Co-production

What happens in the process of transmitting musical heritage?

It is in the interaction – that is the enabler – both in the gig and the workshop and the discussion – all of this creates spaces for this to happen. The process of documentation is really important – that includes the CD as well as the blog ‘these are all witness to the process’.

From my perspective co-production is about surfacing knowledge, and making it visible. Acknowledging the different ways of knowing there are in the world. Arts practice is one way of knowing. Musical practice is another, but it is an insider’s view of the process that I have been learning about this year. Where things happen is both inside and outside the process.

At the beginning people did not know what to make of the academics. Then slowly they made sense in their own way, and now, they are doing the writing, that is, doing the gig. They don’t need to refer to the workshop.

The diversity of people’s responses and ideas had to be held together, in one bowl of water, but without spilling it.

And I think the legacy of this project lies in the concept of the studio which I’ve just put up that Tony’s just responded to so strongly which is this idea of the space of practice that I put up that give people a kind of thoughtful space where they can do things together. Co-production is a word that is often used and people don’t know what it means, but for me it’s always in the process it’s always in the process of making, doing and being. Doing things together in the studio kind of brings that idea not necessarily into a physical space but a space where we’re all doing things together and transmitting musical heritage. I think there were these different studios or workshops but they enacted things but I’m really excited actually about the transmission day because I think that’s when you’ll also hear it after Christmas and we’ll hear the music but also we’ll hear the process.
Kate Pahl