feel alone, without
any resources to utilise but your own. Finding your tribe means
having a built-in coalition of collaborators, a ready-made group to
provide support and encouragement.
• The tribe begins with you, believing and trusting in yourself. From
there, you attract your tribe. The seeds you plant are what you’ll end
up harvesting.
• Having a tribe can make all the difference in which one you will do.
• Are you working/surrounded by the right people for you? If not, what
can you do to attract your tribe?

Why Collaborate?
Collaborating with others can provide you
with the additional skills and resources to do
things that you couldn’t achieve on your own.
This could be anything from developing a
new product or using new material in your
design process, to securing a new client or
gaining access to significant funding.
Getting collaboration right though, takes
effort and a culture open to change.
Collaborations require serious effort to
make the collaboration work. Some people
are natural collaborators, while others may
not be. Lets explore this a little further…

Why Collaborate?
When you bounce ideas off someone, or lean on someone for their
ideas and critiques, you magnify your own abilities in several ways.
Momentum: Someone else is supporting you to move to the next step
Sources: You add more ideas to project, more research, another
lifetime of knowledge
Perspective: You see angles and flaws you would not have
seen yourself
Speed: You are able to work faster, identify the best ideas
more quickly
Decisions: A sounding board helps you talk through your own
decisions, understand your own thinking more easily.
Validation: A good collaboration partner not only sees the flaws in
your work, but can help support your best ideas and spur
you forward in the right direction.

Why Collaborate?
We know the saying - a problem
shared is a problem halved.
Research shows that discussing
problems with people in similar
situations reduces stress levels.
Problems don’t seem as
overwhelming when you talk
about them, and two people are more
likely to find a solution than one.
Read more: www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2548917/A-
problem-shared-really-IS-problem-halved-Study-finds-discussing-
problems-people-situation-reduces-stress-levels.html
“A problem shared is
a problem halved”

Cindy White (entertainment designer), once
described the shifting roles that great
collaboration partners play for each other.
“When you start coming up with great
ideas, you’re like a kite caught in a creative
wind and you just want to go with it, get
lost in it…fly free,” she says.
“A great partner lets you soar without
drifting away. Sometimes they are the
wind that’s hoisting you up. Sometimes they
are the ones on the ground, holding the
kite string. We need to play all of these
roles for each other.”
Source: http://www.flightofideas.net/Articles/Dynamic%20Duos%20-
%20the%20Power%20of%20Creative%20Partnerships%20-%20Summer%202006.pdf

Pros and Cons of Collaboration
1. 1. You get to control your
processes, your methods,
and the way you work.
2. You get full control of your
time.
3. You get to execute on
whatever you want,
whenever you want.
4. You are your own boss.
1. When you are stuck on
an issue, you cannot get
help from other people.
2. Your task may be too big
for you to handle (within
deadlines, etc)
3. You may get lonely.
Benefits of working solo Cons of working solo

What makes a
great collaborator?
How can connections
and creative
collaboration
work for you?
Lets start by seeing
what it takes to be a
great collaborator..

Starting with you - How to be a great collaborator:
• You recognise that working well
together and sharing knowledge will
help achieve much more than what
each person could create on their own.
• You approach collaboration with a
creative problem solver outlook
• You value diverse viewpoints, the
expertise of others, and communicate
well to get the job done.
• You take pride in your own work and
are keen to develop your practice.

1. Team focused. To successfully collaborate, you need to be a team
player and think about "we" rather than "I". A great collaborator is
mindful of shared goals and group success.
2. Generous. A great collaborator is willing to take the first step and
pitch in, even if they won't get the spotlight. Generosity is also
an incredibly desirable leadership characteristic.
3. Curious. Great collaborators are good at asking the right questions.
They don’t interrogate; they simply follow their natural curiosity
because they want to understand.
4. Appreciative. The best collaborators express sincere appreciation for
all that team members have contributed. They’re not shy about
expressing this appreciation and they give credit where credit is due.
Top characteristics of a great collaborator..8
Source: www.samepage.io/blog/10-top-qualities-great-collaborator

5. Listens to understand. Great collaborators listen attentively to what
is being said. But more importantly, they listen to understand.
6. Gives and expects trust. More than anything, highly successful
collaborations are built on safety and trust. Great collaborators help
create and maintain that trusting environment. They give their trust
freely and expect to receive trust in return.
7. Builds relationships; breaks down walls. Collaboration is all about
working together. Great collaborators see the value in being usually
well connected and work hard to build and maintain relationships
with others.
8. Diplomatic. The best collaborators are diplomats. They know that
relationships are built on mutual respect.
Top characteristics of a great collaborator..8
Source: www.samepage.io/blog/10-top-qualities-great-collaborator

Spotlight on the UK.
• In the UK in 2014, Creative Industries was the highest
growth sector, it accounted for 1.8 million jobs - an
increase of nearly 16% since 2011 (Creative Industries:
Focus on Employment June 2015).
• Self-employment is where the growth is - 43% of the
current creative industries workforce is self-employed.
• 78% of its businesses have fewer than five employees – so
not small or medium-sized, but micro.
Types of collaborators
Which one do you think you might be?

The Ringleader
The Expert
The Siloist
The Dinosaur
The Executive
The Socialite
The Skeptic
The Taskmaster
The Stealth Ninja

The Ring Leader
Types of Collaborators - Power Users
The Expert
The Socialite
Big ideas person, discussion starter and
collaboration initiator, lots of creative
energy
Borderline geek, loves trying and
mastering, new and innovative ways of
working
Natural storyteller and connector, great
communication skills and is used to
social conversations on Facebook,
Twitter etc

The Siloist
Types of Collaborators - Reluctant Users
The Dinosaur
The Skeptic
Enjoys working alone, often reluctant to
share work in progress, likes to hoard
information
Creature of habit, not keen on trying
new things, takes encourage to embrace
new tools
Can be very vocal opponents to
collaboration, often focus on the WIIFM
(what’s in it for me?) mentality

The Executive
Types of Collaborators - Purpose Driven Users
The Stealth Ninja
The Taskmaster
Decision maker that is driven by time,
speed and efficiency
Likes to lay low and oversee without too
much involvement
Loves being organised, is operational
focused and keen to get things done,
loves lists and action plans

Successful Collaboration Groups
combine people from across the user types

Famous creative
partnerships exist
throughout history
• Lennon and McCartney - songwriting
partnership
• C.S. Lewis, Tolkien and the Inklings: The
inklings was an informal literary
discussion group, their encouragement
and criticism made all the difference in
The Lord of the Rings, The Chronicles of
Narnia, and dozens of other books
written by the members of their circle
• Thoreau and Emerson
• Madam Curie and her husband Pierre
• Sherlock and Watson

Artists working together:
Georgia Bosson & Cecily Vessey
Bosson is a screen-print artist who works with a
lot of textiles and Vessey draws cityscapes that
are reproduced on to ceramics and stationery.
Vessey says their two techniques “have come
together in a really lovely way”. They are now
working on a series of 12 prints. Both women list
their collaborative work on their own websites.
The benefits have been extensive. They can
share the costs and tasks involved with running a
show, have found new customers through each
other, and each offers a sympathetic ear when it
comes to discussing the challenges of running a
small creative business.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/small-business-
network/2016/mar/24/entrepreneurial-rivals-work-together-craft-beer#img-2

CASE STUDY - Hairy Baby
Hairy Baby sells t-shirts to Irish people all over the world. It was music
that originally gave founder Darragh Murphy his inspiration for Hairy
Baby. A regular DJ on the Dublin nightclub scene, while he built up his
record collection, he also built up a collection of t-shirts to wear while
playing.
But they were all imported brands from the UK and US. So it got him
thinking. Wouldn’t it be nice to start a company that offered people cool
Irish t-shirts? Focused on quirky, funny, unique, Hairy Baby was born.
Source: www.irishtimes.com/business/retail-and-services/future-proof-daragh-murphy-founder-of-hairybaby-com-1.2305853

When the recession hit - “We had to rethink our approach, so we looked
at partnering with other brands that were a good fit with our own. We
contacted Hat Trick Productions and pitched the idea of a website based
on Father Ted sayings. They agreed, and that has led to a few more
partnerships since with http://sminkyanimation.com/, Moone Boy and
various other TV productions.”
Almost immediately, the business changed. The collaborations
strengthened the Hairy Baby brand and since then the company has
been approached by other brands such as Disney and Paramount
Pictures to design T-shirts to help promote their productions.

https://www.hairybaby.com/

Hairy Baby Collaborations…

When artists and technologists work together….
Asked what drives Pixar’s success, https://www.pixar.com/ , Ed Catmull
says it’s the collaborative marriage of artists and technologists.
Removing barriers to creativity is key ingredient.

Ed shares that people often
find it amusing that he had
an interest in both art and
technology, he says,
“because they think they are
incongruous. But I never
believed they were
incongruous. I think the
science and the art are
actually strongly related,
and not two different things.
And now years later, I work
with the best of scientists
and the best of artists, and
I still believe that.”

READ
http://www.irishtimes.com/business/
marriage-of-artists-and-technologists-
drives-pixar-s-success-1.2451955
READ
https://hbr.org/2008/09/how-pixar-
fosters-collective-creativity
WATCH
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ff
ixfwt654I
Ed Catmull discuss managing creativity
EXERCISE
How Pixar Fosters
Collective Creativity

SELECT
COLLABORATORS
Enlist collaborators with
little overlap with your
fields of expertise, this
will ensure each
collaborator has a
unique contribution to
make.
CLARIFY ROLES
& RELATIONSHIPS
Confusion or doubt
about who has what
role is the usual source
of tension and conflict
in a collaborative
project. This frequently
leads to
miscommunication and
flawed outcomes
SET UP CLEAR
COMMUNICATION
PATHS
Communication is
central to collaboration
because creative
dialogue sparks ideas
that the participants
would never have had
on their own.
6 Steps to Collaborate Successfully
1 2 3

FOSTER OPEN
COMMUNICATION
The trust built up in a
good collaborative
circle gives everyone
the confidence to
advance an incomplete
or inadequate thought,
knowing that it may
catalyze other ideas in
the conversation.
RECORD YOUR IDEAS
Document profusely:
keep your post-its, flip
charts, diagrams, and
notes. But bear in mind
that every so often it's
helpful and healthy to
erase the whiteboard
and fill it back up from
memory.
SET UP CLEAR
COMMUNICATION
PATHS
Communication is
central to collaboration
because creative
dialogue sparks ideas
that the participants
would never have had
on their own.
Adapted from Helsinki Design Lab, 19 rules of thumb for creative collaborations and the practices that enable them:
http://www.helsinkidesignlab.org/pages/creative-collaborations
4 5 6

Finding people to collaborate with friends first
• If you are seeking the perfect creative partner, look first among your
friends. Friendship is a very common and solid foundation for a good
creative partnership.
• While some people argue against mixing business and friendships,
the late Jim Henson, creator of the Muppets, was a strong proponent
of working with friends. “When you work with your friends,” said
Henson, “it doesn’t feel like work at all. It feels like fun. I like to work
with people I know and trust. With them, the ideas come naturally.”
• Evidence supports Henson’s contention. The list of famous creative
duos that started out as friends is long and diverse. Simon and
Garfunkel have been friends since middle school.

Finding people to collaborate with Unity of Purpose
• Never underestimate the power of common goals. They can move
mountains…even when creative partners don’t like each other.
• The key to the success is that each creative partner needs to have an
extraordinary singular focus…a driving force…a common goal. This
overriding unity of purpose is essential to any solid creative
partnership.
• Like a marriage. So many phenomenal creative partnerships are like
professional marriages. Creative partners share a deep and abiding
passion for the work.

Finding people to collaborate with Unity of Purpose
• As in marriage, great professional partnerships are based in
communication, trust and respect. Award-winning lyricist Tim Rice
understands the power of trust and respect in a creative partnership.
While collaborating on the “Lion King” and “Aida” with Elton John, Rice
would write the lyrics and then send them to John. “All of my work was
then in Elton’s hands,” says Rice. “I know him well enough to trust that
he’ll take my work and make something wonderful.” He adds, “I’ve
found very few of his musical contributions to be anything but just
right.

Finding people to collaborate with yin & yang
• In most of the great creative teams, partners are more different than
they are similar. They each bring unique skills to the table and they
display very divergent thinking and personalities.
• While this may seem like a recipe for disaster, it has just the opposite
effect. Great creative partners know how to celebrate their
differences. They employ their unique characteristics to create synergy.
• The team of Hanna and Barbera is a perfect example of the yin and the
yang of creative partnership. Joe Barbera was a gifted illustrator while
Bill Hanna had a knack for comic timing and gags. During their 60-year
partnership, they parlayed their different, but complementary, skills to
create more than 2,000 cartoon characters.

1. Brainstorm on your own
The brain of one individual is still the most powerful computer in
the world. Always start on your own in any brainstorm or
collaboration. Don’t underestimate the number or quality of ideas
you can generate as one person. Switch back and forth between
working on your own and working with a partner. Constantly
comparing notes, asking for edits, testing hypothesis, etc.
Adapted from:
https://medium.com/@jasonkeath/partners-in-crime-the-power-of-finding-your-creative-collaborator-7d8aaf7af07b
4 ways to maximize the results of
a Creative Collaboration

2. Switch roles
If one person is always in the
role of the critic and the other
the creator, the potential results
of a collaboration are stunted.
Switch things up when you can

3. Plan for friction
Two people will often disagree on the best solution to a problem.
But disagreements are opportunities for insight and can lead you to
learn a new perspective on the problem. Some things to consider:
• Ownership: Be clear on who the final decision maker is. If its not
you, put forth your best ideas and advice for them,
understanding that the final decision is not yours.
• Pick Your Battles: Decide which battles to fight. Weigh the cost
and benefits of each debate and whether it is worth the friction.
Don’t be afraid to defend a great idea with passion, but avoid
creating unnecessary arguments.
• Listen For Passion: Be cognizant of the other person’s passion
when disagreement takes place. If they are defending their ideas
with fervor, it might be an opportunity for you to listen more.
Adapted from:

4. Challenge one another
A creative collaboration is best when it challenges everyone
involved. Be there to push. To spur. To spark new ideas. And to help
the best ideas to be bigger.
• Encourage one another
• Ask for progress reports
• Be accountable
• Don’t think too small
• Never let great ideas be squandered
Adapted from:

Tips for successful collaborations
• Stay open to ideas you didn't expect.
• Plan for emergent ideas and be willing to change direction.
• Honesty is key ingredient of any collaboration; make sure each player
knows and is clear about what they expect from the partnership from
the outset. There needs to be clarity on why the collaboration is taking
place and what each partner hopes to achieve.
• Collaborations will repay you handsomely, as long as you are just as
interested in the journey as the product itself.
https://www.theguardian.com/media-network/media-network-blog/2012/feb/16/media-creative-collaborations-
better-results

Working together
- Creative Collectives

Creative Collectives
A collective is a group of entities that share or are motivated by at least
one common issue or interest, or work together to achieve a common
objective. A creative collective is a network/membership based
Organization made up of independent creatives who:
• Have come together on the basis of creative expression & connection.
• They are groups of artists & creators building a community through
curated events.
• Each member provides expertise/experience in a niche or
complimentary facet of such as design/development/ disciplines, and
skills in branding /business/marketing/etc
• Share resources and partners collaborate to benefit each others
business
https://www.theguardian.com/media-network/media-network-blog/2012/feb/16/media-creative-collaborations-
better-results

Why many can achieve more…
Creative Collectives can more often than not secure more supports than
individuals alone. For example, in Ireland. Creative Collectives can avail of
the Design and Crafts Council of Ireland Network Support Scheme (NSS)
which provides funding for Guilds, Associations, Networks and Societies
(GANS). The aim of the scheme is to provide funding for activities that
will develop and professionalise collective organisations.
Applications can be made for a range of activities, including:
• Training and masterclasses
• Website development
• Strategic planning
• Attendance at seminars or conferences
• Hosting of, or participation in, group exhibitions and professionally-run
craft events

Why many can achieve more…
Read more: http://www.dccoi.ie/craftspeople/clients-and-
members/membership-organisations/network-support-programme

• Located in Manorhamilton, County Leitrim,
Ireland the Leitrim Sculpture Centre is a
collaboration for the advancement of skills and
knowledge in traditional, contemporary and
experimental visual arts.
• LSC supports research and experimentation in
both the production and display of compelling
and challenging new work and in the
acquisition of traditional and contemporary
skills and knowledge.
CASE STUDY - Leitrim Sculpture Centre
COLLECTIVES & COLLABORATION

• LSC programme includes exhibitions, artists residencies, workshops,
Training research, masterclasses, talks, symposia and additional
projects that explore the local landscape and alternative and
sustainable models of arts practice through trans-local networking
and collaboration.
• LSC also works with the wider community and values and supports
innovation and increased training opportunities in art, design and
communication for all.
CASE STUDY - Leitrim Sculpture Centre
COLLECTIVES & COLLABORATION

CASE STUDY - Bite the Biscuits
HairyBite the Biscuits is a community of over 2000 creatives. Bite
the Biscuit invites creatives to:
• Be part of a growing Community.
• Get first hand updates of meet-ups.
• Get honest feedback on your projects.
• Inject yourself with huge doses of positivity and support to
help with the last bit!
• Collaborate and connect with other Creatives.
• Sell stuff. Learn things.
• Be inspired. #keepcreative
• Baby Collaborations…
CREATIVE COLLECTIVES

http://www.biscuit.ie

WATCH: Tara Prendergast founder of Bite the Biscuit on the
importance of creative communities
Click to watch:
https://youtu.be
/BOUqi4x6v3s

CASE STUDY - Creative Collective Dublin
Creative Collective Dublin has over 1000 members who are involved in
visual arts, music, theatre and performing arts, design, new media,
literary arts and film. They are a multicultural group with members from
many different countries. They have members between 17 and 70 in
age. They encourage everyone, be they are professional, amateur or
just curious to be a part of community engaged in creativity.
“You will feel welcome and encouraged.”

CASE STUDY - Creative Collective Dublin
This group uses an interesting collaboration tool called Meet Up – check
it out: https://www.meetup.com/Creative-Collective-Dublin-because-
were-all-made-to-create/

CASE STUDY - Beam Creative Network
Beam Creative Network involves
over 20 artists who are specialists in
a wide variety of creative arts such
as drama, dance, music, film
production, art, creative writing,
puppetry, photography, animation
and comedy. Beam Creative
Network is the vehicle which brings
the artists together and sources
projects/programmes that would
benefit from their skills.

CASE STUDY - Beam Creative Network
Advice from BEAM on being involved
in a Creative Collective
1. Be open to change
2. Listen and learn from the
experience within your Creative
Collective
3. Take guidance from other
established Collectives

CASE STUDY - Create: Innovate: Armagh
Create: Innovate: Armagh was developed from
the Armagh Creative and Culture Industries
Initiative which was set out in partnership with
the Education Authority and Armagh City and
District Council (now Armagh City Banbridge
Craigavon Borough Council).
Create: Innovate: Armagh works with existing
businesses to build a community around the
sector, providing motivation, inspiration and
support in their development.
https://www.facebook.com/createinnovatearmagh/

CASE STUDY - Create: Innovate: Armagh
Each month Create: Innovate: Armagh host meetups for local creatives
and innovators who may be running their own creative enterprise who
have an interest in the sector. These meetups feature interesting
speakers, and a chance for the network to get together for informal
networking and idea discussion.
http://createinnovatearmagh.org

Collaborative and Creative Communities
Hubs, events and projects that inspire creative collaboration

CASE STUDY - Hay Festival Wales
EVENTS WHICH ACCELERATE CREATIVE COLLABORATION
Hay celebrates great writing from poets
and scientists, lyricists and comedians,
novelists and environmentalists, and
the power of great ideas to transform
ways of thinking.
Hay believes the exchange of views and
meeting of minds that our festivals
create inspire revelations personal,
political and educational. For 10 days in
May, Hay is full of stories, ideas,
laughter and music.

CASE STUDY - Hay Festival Wales
https://www.hayfestival.com

The spine to the season is a show of
surprising “design stories”. These stories
will be exhibited in iconic shipping
containers throughout Cornwall. They’ve
all been nominated by people from the
world of design, culture and academia,
then interpreted as an installation by local
designers and artists. Each story has
changed something, be it a mind, a
moment, a town, or maybe even the
world. Some are humbling, some are
astonishing, some are both.
CASE STUDY - Cornwall Design Season

• Activities and events such as these are
innovative ways to stimulate creative
collaboration
• There is a need for catalysts to connect
between the global and local
• These events are catalysts for bringing
People together in unique ways to find
out about the lives of rural people.
CASE STUDY - Cornwall Design Season
https://www.facebook.com/Cornwall-Design-Season-124056370975124/

The Nerve Centre is Northern Ireland’s
leading creative media arts centre. More
than 120,000 people a year benefit from
the Nerve Centre’s wide-ranging
programme of arts events, cutting edge
projects, creative learning centres,
training opportunities, and state-of-the-
art production facilities.
A successful social economy enterprise,
the Nerve Centre employs more than 40
staff at sites in Derry and Belfast.
CASE STUDY - The Nerve Centre
HUBS THAT INSPIRE COLLABORATION

CASE STUDY - The Nerve Centre
www.nervecentre.org

CASE STUDY - The Maker Library Network
Network
PROJECTS THAT INSPIRE CREATIVE COLLABORATION
• The Maker Library Network is a British Council project that
connects designers and makers around the world.
• It facilitates knowledge and skills exchange amongst professionals
and encourages public engagement with making.
• A Maker Library combines three elements of a makespace, a library
and a gallery. These spaces are connected online and through a
programme of travel exchanges, exhibitions and events. People use
them to make things, show things, get inspired and connect with
like-minded people.

CASE STUDY - The Maker Library Network
Network
• The Maker Library Network engages with different forms of
making, from traditional craft processes to digital technology and
everything in between.
• Maker Libraries are in the UK, South Africa, Turkey, Mexico, Nigeria
and Ukraine
• Designers, architects, artists, craftspeople and curators, have
shared their ideas, their practice, their process and their products
in Maker Libraries around the world
• The Maker Library Network is an ever-evolving platform, shaped in
collaboration with the people and organisations who participate
globally.

A consortium of partners – the Culture Company, Culture Northern
Ireland, and the Nerve Centre are the team behind the digital hub:
www.creativityni.org Creativity NI aims to stimulate creative connections
by showcasing the work of creative and innovative organisations across
the north of Ireland. It particularly highlights the transformative power of
the creative industries and cultural sectors. These areas are increasingly
recognised across the world as drivers of wider business and social
innovation. They can act as catalysts and enablers of a more collaborative
region which embraces creativity and innovation at all levels of society.
CASE STUDY - Creativity NI
Creativity NI is about encouraging new
creative connections and collaborations

CASE STUDY - Creativity NI
www.creativityni.org

CASE STUDY - MART
MART operates an on-going collaborative studio
spaces. Format: Groups of artists work together in an
large, open collaborative environment. Although each
artist occupies their own zone within the studio, the
aim of the shared space is to cultivate support through
the establishment of a peer group. Artists are grouped
together to produce dialogue between their practices.
The aim is to provide an environment that encourages
forms of exchange that can act as a catalyst for artistic
risk taking. The nature of the studio will be defined by
the group of artists, their interests and needs.

CASE STUDY - MART
www.mart.ie/projectspace

CASE STUDY - The Time Stamp
Engineering/ design/ technology
Until 1939 Łódź was a place where four
different cultures co-existed – Polish,
German,Russian, and Jewish. The Time
Stamp internet platform is a database of
historical information about the buildings
of Łódz and their inhabitants.
The project is based on QR technology, so
information about each place is available
immediately upon scanning the QR code on
the building’s wall. Created by Ron Ami, an
Israeli engineer with Polish roots

CASE STUDY - The Time Stamp
New Website Helps People Track Down Their Roots in Łódź
http://www.thetimestamp.org/en/

CASE STUDY - Art Food
A small Polish town with a big tradition of porcelain design hosts three
weeks of design workshops centred around the joy of food and
culinary. Art Food is an international project integrating a variety of
fields: design with the ceramics industry, education with methods and
practices drawn from different cultures.

The goal of Art Food is to offer design education in the workshops at the
factory in Ćmielów, where the students had the opportunity to encounter
the world of professional design and commercial production. They
attended special semester-long design, anthropological and culinary
workshops looking at the cultural aspects of the act of eating and how
taste and meal preparation methods influence the way food is served.
For the students, the workshops were a unique chance to learn about the
entire design process, from the development of a concept to production,
initial feedback from the client and close cooperation with the
manufacturer. The experience gained can be a critical asset in the
students’ later professional development as the project opens many
doors to a career in the field of industrial design.

http://culture.pl/en/event/art-food-edibles-and-aesthetics-on-tour

CASE STUDY - Talent Coach
ORGANISATIONS THAT INSPIRE CREATIVE COLLABORATION
Talent Coach is a collaborative business
that travel to cities and villages to find
the best and freshest sounds coming out
of rehearsal rooms everywhere.
Their vision is to give young musicians
and upcoming artists to tools to build
careers and a chance to make a living
from music. This is done by giving
industry support and training in
everything from copyright management
and entrepreneurial skills to performance
support and personal development.
Since the start several
acts have been signed
both nationally and
internationally.

CASE STUDY - Talent Coach
ORGANISATIONS THAT INSPIRE CREATIVE COLLABORATION
http://www.talentcoach.se/about-us

Collaboration Tools
How to use Technology for collaboration and connection

5 Collaboration Tools at a glance
TEDx Events - great for networking and
meeting possible collaborators
Social Media e.g. Facebook Groups - use open
groups to create an instant Creative
Community or why not have a private group
for your Creative Collective
Arts Thread Forum - great way for making
international connections
Meet up (website/app) - great way of making
connections and finding creative networking
events/groups near you
Free online social collaboration platforms e.g.
Diigo and Pinterest
Networking,
Collaboration
and Connection
In our earlier Modules
we looked at the
niche events/
seminars/design
conferences you
should be attending
for inspiration
“Finding your tribe”
1
2
3
4
5

In the spirit of TED’s mission, “ideas worth spreading,” the TEDx
program helps communities, organizations and individuals
produce TED-style events at the local level. TEDx events are
planned and coordinated independently, on a community-by-
community basis, under a free license from TED. Have a look at
what’s happening out in your region, national and get yourself
out there…
TEDx events are an excellent opportunity to meet
and get inspired by like minded people…
1
Search for TEDx events near you:
https://www.ted.com/tedx/events

Technology and the media enables people to connect, share
dreams and ideas from anywhere and at anytime.
• Information is accessible instantly
• Global markets are available instantly
• Connect to people who can help and advise via social media
• Costs of starting a business have changed
Tribe-up and share your interests
around the world
Using social media to develop
your networks/ find collaborators
2

Planning your approach
• Network
• Collaborate
• Employ new skills
• Build an online experience
• Share Resource
2

Secrets to Building a Tribe/Creative Community with Facebook
Groups. Facebook Groups are a powerful platform for creating a
tribe and engaging with them online.
2
www.facebook.com/groups

A Facebook group will provide:
1. daily contact with your followers via the group (including
creative collaborators) will help build a solid relationship
2. notifications to members of a new post or comment on the
post in the group allows for responsive conversations. This
encourages deeper participation and collaboration
3. Instant creative community – your followers now have a voice
and a direct connection to you. This drives a new level of
engagement. Instead of being marketed to, they are now part
a part of your tribe.
4. Your group members get to be in the spotlight as they
network, share their expertise, support one another, get
instant feedback, ask for tips, tools, resources, and promote
their “stuff” when allowed to.
2

Tips for Running A Successful Facebook Group
• Set Boundaries and Rules. State the rules in your group
description and post them in a pinned post that new
members can see when they arrive. Let members know that
there will be no blatant promotion. Ask them to be kind and
respectful to other members.
• Monitor your Facebook Group regularly to make sure
members are playing by the rules. As your group grows, you
may wish to appoint a couple of moderators to regularly
review posts, delete inappropriate posts, enforce the rules.
2

ARTS THREAD bridges the gap between education and the
creative industry. It enables design students, graduates,
universities, schools and the creative industry worldwide to
connect via live forums.
Arts Thread Forum
3
www.artsthread.com

Meetup - www.meetup.com
4
Meetup is organized around one simple idea: when we get
together and do the things that matter to us, we’re at our best.
And that’s what Meetup does. It brings people together to do,
explore, teach and learn the things that help them come alive. At
Meetups, people welcome each other. They talk, help, mentor,
and support each other – all in pursuit of moving their lives
forward. Meet Up is a useful tool used by the Creative Collective
Dublin https://www.meetup.com/Creative-Collective-Dublin-
because-were-all-made-to-create/

Diigo - great collaborative research tool!
5
Diigo groups are great for team-based research and
collaboration. Diigo is a social bookmarking website that allows
signed-up users to bookmark and tag Web pages.
Additionally, it allows users to highlight any part of a webpage
and attach sticky notes to specific highlights or to a whole page.
These annotations can be kept private, shared with a group
within Diigo, or be forwarded to someone else via a special link.

Diigo - great collaborative research tool!
5
Learn how to use diigo: http://www.modern.pm/diigo-io3

Pinterest - collaborative visual pinboard!
5
Pinterest is a visual bookmarking
tool that helps you discover and
save creative ideas. Users can
upload, save, sort, and manage
images and other media content
through collections known as
pinboards. It is possible to
browse the content of others in
their feed. To collaborate on
Pinterest, create a new board
and invite collaborators.
Learn how to use Pinterest:
http://www.modern.pm/pinterest-io3

EXERCISE: Bring it all together
Developed by Essi Salonen,
a designer interested in
collaboration, engagement
and motivation.
A fantastic tool for planning the structure
of your own collaborative project
http://www.designingcollaboration.com/

Ccic module 7 - creative collaboration, community &amp; connection

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