Alison Berry:
As well as thinking about and executing specific work for the paper project, I spend a great deal of time thinking in more general terms about collaborative working in the art world, the difficulties it presents and the potential rewards.
It is incredibly hard to let go of ownership of one’s art and ego, for example in a collaborative set up being at ease with amendments or even complete rejection of one’s ideas. With this paper project I find myself frequently making comparisons with the recent experience of being involved in improvised group storytelling. In such a situation where the results are instant you quickly learn the obvious importance of listening but also of surrender of self and generosity towards co-storytellers. Any addition to the storyline for the purpose of personal approbation rather than enhancement of the story as a whole is swiftly regretted as the story falters, the thread is lost and the audience is disappointed. However, if the group is genuinely supportive of each other, anxiousness and personal concerns evaporate and, against all the odds, an unexpected story is formed to the enormous delight of the audience and storytellers. It all comes together in the end.
