‽istis reclaims the format (weekending November 7th 2020)
This week ‽istis has spent
perhaps far too long watching the television, listening to the radio, checking
the Twitter feed, scouring and scrolling multiple on-line news agencies – sometimes
all at once…
And ‽istis wonders whether a
format change perhaps, possibly, maybe underway or needed? Here are some
offerings (larger, smaller and of varying degrees of consequence and undoubtedly
linked to ‽istis’s pre-occupations!) to ponder:
‽ TV shows:
·
‘The Apprentice’ – where the participants in a revised
format can get to say “You’re Fired” to the egotocratic[i] ‘boss’/judge.
·
‘Don’t Rock the Boat’[ii] (what a welcome
distraction for some in the UK in that pre-evening news slot this week) – where,
in a surprise end-of-show revision to the expected format, the eventual winning
team are proclaimed – not as the team which notched up the fastest time rowing
the length of the UK (and thereby perhaps displaying the possibly necessary but
maybe rather ruthless, single-minded, winning is all and winner takes all, zero-sum
gain competitiveness of, say, an Olympian), but the team that has been
continuously assessed behind the scenes as the one which, together, has generated
the highest levels of ‘team spirit’, mutual support, good humour, kindness, courage-to-have-a-go-despite-fears-and-discomfort,
entertainment-value, spirit of I-think-I’d-like-you-as-a-friend-through-the-good-times-and-the-bad
times, etc. Oh, to see the reaction of participants and viewers alike!
‽ The format of church services (in a week where one
of the Anglican Church’s prescribed readings apparently includes the words ‘in
former times…’) from in-house; to online; to just much, much more actual service to others…
‽ Museums:
with a new published manifesto for ‘learning and engagement’ from the UK’s ‘Museums
Association’[iii],
considering cultural rights, social justice, activism, community participation,
partnerships, democratisation and the decolonisation of collections - and inspiring
museums to play a part in processes of civil renewal and social change and be central to
rebuilding of our societies[iv].
‽ The priorities and commitments of ‘Natural
England’[v] focussing on restoring
nature in a time when ‘biodiversity loss and climate change are two of the
greatest challenges facing our world’ and with the ‘now irrefutable’ ‘benefits
of a healthy natural environment to our wellbeing’ and where ‘thriving nature
is a “win-win-win”…’
‽ The news – with a format no longer dominated by
Covid-19, turbulent politics and the latest bluff, bluster and hubris from both
sides of the Atlantic
‽ Oh, and maybe a reformatting of the USA’s Electoral
College…?[vi]
…to which you may wish to
add your own and even find the energy, the time and the support of friends and allies
to help re-formatting for a different, dare we say it, better future; just
imagine…
© Pistis
NB: further reflections and comments linked to this
week’s theme and past blog
entries to be found on Twitter: replies, retweets (which don’t necessarily
indicate approval, sometimes the very opposite!) and ‘likes’: @Pistis_wonders
[i] This
may not yet be a word, but Pistis offers it humbly as a term that could perhaps
be used in the future for the Trump presidency?
[iv] https://www.museumsassociation.org/campaigns/learning-and-engagement/manifesto/
see also other campaigns on decolonising museums, advocacy, museums change
lives
[v] https://naturalengland.blog.gov.uk/2019/11/05/thriving-nature-for-people-and-planet/
Natural England is the government’s advisory body for the natural environment,
helping to protect England’s nature and landscapes for people to enjoy.
[vi] Plenty
of comment on this one e.g: New York Times https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/08/learning/is-the-electoral-college-a-problem-does-it-need-to-be-fixed.html
