In a recent column I discussed some of the possible meanings and interpretations around the word ‘resilience’, and in particular its application in the context of community arts and community cultural development. As I mentioned a more thorough discussion of that particular word and its permutations of meaning is available in Steve Mayhew’s thoughtful article in the July 2011 edition of Artwork magazine.
This got me thinking, however, about how important particular words and their possible meanings are to our work. Throughout my career I have frequently found myself adjusting my vocabulary to suit particular contexts, audiences and intentions. At the culture@com.unity conference a decade or so ago I gave a paper called codetalk which attempted to unpick and explain some of the nuances of meaning in funding program criteria and application forms. Understanding precisely what is an intended or required in a particular word can make the difference between receiving funding and not. So over the years this has become something I am particularly focused on.
