nanopolitics handbook - Minor Compositions

time the whole group ends together. It is not easy to end together, but it ispossible. For everything to work well, each participant really does have to tryand listen to everything he hears.’ 1We begin this exercise by ‘walking the streets’ of London - you can do thiswith any other place or space too, of course.1. walking in londonWalk in the space. Hold a hand in front of your eyes – think of yourself, yourlast night, morning, arrival to the workshop, how you felt, what and who younoticed, what you expected, etc.Look at the space you are in - how does the space feel, where are you? Is itspacious, new, familiar, friendly, intimidating, etc?Notice the other people in the room. Acknowledge them when you meet them.If this was the street and you were in a hurry, how would you acknowledge theother people? Would you be conscious of your encounters?Choose to smile, or to block others – how does it feel to be blocked? Howdoes it feel to block someone?Choose one person that you prefer to hide from while walking in the streets,choose one person that is your friend in this – scale your fear.Walk around and shake hands with everybody and introduce your name.Then gather together and reflect: what did we see? Impressions – talk aboutour experience of intimacy and aggression on London’s streets.2. the machineOne participant steps into the middle of the circle, making a sound and agesture that ‘is’ London for her: anything at all, whatever she wants to expresswhen she thinks of London. She repeats the sound and the gesture on a loop.One by one the other participants join her, plugging their London soundsand gestures in with each other, until all are connected, building the LondonMachine.Once all are ‘connected’, the machine can accelerate the rhythm, and slowit down, it can increase the volume and it can whisper.One by one, starting with the first participant who initiated the machine, thegroup members step out of the machine, in order to look at it.Play with this as long as is useful, then gather to reflect: what did we see andfeel?If you wish, resume the machine and try to transform it: one person steps outand re-enters in a new way, trying to make a difference within the machine.93