Stairway to heaven — UnQualified

FIELDWORK BLOG

Shane Sugrue

This blog records the ongoing fieldwork portion of my research into participatory art, performance and public celebration as modes of political action fostering civic engagement. Considering cultural activities such as festivals, street parades, and large-scale art installations as forms of ritualised spatial practice, or theatre, this project uses the methods of architectural design to examine the material and spatial dimensions of these activities in order to determine the social and political role they might play. This work is carried out as part of the MPhil in Architecture and Urban Design (MAUD) at the Department of Architecture, University of Cambridge.

Having been embedded within a community of artists, activists and community organisers in Brisbane over the last number of years, I have made the observation that participating in the production of grassroots cultural events is often a transformative experience for participants of diverse backgrounds, challenging their preconceptions of place, identity, and community, heightening their expectations of democratic participation and accountable governance, and empowering them to exercise creative agency. Drawing on my experience as both a participant and organiser of these events, my aim with this research is to develop a methodology for design practice that a) validates this observation, and b) can be repeated in new contexts. In order to do this, I have proposed to undertake a series of design experiments that seek to enact this type of transformative participation. A pilot study presented the first set of these tests – a series of paper design exercises through which I have developed a theoretical approach and a concept design proposal. The fieldwork period is taken as an opportunity to further develop these in a series of full-scale built and performed interventions in-situ. These will be undertaken in collaboration with arts practitioners and cultural organisations in Brisbane, and paired with detailed site and context analysis, in order to develop a schematic design proposal to be carried forward into the next phase of the project.

A more secure marquee, music to drown out the generator, and kangaroo bones to ward off the westerlies.

29 June: Once the initial hurdles were overcome, things proceeded apace. A fresh marquee was erected and a functioning workspace duly arranged, complete with whiteboard and printed construction drawings for the crew to consult.

By dusk on Friday we had progressed from just one platform to four. Along the way, some quick decisions were made regarding bracing and ballustrades to keep the crew safe as the structure grew skyward.

9am: Jorja and Maneh work on the first platform while James, Ruth and Micalah prep the second.

10am: Jorja levels platform two. Behind, number three lies on its side, assembled and ready to be placed.

12pm: James begins work on the ballustrades - Maneh suggests it might be easier to figure out after a bite of lunch

2pm: After lunch, things were much clearer - the ballustrades went up parallel and the architects were happy.

5pm: James gathers the last of the tools. Four platforms up, just two to go.