1. CORE IDEA: ART Metamodel

I hope you enjoyed the documentary!


For the purposes of this self-paced program, the first thing to notice is that there are key learning spaces evident in all vignettes. Three of them: The Relational, Conceptual and Experimental. 


The relational space concerns the ways in which ARTists create conditions for making transformations happen with their stakeholders, including themselves. Dialogue is at the heart of relational space. In the documentary you see ARTists, e.g., Miren Larrea with policy makers and politicians in Spain; Astrid Kunert with colleagues in Kenya, Nicoline Vackerberg with the "Esthers" and healthcare workers in Sweden, Aditi Rosegger with her fellow householders in intentional community in India and Alessandra Piccoli with farmers and consumers in Northern Italy.


Without also creating a dedicated learning space that allows stakeholders learn with you and others, you are not really able to engage with ART. At the start, therefore, there is lots of emphasis relative to how it's normally overlooked!) on convening this space. Because a good relational space deepens, stakeholders have the possibility of transformative learning together. 

Art Metamodel


The conceptual space is not so much about new information or conceptual models (though may include those). It's mostly about engaging in reframing issues together. Therefore it requires a lot of good listening to each other’s perspective. Bringing these perspectives together then allows for tangible experiments in the third space, the experimental space. The experimental space is as much a process as a destination pro. It is the space in which stakeholders take action! If there is no action, there can hardly be action-research. Right!


To be clear there is no need to keep these three spaces in equal balance. However all three are always necessary. Generally speaking at the start relational space is most important. Too many action researchers jump in without connecting in any meaningful way to stakeholders. However, as ART matures, conceptual and experimental space come to the fore, though relational space remains the background conditions for success.


Within the three spaces ARTists are attending to different tasks. While this is not paint by numbers, we can say that the relational space offers opportunities to develop clear intentions for the work in partnership. Important to note, everyone has intentions, though often not so clear. Moreover, there are individual intentions and potentially shared one. These likely shift. Perfect agreement is not usually a useful goal, though it's important to find alignment to get going.


For example, in Miren’s case, policy stakeholders and politicians are working with regulations and investment funds to support a green future. Focus groups are therefore important. The more people the more diversity of intention. The work there is recorded and clarified over a series of meetings. Any useful intention for ART needs to be co-produced with stakeholders. And there may be phases.


In the conceptual space, we can thinking about using participative methods and getting more clear on what contribution - practical and scholarly - we want ot make.


For example, in Astrid’s case, we learn her Kenyan colleagues were supported early on to plant many trees. As that tangible change (practical contribution) gets underway there is more engagement with learning together about what democracy means. Astrid and her team conduct interviews about the democratic forms the stakeholders want, which led to training of trainers to continue the work of interviews and meetings. By the way the methods of action research always have dialogue and participation at the heart of the matter. Sometimes – as in Astrid’s case - using theatre and other creative methods such as singing both engaged and empowered people with their own familiar cultural formats. The intention remains the same throughout – to create a new generation of politics.

Art Metamodel

As Alessandra tells us, this kind of dialogic real world data is very rich. It presumes background with social science methods, i.e., quantitative (e.g., survey and network analysis) and qualitative (e.g., interview and focus group) methods. This may mean having to partner with those who can help do a survey and a good interview. Bringing numbers is important. Notice how Alessandra speaks also about the great joy it is to become an action researcher involved with her stakeholders, creating a contribution together.


We also see that including some survey or quantitative component helps track the emergent results of experiments in Nicoline’s facilitation of Esthers and healthcare workers in Sweden. This led to many innovations in an experimental space that includes mobile clinics to meet patients where they are. This is quite a transformation in the move away from always centering on the clinics. These kinds of experiments take courage among decision makers. They are used to doing things differently, they need proof that an experiment is successful. Therefore, data that tracks what’s working and not, what’s saving money, what’s meeting patient healthcare outcomes and satisfaction was key for Nicoline’s work in making it actionable and relevant.


In sum, the ART contribution is both intellectual and practical. It helps interested stakeholders take action. The process is as important as the outcome. Notice how Aditi and Alessandra speak to the ways in which learning empowers stakeholders and deepens commitment. In Northern Italy Alessandra’s work has led to new community agriculture and in Aditi’s work to more sustainable water management. This work can proliferate. The circles of dialogue open to more people. The learning can also leapfrog to an entirely new community. As important, the learning process itself cannot be erased.


As Aditi puts it, there is self-reflection among those involved. At the heart of this is listening to others – not just passively hearing them but actively engaging while silent by also listening to oneself. This reflexivity is developmental. Developmental reflexivity is a bit more ambitious than simply describing problems, it too is part of the deepening of relational space, because that space is one in which we also make space for our own learning, to see ourselves in action, where we do well, where we get stuck, where our own defenses get activated. 


In this review of the documentary you have had a taste of the components of ART coming together. I capture them in a metamodel (available as a PDF). At the center of the model is the 3 spaces. I have touched on the seven quality choicepoints that I introduce more fully in the next video snippet. 


Let us proceed!