I am inspired, challenged, and motivated by collaborations with other practitioners. I was, therefore, excited to be asked to collaborate with fellow creative and restorative practitioner (we are a rare breed!), Joseph Eduardo Iacona, at the XIIIth Conference of the World Mediation Forum in Donostia-San Sebastián (Basque Country, Spain) later this month.

During the four day conference (16-19 November), Joseph and I have imaginatively been asked to be artists-in-residence. Our conference residency will culminate in a keynote presentation which will, in part, be based on delegates' creative interactions with us during the week! Possibly a risky strategy but one we are relishing due to its unpredictability and the creative challenge it offers.

The World Mediation Forum coincides with International Restorative Justice (RJ) Week. The theme for this year's RJ Week is 'rebuilding communities through restorative justice'. Thus, it is apt thatJoseph and I will be investigating, alongside conference delegates, the elements that are needed in order to transform the cultures and spaces we inhabit as human beings.

We will be asking delegates to answer what makes a transformative culture and what makes a transformative space. All of our answers will build a creative 'wall' that will grow during the conference. Using a few basic shapes and masking tape, I will also be asking delegates to imagine and design a miniature 3D model of what a transformative space would look and feel like for them. Watch this space for images of participants' designs........

Please click here for the full conference programme.

Our abstract for our residency from the conference programme:

Co-Creation, the process of collaborative creative acts involving practising artists working alongside differing parties, has the power to transform places, spaces, and cultures. Collaborative art-making can serve as a vital tool in Restorative Justice from both participation in small intimate works to facilitation of large scale public art projects. In this practice, Art becomes the mediator at both interpersonal and community levels. Aldington and Iacona will activate creative interventions throughout the conference, engaging attendees in a participatory process. Their presence at the conference will culminate in a keynote talk about their own work, observations on the global movement of Art & Design as part of Restorative Justice, and reflection on the week’s artistic engagements.