Cooperation? It depends… Talking about relationships that teach | #15 Thursday Breakfast.

Working in culture, we rarely act alone. We collaborate with organizations, artists, schools, universities, companies or cultural institutions. There are many opportunities to build relationships – from one-off actions to long-term partnerships. Each of these forms will be effective if based on trust, joint planning and shared responsibility. However, this is not always the case. We differ in our goals, pace of work, style of communication, and sometimes in our ideas about our own role in a given interaction, project or event. This can be difficult, frustrating and disappointing.

Sometimes cooperation ends after one activity. On the other hand, there are also times when, despite a difficult beginning, we manage to find common ground and build something lasting and valuable – a relationship that really works and develops both parties.

During the September breakfast we will look at just such relationships – honestly and without pathos, through the prism of real experiences. The guest speaker at the meeting will be Monika Januszewska – director of the Library – Cultural and Promotion Center of Lubiewo Commune, animator and mentor of the Dom Kultury+ and Local Partnerships PAFF programs. She believes that the most important value in culture is relationships, so she will talk about how she builds them, how she creates spaces for meeting, cooperation and joint action, but also what she faces and what often hinders agreement despite sincere intentions.

During the meeting: we will look at typical challenges, in this type of cooperation, talk about what helps to get out of an impasse and get back to dialogue, look for practical ways to get along better.

The breakfast is structured as an informal conversation in which every voice matters. It’s a space to: share experiences (both positive and difficult), ask questions, and collectively look for ways to have more informed and honest relationships.

We invite people working in culture in our province. Especially those who:

• have had different experiences of collaborations and partnerships and want to share them,
• are looking for ways to build fair, sustainable relationships,
• believe that good cooperation doesn’t have to be perfect – it just needs to be real and developing.

Come if you want to share, listen, ask questions, or just hang out with others who are also facing similar challenges.

Do you have additional questions? Write to us at agata.andrasiak-czarnecka@woak.pl – we’ll be happy to help!