Program Details - UnionDocs

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3 Resident & 3 Non-Resident
Openings for September 2009

Program Details Page: 1, 2, 3.

The UnionDocs Collaborative:
A new program for non-fiction media research and group production.

Overview

The UnionDocs Collaborative (UDC) is a one to two-year program for twelve emerging media producers, theorists, and curators. It is both a rigorous platform for exploring contemporary approaches to the documentary arts and a process for developing an innovative group project. The program focuses on providing what we believe are the most effective educational resources for individuals at the beginning of their careers:

direct contact and structured exchange with visiting artists.
exposure to a wide variety of practices and models.
dynamic interaction among a network of talented peers.
regular group critique sessions.
mentorship toward the production of an original work.
exposure through a toured exhibition and/or publication.

The UDC has been set up to be affordable and scheduled for individuals who may need to work full-time or freelance while being involved in the program. It offers an intensive learning experience at a price that one might expect to pay for just a single credit at a university. While the UDC may have many parallels to parts of a masters program, it is designed to be an alternative-approach that focuses on inspiration from working artists and self-organization within a group, rather than a teacher-led environment. Mentors, Kara Oehler and Jesse Shapins, have been chosen specifically for their experience with developing collaborative projects and leading creative studios. The UDC does not grant degrees or certificates; instead, the completion of an excellent collaborative project is the goal.

For some, participation in the program may lead to further study. For others, it may lead to independent projects or the beginnings of careers within the industry. For all, it is an unparalleled immersion in the expansive field of non-fiction media and art.

Masterclasses and Events

The twelve carefully-selected participants in the UDC have open access to all UnionDocs public screenings, lectures, exhibitions, workshops, and resources. Over the course of the year beginning in September, participants also attend private masterclasses with over thirty visiting artists. These artists represent a broad range of work in non-fiction film, radio, photography and interactive documentary. In these private meetings, the visiting artist shares the detailed history of a particular project from both a practical and a theoretical perspective and then enters into an extended discussion with the group. When appropriate, visiting artists may also offer critiques of works-in-progress by participants of the UDC. Based on individual initiative and with support from the Program Director and the UnionDocs staff, participants may curate public events, bringing the artists of their choice for masterclasses and presentations. Check back soon for a growing list of confirmed masterclasses and screenings for Fall 2009.

Production

The program also facilitates the production of an annual project, a unique collaborative documentary work, offering a way for the group to author individual pieces within the context of a larger framework. The annual project approaches a singular subject from multiple perspectives, following multiple stories, and containing work in multiple media, which may include critical writing or curatorial work. The structure is left open to reflect the interests and talents of the individual participants. The process for developing this work is led by a Mentor with expertise in both non-fiction media and collaborative structures. The final manifestation of the whole project will vary from year to year as a suitable constellation of formats are chosen by the Mentor and Executive Director; one year's project might be a DVD and book, another might end up as an installation and a website. All projects will be shown first at UnionDocs and then designed to be reproducible and seek broader channels of distribution.

Define Non-Fiction

While we confidently pronounce a focus on non-fiction media and a passion for documentary arts, UnionDocs also admits a certain amount of uncertainty as to what these terms actually mean. Where can one draw the line? What are the constituent parts? How does a new generation of hybrid-source projects fit in the traditional picture? Different definitions seem correct in different contexts, and we question the value of being limited to a singular perspective. It is obvious, for instance, that authors of fictional worlds and imaginary subjects may also rightfully claim Truth as a goal of their storytelling. So, that particular word is not helpful in clarifying the kinds of narratives and representations that we hope UnionDocs can explore.

Perhaps, it's actually the opposite that attracts us. It may be that non-fiction's failure is what motivates. Unlike fiction, where an artist may assume absolute authority over the narrative presented, non-fiction can never aspire to perfection or be complete. To simply present an account as fact, opens it to conflict and contention. Yet, inter-subjective agreement on such representations is a necessity in society. An open forum is thus required to pursue additional perspectives on the story, to learn about recent developments with the subject, and to understand the choices involved in the storytelling. You might say that, on it's way into the historical record, non-fiction works must be taken to court, be debated and discussed in depth, and each individual must validate or reject for themselves the truths that have been claimed.

UnionDocs may provide such a court. Beyond the commitment to open dialogue, however, it does not have a manifesto, curriculum, or specified moral philosophy. It is fair to suggest, though, that many people involved in the organization are concerned that the dominant approaches to non-fiction seem to have an overabundance of faith in the ability of a recorder and its operator to approach objectivity. Without dishonouring the goal or falling into cynicism, we do wonder if there might be more appropriate (or simply different) approaches and strategies to representing the real. At the very least, we think it is up for discussion.

- Christopher Allen, Executive Director

Documentary Bodega

We call our Sunday night series The Documentary Bodega because, though now renovated and tricked out with hi-def technology, the space was once a typical NYC bodega. At a max of 50 people, the audiences at UnionDocs are small but very dedicated. For the UDC, open access to this program offers regular interaction with a wider public and exposure to the perspectives of many different interest groups.

Sophie Fiennes, who screened her newest film "The Pervert's Guide to Cinema" in the series to a packed house, wrote us that "It is these kinds of screenings that I really like, as I believe in the collective event of cinema, it's how I prefer to see films myself at any rate." And though the screening is small, thousands of people visit our website monthly to read our blog and subscribe to our podcast.

We take the screening to be an event, which is itself worthy of documentation. Post-show audience discussions are recorded, produced and presented online. In our past screenings events, the intimate and somewhat non-conventional environment has made for truly great conversations. The participants of the UDC are at the core of this evolving debate.

The 2009 series is curated by Program Director, Steve Holmgren and select guest curators. With support from the Program Director and the UnionDocs administration, participants in the UDC will also be able to curate public events, bringing the artists of their choice for masterclasses and presentations.

A selection of artists who have been in discussions previously at The Documentary Bodega: