With Katharina Beckmann, Valerie Chartrain, Ludwig Cramer Klett, Stefanie Gerke, Daniel Hülseweg, Antje Kapek, Fee Kyriakopoulos, Christina Landbrecht, Vanessa Larrière, Clara Meister, Mary Scherpe, Lisa Marei Schmidt, Helle Schroeder, Miriam Stoney and Rosario Talevi.
The second dinner of 2017 focused on practice. How do spatial practitioners (architects, urbanists, sociologists, curators, critics in these fields, etc.) actually work, and in what way do women work differently in these disciplines, if at all, than men? We first questioned everyone with their own architectural practice about their personal path. This question was all the more relevant as it underlined the fact that there are many ways to be an architect nowadays – and maybe the question whether or not you’re actually building something is not a sufficient criterion.
But again, everyone shared their worries about the whereabouts of women in the most traditional field of architecture. Where were the architectural firms run by women, when more than half of the architecture graduates are actually female?
So we collectively wondered about what can be done to encourage women to establish their own practice. Most of the women present answered that the solution lies in education. "Like young boys, young girls have to be pushed to take risks". Some added that classes on business plans or how to run a business should be more common within the curriculum. Some argued that it was also a matter of mentoring and alliances. It was also seen as the responsibility of the women "to find allies, collaborate or form coalitions".
But again, everyone shared their worries about the whereabouts of women in the most traditional field of architecture. Where were the architectural firms run by women, when more than half of the architecture graduates are actually female?
So we collectively wondered about what can be done to encourage women to establish their own practice. Most of the women present answered that the solution lies in education. "Like young boys, young girls have to be pushed to take risks". Some added that classes on business plans or how to run a business should be more common within the curriculum. Some argued that it was also a matter of mentoring and alliances. It was also seen as the responsibility of the women "to find allies, collaborate or form coalitions".
This round of brainstorming forced everyone to reconsider their own positions and paths. It allowed to gather a list of good practices, such as :
Being well connected
Working in collaboration
Being ambitious
Being confrontational
Persevering.
Being well connected
Working in collaboration
Being ambitious
Being confrontational
Persevering.
This dinner was all the more important as it really questioned the position of MAKING SPACES. Where does gender really play a role and where doesn’t it? What are the obstacles that may be related to gender? And what can a project like MAKING SPACES do to help overcome them?
It was interesting that the listed obstacles had to to with "having a lot of vibrant emotions", "the male language", "the constant enquiry about children" or "my own imagination that a gender might be a problem". During the dinner, it had thus become more than clear to all the participants that any career difficulties in the spatial practices that might be related to gender are more than anything a matter of perception – from both sides.
It seemed so obvious that role models were essential to found one’s own practice or find one’s own way. So last but not least we asked all the participants about their role models and inspirational sources.
It was interesting that the listed obstacles had to to with "having a lot of vibrant emotions", "the male language", "the constant enquiry about children" or "my own imagination that a gender might be a problem". During the dinner, it had thus become more than clear to all the participants that any career difficulties in the spatial practices that might be related to gender are more than anything a matter of perception – from both sides.
It seemed so obvious that role models were essential to found one’s own practice or find one’s own way. So last but not least we asked all the participants about their role models and inspirational sources.