I suppose in some ways this refers to two or three quite broad topics in that the major influences on how EASA interacts with its context are:

i] Firstly, the site chosen and what its kind of urban/rural environment is; as this changes every year it’s impossible to set any rules for this.

ii] Secondly, there is the issue of the theme and its relation to the context – how helpful/exact it should be.

iii] Finally, there are the workshops and how they interact with the area during and affect it after the event is over.

Due to the fact that the first two points relate to something that is discussed in depth about a future event at the INCM, I think it is hard to make any solid conclusions/comments about them, as this is really for the future organisers to decide. However if anyone has anything to say about them put it down.

With regards to the workshops and how they affect the event after the event is over I think that something that tutors of workshops should look at while submitting proposals for anything that is to be constructed is: can it last?

This question I think is of paramount importance to the event. Too many built workshops, that are in essence well thought out pieces of work or useful structures for the local environment, are let down by the fact that in the final detailing of the project/or the choice of material that they become totally useless in the long run and actually have to be demolished by the organisers in the weeks after the event.

I know that some of these restrictions are due to the fact that the correct materials or finishing treatments could not be obtained by the organisers, or that certain tutors didn’t or couldn’t provide accurate materials lists prior to the event due to the nature of their workshops. I suppose what I am asking is:

i] would it be worth cutting down the number of workshops in order to complete them to a standard that would last long enough for the community to decide if they are useful to them or not?

ii] can we simply not be expected to produce the required workmanship to finish products to the level required? Should it be up to the tutors to think about these kinds of issues before the event begins?

At any rate I suppose it is something that I would really like to get peoples feedback on.