D: Yeah, there’s a lot in between those steps of imagining and then producing.
S: So, how do you approach using that knowledge and translate it into action to co-create and collaborate within the framework of creative placemaking?
D: That’s somewhere where a cross-sector collaboration class could help, because after we get out of school we’re not necessarily going to be surrounded by artists all the time working on art things. We’re going to have to work with people in different fields to be able to make anything happen, especially if you’re working in creative placemaking, because it’s not just about the arts. Even though it’s heavily focused on how the arts can help create healthier communities, you also have to work with community organizers and people who have experience working in the areas you want to insert your art into.
S: You also have to work with the people that want that impact to happen with you. At the end, you’re supporting that process of something that’s already there.
D: Yeah, you have to learn how to interface with community members, so learning how to communicate the usefulness of what you have to offer is important.
S: You know, when I hear the words we are using like “taking to,” “bringing in,” “bringing out,” “taking out,” “real life” [as opposed to “not real life”) when talking about interdisciplinary practices, it seems we are still going about academia as this very walled-off and separated space, and I think we really need to move away from this. ASU isn’t independent from the community, or it shouldn’t be at least. So how are the curriculums, especially in creative placemaking, supporting equitable spaces and practices?
D: I think what’s hard about that is the fact that schools are a revolving door of people so students come in, learn the foundations of creative placemaking and have great ideas, but it’s hard to have those ideas create a sustainable community impact.
S: How do you add a bridge?
D: One way to more deeply root ASU in the community might be to create classes that are meant to be long-term partnerships where people come in and pick up from where the previous classes left off. It’s frustrating to community partners that students come in to a space to learn and then they leave so all that context and relationship has to be rebuilt every year.
S: I think you bring up something important, which is sustainability. How do we make curriculum sustainable, not only for the university, but for the communities and the impact you’re trying to make? One thing I was thinking about earlier is who’s giving the lectures? Is it only people in academia or are we also bringing people who have experience in the field? Are we learning from community stakeholders? Part of your career is your relationships and how you build them. Information is everywhere and can easily be found on the internet, so as a school, what are you offering?
D: Yeah, university should be a place where people go to connect with others and learn how to form relationships. That’s something you can’t just follow a guide on Wiki-How for. You have to learn from doing and learn from people who have experience doing.
S: That might be the future for AIs, but for now…
D: Oh, AI creative placemaking!
S: Ha, you never know. Actually, that’s a conversation that needs to happen.. How are new technologies going to affect the field of creative placemaking?
D: That’s a totally different article…
