Space Discussion Questions

Discussion Questions

Part 1 : Understanding location through formal and aesthetic properties.

• Ask everyone to respond to what they see, hear, smell in the space. 

Part 2 : Understanding location through social, behavioral and functional properties.

• Who occupies the space?  
• Who does the space “belong” to? 
• Who are its natives vs. its visitors?
• How does the space work?  How is the space used?  How was it designed to be used?  What are the discrepancies between intent and current use?  
• How do people behave in this space?  Why?  How do they interact or not interact?  
• What are the social or behavioral patterns that happen in this location? 
• What, if anything, is political or politicized about the space?

Part 3 : Understanding location through historical and associative properties.

• What’s your knowledge of this location historically?
• Has it changed hands over the years?  
• Has it changed use?
• Do you see any evidence of its previous lives?  
• What do you think it might be used for in the future?
• What are your associations with this location (or a location like it)? 
• What do you think others’ associations with a location like this might be?  

 Part 4 : Understanding location through your practice.

• Think about the space as a theater/performance space. 
• How might it be used?   
• What conditions make it an interesting space to perform in?
• What fundamental properties that you observed might you accentuate in using it as a performance space?
• What properties might you attempt to diminish?
• How might a piece of work be different for an audience than it would be in a traditional performance location?
• What kind of audience might appreciate seeing work in this space?