Installation

1.1   Description


Organising installation events creates a space where the general public can engage in a discussion about a specific topic where the message can be either put into context or built upon with additional materials. These events also facilitate dialogue and help gain insights into people’s views on a specific topic or issue. It can be a booth-like space with a particular shape/structure and colour, it can be an interactive exhibit, a symbolic installation, or even an art installation that is related to the topic.

 

1.2   Objective


The objectives of the Installation include:

  • To create a physical context that is well identified and characterized in relation to a specific topic.
  • To facilitate the gathering of people of different ages and interests whose attention is grasped by the installation and that are interested to interact with mediators.
  • To associate an iconic place to a concept and create an experience for the participants.
  • To present and show questions that can trigger dialogue and discussions, and facilitate the collection of opinions, evaluations, and the views of the participants.
  • To develop a dialogue in unusual places (streets, squares, area of museums, train stations, shopping centres, etc…).

 

1.3   Structure


General Structure: Complex Event
An installation can be a single or a complex event depending on its length.

 

1.4   Duration



Main Event Duration: Three days (weekend)
Project Duration: Indefinitely repeated

It can be a single event, or it can be done several times a year depending on the success and demand for the event.

2.1    Staff & Volunteers


Volunteer Requirements: Requires volunteer recruitment

Core team to organize the event / Volunteers to stay with the installation during the days of the event.

 

2.2    Venue Hire



Venue: Indoors / Outdoors
Capacity: 1-20 people

The installation can happen anywhere. It is encouraged to do them in unusual places like streets, squares, area of museums, train stations, shopping centres, etc.

 

2.3    Partner Institutions



Partner Institutions: Not required

Although an installation can be done independently, it would be of great benefit to have the support of an institution.

 

2.4    Budget



Project Budget: 501€-1000€

Budget Point Details Yearly Cost
Personnel Fees
  • Only the core organizing team is required.
  • Mediators and experts (voluntary).
  • Volunteers (students).
0€
Venue Hire
  • The venue should be free of cost since it would be in a public space.
0€
Marketing
  • Design / printing of posters or buying advertising space in local papers / on social media.
200€
Materials
  • Post-its, scissors, glue, white boards, paper, pens, flipchart, props.
0€ – 200€
Others
  • Refreshments for mediators (the cost depends on the number of days the installation will be available).
50€-200€
Total 250€- 600€

3.1   Target Audience


Target Audience: Younger Adults (26–45) / Older Adults (46–64)

Pedestrians, citizens, museum visitors, etc. Although the main people who would be interested in these events might depend on the topic being discussed, or the format that the information is being presented. There is a need to try and attract an audience who may not normally have been attracted to these sorts of events, therefore hosting these events in public spaces is a great way to engage with a different audience.

 

3.2   Marketing


Marketing needs to be done at least one month in advance. It would be helpful to use official social media accounts for more effective publicity. Facebook advertising can be very effective in reaching the target audience, as well as facilitating contact with highly-influential profiles that could share the event information.

Social media posts should include information about the installation, the venue, the topic, and the partner institution. It is also important to use proper hashtags to track and evaluate the strategy.

 

3.3   Dialogic Strategy


The main idea behind the installation is accessibility. To achieve this, it is important to determine the level and kind of interaction you want to engage with through the installation; in terms of (a) dialogic format -conversation triggered by a demonstration, interviews, pools etc and (b) the duration of the interaction -e.g. consecutive short slots of 30 minutes, for instance, taking place at different times of the day. Then, you need to design a draft script that describes this installation and where the actions that the mediators need to take are well identified and explained.

4.1   Project Timeline


An example timeline is shown below:

Time Activity
Two months in advance
  • Deciding on the specific dates for the installation.
  • Selecting the venue or public space. Check if they require special permissions.
  • Contacting mediators and volunteers to confirm their availability.
  • Analyze the context; identify the stakeholders and the topics, hence defining the installation.
One month in advance
  • Installation production.
  • Prepare a program for the weekend activity.
  • Brief and train all the actors involved in the installation use.
  • Develop the communication activities to advertise the installation, and to encourage a larger turn out.
  • Marketing: social media strategy.
On the day
  • Purchasing of refreshments and installation set up.

 

4.2   Single Event Structure


The installation invites interaction at any time. The mediator should be able to provide knowledgeable information on demand if required but not to teach. It is not possible to present a precise schedule since it would depend entirely on different factors: the social context, the topics, the stakeholders, the venue, etc.

 

4.3 Personnel roles


Required personnel are as follows:

Person Activity
Core Team
  • Arrive at the venue an hour in advance to set up the installation.
Mediators
  • Should arrive 15 minutes in advance at the beginning of the day.

 

4.4   Materials


Aside from the installation itself and the mentioned materials, there are no particular supplies required.

 

4.5   Other Logistics


Additional needs may include refreshments for the audience.


An installation can create a place focusing on one or more Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) process requirements to be discussed with different groups of citizens. It can also trigger conversation around one or more RRI process requirements and relate this to the local context (e.g. Local University policies on public engagement etc.).


To evaluate the event, you need to collect a set of opinions and comments from the audience about the identified topic(s), these should be tailored to the parameters previously identified, according to the goal of the project (age, gender, education, job, etc.). It is also important to gather ideas than can be used to develop future guidelines for the stakeholders and how changes to these events could be implemented to increase engagement, based on this feedback collected.


Here are two examples that can help to better identify the concept.

a)The orange umbrella

http://www.postlerferguson.com/design/nanopinion-exciteeuropean-union

b) The cigarette

The installation was used in the campaign “A kick to smoke” to persuade people from smoking, in Umbria, by the Association of Respiratory Diseases patients. The vertical giant cigarette on the left situated in the middle of a pedestrian street in the center of a city is an iconic installation combined with a vertical banner explaining the content of the campaign. In this case, the interaction with the mediators took place inside one of the buildings on the side of the street.

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Contributors


Cite this Activity


Martin, D., Ghirxi, D., & Styles, C. (2020, September 09). Installation. Retrieved from http://steamexperiments.com/activity/installation/

First published: September 9, 2020
Last modified: September 9, 2020

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