Kneeding Conversations at Rochester Square
a ‘silent conversation’ about labour, time and systems of care
As part of 'C.L.A.Y', an event hosted by Rochester Square, we hosted conversations about labour, time and systems of care with people attending this event, which included families from the area (around Camden Square), people interested in ceramics, studio members and their friends and family from Rochester Square as well as some of our friends we had specifically invited for the conversations.
Silent conversations:
The format of the silent conversations was as follows:
In groups of 8-10 people, each person will be presented with a sheet of paper with a question. They would write the answer / thoughts related to the question, scribble off the question and pass it on to the next participant, who would respond to what was written on the piece of paper.
After completing an entire round and arriving back at the piece of paper each person started with, we would have a (spoken) conversation about some of the points written in the answers.
The format of the silent conversations allowed for people to have multiple starting points to enter into the conversation rather than a focussed/personal starting point, which created space for a more open conversation.
Questions to initiate the conversations
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How did you make time to be able to come here today?
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What do you think you would be doing if you weren’t here today?
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Do you know why you came here today?
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How much time in your day do you spend working?
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How much of what you do in a day is unpaid?
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What does night time mean for you?
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What does day time mean for you?
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How does the day differ from the night for you?
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Where do you work? Where do you stop work?
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What are the different types of work that you do?
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Do you have a room of your own, to work in? To rest in?
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What other spaces do you spend time in, outside of your home and or workplace?
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Have you ever felt excluded from a certain space?
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Have you excluded yourself from certain spaces?
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What are some things you would do to care for someone else?
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What is an essential requirement for you to be able to care for someone else?
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Do you expect anything in return while caring for someone else?
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Is care a choice or an obligation or a combination of both for you?
