Important information for individuals entering the Collective. We now have a new physical base. We see this as an opportunity to provide extra support to our audience, users, membership, visitors, partners and public.
Please read this leaflet as it will help prepare you for discussions and will help you ask the questions that are important to you.
You will be offered several tests and checks as an important part of your care here.
You will be offered a number of tests but it is important to emphasise that is your choice.
You can decide at any point that you do not want to be tested or you can choose to have only some of the tests offered to you.
Acts of looking, thinking and producing - these tests are intended to help protect you.
We can support you in any decision you make.
There are no specific number of movements which are normal. During your visit you need to be aware of your individual pattern of movements. A reduction or change in your movements is what’s important. The grounds have been landscaped to help you to move through the retail space, towards the restaurant and the gallery.
That move represents a significant opportunity.
This move marks a significant committment.
You might be small but your arms, eyes and ears extend way beyond the gallery.
In this country we are at risk of deficiency, which causes weak and badly formed structures. We can provide supplements but this is the age of big business sponsorship, ‘incentive funding’ and most arts organisations are stretching resources to the limit as public spending on the arts is cut to the bone.
Emotional support will gradually replace financial subsidy - you may instead want to consider some lifestyle changes of your own.
You should aim to be active for at least 30 minutes a day. When being active you should be able to easily carry on a conversation, furthering critical dialogue in the context of contemporary art, taking a few breaths in between.
You can strengthen your back and retain the core integrity, avoid backache by learning to “stand tall”, providing reassurance to those who already know us.
Making healthy choices can be difficult. Consuming in a balanced and varied way can help you grow and develop well. We offer a small, bitesize, instant snack-style approach to contemporary art. But we are not fast-food or empty of intellectual nutrition.
This doesn’t mean forcing yourself into something you don’t like - we want you to enjoy the arts and culture.
You need to recognise the signs of effective positioning.
We want you to feel excited and stimulated.
We want you to feel comfortable outside the home.
we want you to feel settled but alert.
These are important factors which will determine how well you form attachment to the institution, which is important for assessing how much support we need to give you and in what capacity.
You will know instinctively how to attach yourself to the Collective but we can help by holding (positioning) you in a way that helps you to do this.
This is a pivotal stage in your development and our relationship. It is important to us for you to be properly attached (held). This means you will absorb enough information and the risk of developing problems will be reduced.
The signs that you need to seek attachment.
Catch unhelpful thoughts. Challenge unhelpful thoughts. You can help protect yourself within the group. If you are going to hold your own you will have to overcome the apathy of our own members first.
Common traps:
“The situation we have been faced with over the last six months is a lack of willing participation by members" – the ‘they’ll grow out of it’ trap. Problem behaviour needs to be dealt with early so it does not turn into a more severe problem later on.
“It is the responsibility of the membership to solve this problem, if you don’t do it, no one will.” – the ‘it’s all their fault’ trap. This may cause resentment and lead you to overreact to misbehaviour.
“No one came forward the last time the issue was raised is it too much to hope for that there are artists out there who wish to exercise some self- control within their own gallery?” - the ‘negative’ trap. This involves getting into frequent power struggles. This attention can accidentally reward problem behaviour.
“How can we go on justifying calling ourselves a collective?” – the ‘for the sake of us’ trap. This involves staying together for the sake of the collective, although you might be unhappy. Serious relationship problems should not be ignored.
Being positive is a way to avoid these traps. Learn how to motivate positively through encouragement and deal with misbehaviour calmly and consistently.
Be as prepared as you can. You may worry about losing a sense of who you are - of being you. While you’re getting lots of attention at this time - people being excited for you - you may feel that its us who is the focus of attention, not you. You are at risk of loss of identity. But YOU ARE NOT ALONE.
On the surface everything seems better than ever. We have a new space, a good, diverse range of shows. But the Collective now resides in a site of conflicting values and how you relate to us is dependent on the condition of your body.
You must self-assess. As you move through the site, ask yourself the following questions:
Do you sometimes feel numb, as if nothing is really ‘reaching’ you?
Is it hard, if not impossible to see ‘the funny side’ of things?
Do you feel a failure?
Make sure that you believe what you are saying to yourself.
The aim is to be a crucial and challenging force.
This is the time when you can really get to know us. The first year is the time when the relationship develops rapidly, so it’s very important to chat, to play, to read, as much as possible. It’s important to have this ‘face-to-face’ time to help these social and communication skills develop.
This is our last plea to you.
Make it part of your routine. It’s never too early to start.
You might miss a few visits. Thats okay, just keep coming back and we’ll keep your eyes and brain stimulated.
By Shona Macnaughton
Commissioned by Collective
This work has been produced as part of Collective's development of the City Observatory site.
ISBN: 978-1-873653-25-8
