It starts with a conversation
This guide is written by an Icelander and a Dane. We met 15 years ago, became friends and have shared good and bad moments ever since. We have always relied on each other for the conversations needed at any given moment. We met while working on a European project which had some challenges to it. We realized then how important it is to be able to talk to someone in confidence who you can trust and understands what you are going through. We became that person, to each other. Our understanding of “the conversation” is a broad and holistic one. We are addressing
the many, versatile conversations and exchanges we all need to have in our professional life. Think about the versatile group of people you are - on a continuous basis - in communication with. Your fellow artists, producers and staff, as well as programmers, curators, co-producers, staff of funding institutions, audiences, press and politicians. We are talking about the conversations you have with these people. And we claim, any good development which happens to us, will always, in one way or the other, start with a conversation.
It matters what sort of conversation we have. A conversation can be as meaningless as it can be valuable. We believe a good conversation should be based on four principles:
- Curiosity
- Openness
- Willingness to share
- Ability to listen
By following the above principles we believe you can gain knowledge from each process you engage in. Knowledge you must then exercise and question, by sharing. In the coming pages we offer simple steps we call STOP AND THINK, for you to use in your daily work. These STOP and THINKs can be helpful for you to strengthen your values and goals, your focus in your professional development and your skills in working
collaboratively in an international environment.
While using the STOP and THINKs, we encourage you to make a notebook, saving your valuable reflections and written answers.