Safety: Leadership Responsibilities of Artists

Let's Create: Do We Know How To?

In this episode Naomi talks to the freelance artist Kelly Green about the responsibility of safety.

Kelly talks about how important this is but is clear that it is not possible to create a completely safe space. She shares a poem called An Invitation to Brave Space, which is about acknowledging that we cannot create a safe space. Kelly has this poem up on the wall in every session she runs and reads it out at the start of each session. She finds that this is a great stimulus for creating a group contract. This can be a great way to acknowledge that people in the room might, for example, hold different political opinions to her as an artist. It is not her job to change people’s minds, but to enable conversations.

Kelly articulates how no space can be safe at the start of a project, where people are strangers and the artist may have a different background to the participants. You cannot know what people’s lived experience is, you cannot know what people’s views are. Kelly describes her experience of working with a group of people who hold really opposite ideological views to her and how she navigated this in a project.

For safety to be built Kelly believes that there needs to be accountability, so that if someone says something that is upsetting for others, this is named and discussed. The way she works is about being open, honest and relatable. She believes that safe exchange is built in this way; by, with and for the people she is working with. She believes that there is safety in acknowledging that there are similarities and differences between her and who she works with.

When safety is created and held effectively Kelly believes you get the best work possible and a real sense of community and equity in the room. If artists can create a safe exchange between people who have different lived experiences or political views then we are winning.

Safety isn’t just about the participants, it is also about the artist too. There are risks around burnout for the artist and around this not being fully acknowledged. Sometimes there are expectations from funders or other agencies involved that can put unsafe pressure on the artist and participants. It is important to be clear about why you are there, what the intention is behind the work. Being explicit, clear and transparent about intentions can create safety.

The conversation ends with an exploration about the power dynamics of payment of professional artists and voluntary contribution of non-professional artists and the way that people are valued in this.

Naomi Alexander is the CEO and Artistic Director of Brighton People's Theatre . Her AHRC funded research Let's Create: Do we know how to? identified 20 qualities, skills and responsibilities that are important for artists leading co-creative practice. The report and illustrations are available here.

X: https://twitter.com/naomi_ontheatre

IG: https://www.instagram.com/naomi.ontheatre/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/naomiontheatre/

Kelly Green is a Freelance Artist. You can find out more about her work here: https://www.kellyg.net/

X: https://twitter.com/kellygCHAV

IG: https://www.instagram.com/kellygchav/

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