Performing Abergavenny: creating a connected community beyond divisions of class, locality and history

这个项目将研究划分蒙茅斯郡阿伯加文尼镇和社区的问题。通过与两个社区组织的合作，我们正在寻求创造质疑分歧的问题，开始克服它们，并为一个有凝聚力的“社区”未来制定计划。社区项目所使用的方法和结果将在公共论坛和学术文章中加以阐述、分析和传播。该项目以AHRC资助的两个项目为基础。首先，Walkerdine等人在阿伯加文尼为连接社区项目“社区作为微观社会”（2011-12）所做的研究发现，阿伯加文尼作为一个社区，在地理上沿着南北断层线是不相连的，历史上与阶级和错位有关。其次，麦基等人的项目“通过社区背景下的表演实践挑战‘流动’场所的概念”（2011-14）也与AHRC主题相关联，该项目与社区参与者和艺术家合作，通过表演来质疑人们与他们的场所的关系。阿伯加文尼的划分被标记出来，从该地区的名称（“保留地”），到南方对北方缺乏了解，反之亦然，以及两个群体在阿伯加文尼存在和移动时所表现出的困难和差异。在这方面，社区支助和服务的提供在地理上是分开的，这大致相当于阶级的划分。将这两个AHRC项目结合起来，使我们能够以一种包容的方式将“社区”作为微观社会和表现。与社区团体的代表一起，我们将共同创建和设计一个项目，以确定以下问题：a)分歧是如何经历和产生的；b)如何克服分歧，创造对社区双方都欢迎和支持的条款；c)为可持续的社区未来制定计划，在资金削减和历史分歧的情况下，为社区确定联系和综合的支持。这是项目的出发点和“钩”。自7月以来，通过指导小组内部的讨论，作为本建议的背景活动制定了该计划。指导小组包括来自两个社区合作伙伴的代表，社区第一北阿伯加文尼和阿伯加文尼社区中心（南阿伯加文尼）以及三名研究小组成员，并将在第二阶段由当地议会成员加入。通过综合艺术、人文和社会科学的方法，指导小组正在考虑一系列受历史研究影响的基于场地的表演活动，以初步揭示当地居民讲述的城镇分裂的历史。这些知识将引导我们为第二阶段制定具体的问题，例如，背景，历史和当前对城镇划分的理解。这些将构成第二阶段活动的基础，我们预计第二阶段将更密切地调查这些分歧，开始改善情况，并导致制定联合资源和社区生活的长期计划-与地方议会和政府共享。因为研究方法已经在项目前指导小组会议上进行了讨论，我们可能主要使用执行方法，包括，例如，步行和绘图技术，以及基于站点的社区执行工作。对社区和研究人员来说，潜在的巨大利益是如何开发一种方法，将一系列技术和调查模式结合起来，能够由社区成员创造包容性的自我导向研究，并以一种替代的、整体的艺术为基础的社区方法为基础。

This project will examine issues dividing the town and community of Abergavenny, Monmouthshire. In conjunction with two community organisations, we are seeking to create questions that interrogate divisions, begin to overcome them and develop plans for a cohesive 'communal' future. Methods used and findings from the community project will be articulated, analysed and disseminated in public fora and in academic articles.This project builds upon two AHRC funded projects. First, Walkerdine et al's research in Abergavenny for the Connected Communities Programme, 'Community as micro-sociality' (2011-12) discovered that Abergavenny as a community is geographically disconnected along north/south fault lines, historically related to class and dislocation. Second, and also attached to the AHRC theme, Mackey et al's project 'Challenging concepts of 'liquid' place through performance practices in community contexts' (2011-14) works with community participants and artists to interrogate people's relationship with their place through performance. The divisions in Abergavenny are marked, from the name given to the area ('The Reservation'), to lack of knowledge by south about the north and vice versa, and the difficulties and differences of being and moving through Abergavenny exhibited by both groups. In this context, provision of community support and services is geographically divided, which roughly equates to a class divide. Uniting these two AHRC projects allows us to approach 'community' as micro sociality and performance in an inclusive manner. Together with representatives from the community groups, we will co-create and co-design a project to identify questions which point to a) how the divisions are experienced and have come about b) how they may be overcome to create provision which is welcoming and supportive of both parts of the community c) draw up plans for a sustainable, communal future, identifying connected and integrated support for community in the light of funding cuts and in spite of historical divisions. This is the agreed starting point and 'hook' for the project. It has been devised through discussion within the steering group as background activity towards this proposal since July. The steering group includes representatives from the two community partners, Communities First North Abergavenny and Abergavenny Community Centre (south Abergavenny) as well as the three research team members and will be joined, in phase two, by members of the local council.Using a synthesis of arts, humanities and social science methods, the steering group are considering a series of site based performance events influenced by historical research to initially uncover the history of division within the town, as told by local residents. This knowledge will lead us to formulate specific questions for phase 2 about, for example, the context, history and current understanding of the town's divisions. These will form the basis for activities in the second phase which we anticipate will enquire more closely into these divisions, begin to ameliorate the situation and lead to developing longer term plans for conjoined resources and communal living - to be shared with local council and government. Because the methods of research have already been discussed in pre-project steering group meetings, we are likely to use primarily performative methods including, for example, walking and mapping techniques, as well as site-based community performance work.What is potentially of great benefit to communities - and researchers - is the question of how to develop a methodology coupling a series of techniques and modes of enquiry, capable of creating inclusive self-directional research by communal members, as well as being underpinned by an alternative, holistic arts based approach to community.