A random survey of mission statements of different schools. Fun reading!
From Doon School, India
“Each boy must train himself to think clearly so that he will be willing to come to conclusions that may be different from what he has expected and may point to something different from what we were brought up to believe to be the accepted order. He must train his body to undergo hardships and be prepared for unexpected discomforts, and above all he must awaken and sharpen his sympathies for and understanding of people outside his own class and circle”
From Friend’s School, Tasmania, Australia
“We seek to help our students develop into men and women who will think clearly, act with integrity, make decisions for themselves, be sensitive to the needs of others, be strong in service and to hold a
global perspective.”
From Raffles Institution, Singapore
“Nurturing Thinkers, Leaders and Pioneers of character who serve by leading and lead in serving”.
Yes, we are in the midst of the search for an Artistic Director for the Substation, and the mission and purpose of the Substation has been very much on our minds. What exactly does the Substation represent, and what outcome are we building towards? As they say “What is our value-add”?
Raffles statement seems the safest, to produce citizens to feed the system. The former two, centred on values, the most anarchic. I would love to see how they effect those values. Its interesting that Doon school makes privations part of the curriculum. Famously, students are only allowed toast and tea for breakfast, privations necessary to allow them to stand alone if needed.
What is the point of making a work if it doesn’t have the smell of failure in its broil. Few people realise that its that teetering on the brink of…nonsense/silliness/anger/WTF feeling that gives a work its heartbeat and human-ness. And to that end, I love the idea of a failure, and a spectacular one at that. This would be a work that tries to reach for the sky but does not hit its mark by far, but certainly not for the want of trying. No safe familiar trajectories here.
I had a great time Korea. Its my third trip there, and for the first time, I had time to watch many Korean films and have conversations with Koreans – the DMZ International Documentary festival was sequested in Paju Book City so we had to gather in the hotel lounge every night to talk, there wasn’t anywhere else to go. The tone of the whole trip was set by a harrowing trip to the 38th Parallel on my first day. I think everyone who wants to understand Korea must make that visit. I was at DMZ because I was one of four directors commissioned by the festival to make a documentary about “peace and co-existence”.
Thinking about what to do for this and since we have free reign for this project I feel that now is time to take on an unfamiliar path, and from here on too. If it be a failure, it must be a spectacular one. Just priming you.
Meanwhile, here is a picture of some of my friends, amongst them Korean documentary luminaries, all sharing soju and conversation. Lee Chung-ryul one of the directors came over with four boxes of roast pork to be shared with everyone.
I miss them.
Clockwise: Kim Dong-wan (Director, Repatriation checked shirt, bald ), Mun Jeong-hyun (Director, Grandmother’s flower), Lee Chung-ryul (Director, Old Partner), Hong Hyosook (DMZ programmer), Jung Sangjin (Cinus cinema chain owner)
