Vacant Buildings - Temporary redesignation through theater

VACANT BUILDINGS TEMPORARY REDESIGNATION THROUGH THEATER

Theater as a tool

‘I find vacant buildings a pitty, they shouldn’t stand empty but they should be brought to full of life!’

‘FOR RENT’

‘I think it’s pretty cool. Maybe rebuild it into a house.

To make a huge renovation.’

‘I th

ink

that

it

is n

ot a

llow

ed t

o de

stro

y va

cant

bu

ildin

gs, b

ecau

se y

ou c

an s

till d

o a

lot w

ith it

.’

INTRODUCTIONOF THE PROBLEM

Hoofddorp is a town of the Haarlemmermeer municipa-lity in the province of North Holland, in the Netherlands. The town has about 73.000 inhabitants and is known for its massive areas of the city, filled with commercial buil-dings from diverse companies. At the moment Hoofddorp is struggling with a problem of vacant office buildings: 30% of all the commercial buildings are empty.1 This has to do with the monotonous image of Hoofddorp, not attracting new companies to the area. New buildings are built, while the old ones stay empty – not particularly sustainable one could conclude. One of the causes for this problem is that living, working and recreation are separated from each other. There is no natural variety, no flexible use of the area; at nights and weekends it turns into a ghost town, when employees travel back to their homes elsewhere. This is one of the reasons why Podium voor Architectuur, a platform for architecture in the metropolitan area of Haar-lemmermeer and Schiphol – in collaboration with another initiative De Beuk Erin - got an idea of a kick-off program, in order to gather different stakeholders around the subject: to inspire them to see it from another point of view and to signal new ideas and actual needs. The program consisted of several activities: a dinner and a theater project, both combined with various lectures. To stimulate the stakehol-ders, these events were based on four different levels of intelligences: through EQ, SQ, PH and IQ.

THE APPROACH

The starting point for the program was to use three diffe-rent types of intelligences besides the IQ: EQ, SQ, PS.2

A holistic approach to brainstorm about the vacancy of the office buildings. The four intelligences as cognitive, emoti-onal, spiritual and physical perspectives inspired the pro-gram; it wanted to stimulate the stakeholders from various angles.

The second one was the Asset Based Community Deve-lopment – the ABCD-method.3 ABCD method is a demo-cratic form of cooperation, developed by an American John McKnight. The method believes in human capital: a personal contribution of each stakeholder as improve-ment according the vitality and quality of life of a certain area/neighborhood. The method has both social, cultural and economic objectives. According to the ABCD method, recovery of a neighborhood starts with stakeholders who collaborate together in order to improve the quality of life.

Whereas IQ is analytical, rational and linear, EQ represents the softer emotional side as associ-ative and conscious. SQ is about giving purpose in life, representing intuitive and creative thin-king, PQ is about the physical capacity. The ho-listic way of perceiving the world, that regards multiple intelligences, is often referred as one of the most important conditions for sustainable development. One may speak about the crisis of Western thinking that initiates from the logical thinking.4

In stimulating sustainable development a holis-tic view as “more-than-rational ‘ is of great im-portance.

The inhabitants/users are the co-producers in the process. The ABCD-method represents con-structive thinking, meaning that the approach is based on the positive, strong sides of these neighbourhoods and the strenght of the indivi-dual citizens, instead of perceiving it as proble-matic. This method will help in building strong and permanent relationships in a network struc-ture; relationships strong enough to face chal-lenges from out side.

WEBPUBLICATION VACANT BUILDINGS, TEMPORARY REDESIGNATION THROUGH THEATER - THEATER AS A TOOL - PODIUM VOOR ARCHITECTUUR - 2012 2

1 De Beuk Erin, Brochure De Beuk Erin, 2008.2 Covey Stephen R., The 7 habits of highly effective people, 1989.3 Verwey-Jonker Instituut: Asset-Based Community Development in Nederland, 2002.4 Enrique Leff, a coördinator at Latin American UN-Network for Environmental Education.

THEATER IN A FORMER GARAGE

The theater project was realized in a former garage in Hoofddorp, Netherlands - in collaboration with local pupils of a primary school called Zwanehoek and young theater workshop participants of a cultural center Pier K. These youngsters were coached by six theater students from the Utrecht School of the Arts. The approach was to use the-ater in order to stimulate different intelligences; by letting the participants experience the process as co-owners, from the perspectives of EQ, PQ, SQ, and IQ.

Before the artistic process could start, certain preparati-ons were made: a permission needed to be obtained, in order to make use of an empty space. This was more com-plicated than expected, since there are various stakehol-ders operating on different levels. A learning point was to operate and communicate in a transparent way, on diffe-rent levels. The goal was to build a sustainable environ-ment – according to the mindset of people, planet, profit.The next step was to clean and organize the space to make it workable. Organizing a mobile toilet was also a part of the basic requirements, before starting a creative research. It was also important to consider the temperature inside the building; the easiest way to deal with cold temperatu-res is to add an extra layer of clothing.

The youngsters took part in the rehearsals once a week and often received homework from their coaches – for example they had to paint their impression of the space or adapt a movement sequence. Each weekly session started with playful, theatrical exercises with movement, rhythm and voice, as well as expressions of different emotions. Afterwards the exercises were applied into practice.

THEATER AS TEMPORARYREDESIGNATION

Theater functioned in this case as a bridge between the vacant buildings and the local people; bringing these into contact with each other. The project made the kids also conscious of the matter and inspired them to look at it from a positive point of view: different redesignation possibili-ties. The project made it possible for them to participate in envisioning the possible future of the area. The side effect of the art project was no less important: the personal em-powerment such as strengthening of self-esteem.

The project aimed to stimulate the young inhabi-tants, going beyond their day-to-day perception as passing by the vacant buildings: to become aware of the phenomenon in their own envi-ronment and to perceive this as an opportunity, instead of a problem. The theater project was an example: a way to organize temporary activi-ties in vacant buildings, as well as letting these young locals physically, emotionally and ration-ally get involved in envisioning a possible use of empty buildings in their close environment. The youngsters would make an artistic exploration into the real character of the building, behind the pontificial facade, to become inspired by the different possibilities of the redesignation of a vacant space.The participants started an exploration into the space through the senses, such as experien-cing the light/shadow in different parts of the building, the temperature, the smell, the size and forms of different corners. But also the atmosp-here, as if emotions were inhabiting different spaces. The way of working through receiving impulses from the space/surroundings actually initiates from acting method with Legoq masks.5 In this case the space was treated as a huge mask itself, where the body of the actor reacts and moves in constant relation to the space around him. This is a method to train the actor to view the space consciously and to translate this into his body; into movements, into a rhythm or sound, into a specific kind of dynamic.


5 Masquerade method from Jaques Lecoq: The Moving Body: Teaching Creative Theatre

ART EDUCATIONAL POINT OF VIEW

Why would art be needed in programs like this? Why could art contribute in transition into a more sustainable future? According to Hans Dieleman6 art creates ‘mental-space‘ with its reflexive character, and may stimulate, canalize or facilitate a sustainable lifestyle. Art encourages people to think critically about their own standards and values and can also liberate from their old dusty habits. Art gives ‘em-powerment‘ as mental strength and learns one to view the world from another perspective, leading to compassion.

SOCIAL LEARNING

Social learning is a way of working and learning in a group and in contact with the physical environment - in order to involve people in transitions, such as sustainable develop-ment8. Social learning does this by bringing people with diverse backgrounds and knowledge together. It reminds one of a creative process – a search for a solution still un-known. This work method enables a secure environment

for a self developing society, comparable to an ecosystem – a system constantly correcting itself. The strength of this method lies in the value and utilization of diversity, thus is extremely suitable for complex processes. Diversity cau-ses collisions that leads to reflection and renewal. Social learning is subservient in processes which critically ques-tions the existing routines, the standards and values – as needed in transitions towards sustainable future. People as stakeholders are invited to respond according their per-sonal concepts and mindset; creating space for new per-spectives and practices. In social learning co-ownership is highly valued, a prerequisite for a shared signification.

“Reasons to change do come from argumenta-tion but are as much embedded in emotions, ru-les of thumb on convictions or. (…) Change pro-cess to sustainability is ‘ more than rational ‘. It is about emotions, desires and fears, life styles, identities and intuitive notions. 7 (…)” An art project as a creative quest can facilitate an ideal learning environment, using out-of-the-box thinking as creative point of view and influences one through emotions. These quali-ties of art are ideal in search for a sustainable future. ‘Art of being different’ gives the transiti-on process tools to approach the matter in more positive and creative way.

TIPS REGARDING THEORGANISATION• Recruitment: Recruitment of participants as well as audie-

nce: make sure you start this early enough. Involve parents as much as possible, as well as the rest of the stakeholders: You will naturally have a bigger change of support in the process. Think eg. sponsoring, logistics, costumes etc. This kind of participation solves many practical problems, such as transportation problems of location is problematicly situ-ated, but also makes people enthousiast. Above all it helps to pay attention to vacancy and redevelopment of the buil-dings in their own environment.

• Communication: Communicate efficiently with the various stakeholders, especially with the owners /investors of the location - as much as possible about the ideas and process: transparency will be appreciated.

• Planning: Take care that the planning will be done in consul-tation with the parents of the young participants, but also in collaboration with other stakeholders, for example with the owner(s) of the building. Divide the time of the creative pro-cess in periods – make sure there is time enough for making acquaintance with the participants before starting, time for warming-up games, for the different movement exercises and to the creative process itself etc. Consider if all of the participants need to be present simultaneosly at the rehear-sals. Take the planning of the school year into account when organizing such projects in collaboration with youngsters.

• Check the availability of the building/space in question! Don’t rely on the enthousiasm of the users or custodian, but check this also from the owners, who often operate from distance. This is more bureaucratic you would think! Also consider of a plan-B if the location A is not available.

• Stakeholders: While designing the content of the project keep in mind the various stakeholders.

• Sharing knowledge: Inform the participants about the con-text of the project and of a sustainable development on an appropriate way – consider each stakeholder apart: theater students/artists, young people, parents, owners of the buil-ding, custodian etc.

• Ask for permission: Don’t forget to inform about the image rights, if the process will be documented and photographed.


6 Hans Dieleman, professor in Environmental Change Management at the Erasmus University Rotterdam, and professor at the UACM in Mexico-City.7 Article from Hans Dieleman in, Sustainability: a new frontier for the arts and cultures, Sacha Kagan / Volker Kirchberg (eds.), 2008.

8 Hoeven. N, van der Wals. A, Blanken. H: De akoestiek van sociaal leren: Handreikingen voor de inrichting van sociale leerprocessen die bijdragen aan een duurzame wereld, 2007‘The acoustics of social learning: a guide for the fitment of social learningprocesses which contributes to a sustainable world, 2007’

POINT OF ATTENTION• Bottom-up method: It is of great importance that the subject

or the question in matter, rises out of the community itself, bottom-up.

• Diversity: The more diverse the formation of stakeholders the better, in order to make knowledge exchangable, to view the problem from various angles. The power of the group is drawn from the human capital; various backgrounds, skills, knowledge.

• Converge: After diverging of different ideas it is important to filter out the essential ideas.

• Co-creation: Involve the community in the vision and stra-tegy formation, co-ownership is of a great importance. At-tention for the co-creation in the creative process: how are the various participants included in the creative process. Ask the stakeholders for their preference according the fi-nal form of the execution.

• Supervision: Important is that this method will be supported with external parties eg. by an impartial supervisor with di-dactic knowledge and a sense of the creative and artistic process. The supervisor may give advice in advance . Ho-wever, during the process, the supervisor should also take into account the way of working: according the educational point of view and the sustainable matter, without limiting the creative and artistic process.

• Evaluation: An evaluation afterwards, all together with the stakeholders, is of great importance.

• A work method: Choose clearly for an artistic method that works well from - or within the space. Playing according the mask method of Jaques Lecoq on a physical level, worked well here. Not forgetting the sustainable attitude according the space; location theateroriginating from the space. It is important to respect the space: what does it have to offer?


All photos are property of Jonna Ollikainen

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Vacant Buildings - Temporary redesignation through theater