Step 5 - Spark Creativity Flashcards
process of designing a sparking activity
- Think about what a sparking activity is.
- Identify opportunities to capitalize on and barriers to overcome.
- Decide on the type of activity.
- Design a new activity or modify an existing one.
- Perform the activity.
Think about what a sparking activity is - main points
- elements involved
- use the tendencies/established patterns of the culture for the creative process! (if people prefer to compose alone, in group, etc.—use info collected under Step 4C on “creativity”)
- the meristem, the growth point in a plant; the hub/nub of creativity; must be nourished, protected
elements involved
o title/summary (overall type: commissioning, workshop, etc.) o participants o info will need from the CAP o resources needed o tasks o big-picture analysis (3 lists) • CLAT steps included in activity • steps already taken • plans for future steps
meristem
o find someone with good artistic skills (respected) o but also respected socially (character, considerations about if Christian or not) o Wedekind (1975) -example from Africa where a Muslim praise singer agreed to work with a biblical text and compose and record a Scripture song.
types of sparking activities
commissioning workshops showcase events mentoring apprenticeship publications creators' clubs
commissioning
task of creating new instance of genre for specific purpose; to be considered in nearly all cases! (consider compensation, how much influence the artist has in the end)
workshops
short events gathering people together to make progress on a given task (arts workshop is basically the CLAT cycle in abbreviated form)
workshops - things to consider
- Learning that Lasts (n.d.)—important to use high engagement, participatory approaches
- individuals to invite:
- community leaders/gatekeepers
- artistic experts
- content experts
- schedule -Saurman & Saurman (2006)—sample schedule
Learning that Lasts sources
- Global Learning Partners (n.d.)
* Vella (2002)
Vella (2002)
dialogue, not telling adults what already know, engagement, immediacy, action/reflection, other principles
showcase events
- festivals/contests (look for existing events, or introduce new ones)
- e.g., Barz (2003)—using kwaya contests, Tanzania, to highlight creativity
showcase events process
- imagine/plan (ask lots of questions about what types of arts, what kind of budget, competition elements, recording/documentation….)
- promote/network
- compose/prepare
- run the event
- evaluate/plan for possibility of future events
mentoring
transmitting artistic tradition through relationship; reciprocal learning!
apprenticeship
consider participants, familiar educational forms, sustainable schedule
publications
(paper, recordings, electronic data)—allow ideas/artistry to live beyond single moment
• consider: target audience; editors; system for distribution; system for ongoing publication; feedback tools for improvement
• e.g., Hodges (2007)—created advisory panel and publication around nada dasar, the “central tone of melody and harmony,” like Jesus Christ—forum to discuss musical issues in the church
creators’ clubs - source and content
• King (1999)—coined term “new song fellowship,” akin to sub-Saharan African groups that practice each week to improve songs of certain genres—these compose new Scripture songs
sparking activities for identity and sustainability kingdom goal
cultural celebrations; documenting; publishing
identity and sustainability [valuing identity] sparking activities
encourage them by gathering info on Step 1, Meet the Community
• organize festival
• commission new work in older genre for existing showcase event
identity and sustainability [using media] sparking activities
- develop multimedia collections of local arts (increases status/visibility, available for future transmission)
- Seeger & Chaudhuri (2004)
- publish recordings and research in various form and contexts (website, booklet, academic article)
identity and sustainability [teaching children] activity
identify/mend ruptures in transmission from older to younger people
shalom [healing] activities
- trauma healing workshop
- Hill, Hill, Bagge, & Miersma (2012)
- Hill & Hill (2012)
- traumahealinginstitute.org (2012)
- commission local artists to address community health problems
- Barz (2006)
- Watters & Hill (2012)
shalom [rest/play] activity
special event to play traditional games
shalom [reconciliation] activity
“alternatives to violence” workshop
justice [social justice] activity
hold workshops that allow marginalized people to be heard—look for genres with identity/power, cf. Bennetta (1985)
justice [education/literacy] activities
- commission an alphabet song
- commission local visual art for books/literacy materials
- promote literacy through local arts presentations
- integrate local arts into methods for teaching reading
- turn orature into literature
- integrate arts into educational curricula
- Saurman (2010)
- find ways to take a traditional concept and integrate other subjects (e.g., stitching: reading, writing, science, math)
integrate local arts into methods for teaching reading - source and content
Saurman (1993)—music combined with lyrics is the most effective verbal tool for accurately retaining/recalling information
turn orature into literature - source and content
Wendell (1982; updated 1997)—4 levels of materials, based on closeness of cultural background/experiences
scripture sparking activities
- use of arts in translation
- (1) understanding types of texts (songs, stories, poems, proverbs)
- (2) producing oral translations/versions of the Bible
- Scripture translation workshop
- commission an oral narrative performance of Scripture
church life sparking activities
- hold a corporate worship workshop (Krabill Krabill (2013)—use especially “foundations” section)
- help preachers and teachers incorporate more local arts into what they do (special attention to art forms with significant verbal content)
- hold an artistic genre workshop
- hold a composition workshop on worldview themes—specifically addressing the ways the Bible is challenging current cultural views
- organize an all arts celebration, showcasing gifts of artists within the Christian community
- study the Bible in more than one form as a group—print Scripture, song, poetry, drama, recordings (Hill and Hill 2010)
- improve a current church ceremony, ritual, or practice
- hold a contest for new ways to memorize Scripture (Hill & Hill 2010)
- commission arts for community events
personal spiritual life activities
- encourage Christians to commune with God through multiple arts (retreat form)
- mentor someone in integrating long church traditions of arts into their relationship with God
- commission a verbal art form of resolve that will help people apply Scriptural truths to their lives
