Let’s Create - Skills - Facilitation Skills
Facilitation Skills
There was consensus amongst all of the artists involved in the research that high quality facilitation skills were an absolute necessity for effective leadership of co-created arts practice.
For some they preferred to be seen as a facilitator than as a leader, finding more congruence with their values through the label of facilitator.
Quotes from the research
“If you look at the root of the word facilitation, it means to make life easy. So, for me, the idea of facilitation, the idea of leading co creation is about making it easy for other people.”
“Do not undermine the depth of skill needed to shape questions, shape lines of inquiry, pick something up and develop it. Filter. Reflect. Encourage and challenge. We don't say this enough. It's really important.”
“When you are facilitating, you're holding this space and you're not centering yourself at the core of it. That is a really integral skill.”
“I think one of the key skills that we have as artists is the ability to create space for people to prioritise. Instead of saying, ‘What are you interested in?’, say, ‘Here's six things, put them in order. Why is that your number one?’ The biggest thing is asking ‘why?’. ‘Why?’ is my sharpest tool of all.”
Listen to the Podcast
with Sarah Blowers
Sarah Blowers is the founder and current co-artistic director of Strike A Light.
She has been an arts leader for over 20 years working extensively in schools, theatres, and communities, predominantly in areas of deprivation and always with local cultural and social leaders. Co-creation and the sharing of power and resource has always underpinned how she works.
