After our meeting in Warsaw in December 06, I felt a little bit ashamed that I could not accurately describe ‘cultural animation’. I think I can describe ‘community arts’ but I try to stay away from this label now. It is really a hard label to get unstuck from. All labels are useful; all labels are problematic.

I think I have been doing ‘cultural animation’ for 15 years now… but I am not sure. (For me, it is a good sign to be a bit unsure. I always worry when someone sounds like they have the-one-and-only-answer. If someone believes or even pretends they have the one-and-only-answer there is no room for discussion.) Perhaps ‘cultural animation’ is about this discussion, about discussing things and feelings and ideas. About discussing difference of opinion. About respecting difference of opinion.

It is good to have this discussion. But also, for me, it can be problematic if we think we have to find the-one-an-only-answer before we get started making stuff and doing things. I have seen so many people talk themselves to death. I have heard so many excuses why people have not done anything yet. And, for me, I think we must never stop having this discussion but we also must support one another to be courageous enough to just jump into the water and get on with it. We will always make mistakes. We will never really know exactly how to do it right or even exactly why we are doing it. But this is no excuse. I have been blundering along for 15 years, attempting to figure it out as I go along. I know I have made and will make so many mistakes. But, for me, there is no other way. My artistic practice is just that – practice. I try something; I hopefully realise what I am doing wrong; I try to learn from my mistakes; I practice again. (I learn better when I learn with others so it helps me to share with others and to listen to their stories too.)

We must be critical of ourselves but we must also be forgiving. Of course, I think what we do must flow from a genuine curiosity in the world around us, an honest desire to change all those things we find difficult and horrible and painful, and a stubborn drive to celebrate and share with others the stuff we find important. Of course we must be under no illusion that we will ever change the world. We cannot. We are only 1 spark and it takes 100,000,000 sparks to even start a fire, let alone to keep it burning. But we will absolutely affect ourselves and perhaps a few of those around us. Even if we can only keep 1 spark alive, 1 spark inside ourselves, then we are at least 1 spark closer to a world on fire.

I know there are many, many levels to this discussion but I wonder if perhaps ‘cultural animation’ is on one level simply about sharing practice? Instead of ‘practicing’ alone, instead of waiting for the-one-beautiful-day-in-the-future when we will be perfect-and-finally-ready-to-reveal-ourselves-to-the-world, then maybe ‘cultural animation’ is on one level about taking pride in what you do even in its imperfect state, sharing this with others and encouraging them to do the same.