Mackenzie Family Workshop

The Mackenzie Family workshop is an imaginary event that I hope will happen in the future.

The Mackenzies consist of my dad, stepmum, sister and two brothers and people who aren’t named Mackenzie, like my husband and my sister’s girlfriend. Also two dogs, Lincoln and Rupert, but they don’t have surnames. There are more Mackenzies who aren’t named Mackenzie who they live in other cities. They may or may not be at this workshop. Some of us share the surname Mackenzie, some have joined it together with other surnames. My three siblings and I were born across three different decades and we have three different mums. The youngest is 11 and I’m the oldest at 31.

What are we doing here?

The Mackenzies would like to see each other more. We live in different places and see each other 2 or 3 times a year, usually at my dad, step-mum’s and brothers’ house; though it’s hard to fit everyone into the sitting room comfortably. There are often people on the floor. We’re usually too skint to have a meal out together without it causing anxiety. We don’t have a structure beyond hanging out and sometimes I think the structure, or shared ‘thing’ would be nice. I think if we made something together we’d really enjoy it and be excited by this different way of being together; it would suit our individual and collective impulse towards creativity and thinking about things. I’m also interested in the idea of running workshops and participating with people to create things (in a way that isn’t hierarchal) and I want to learn how to do this. A Mackenzie Day of Making (or a ‘workshop’) could therefore be a test bed for this, and also just a really nice way for us to hang out together. I think my dad, who sometimes finds gatherings difficult, would enjoy it too.

There are no rules or planned outcomes.

The day starts with the following intention: We are here to be together and to see what we make. There are no rules or planned outcomes. We are understanding and compassionate towards each other and ourselves. This means that we try to understand each other, and we don’t say hurtful things to each other. If we do, we apologise and make an effort to not do it again. Nobody has to do anything they don’t want to do. Nobody tries to force anybody to do anything. We listen to our bodies and get up and move when we want to. We are open to sharing things and we’re also respectful of personal space. Nobody needs to feel bad if they don’t know what to do. Anyone can just sit and be. You can take yourself away for some alone time if you want, or talk with each other about not knowing what to do.

Making is anything.

We will do what we want, in service of making. It could be cutting and sticking, collaging from old magazines. It could be drawing, painting, collecting objects, talking with each other. Telling jokes, taking photographs, dancing, doing tricks. Recording messages, videos or memos on a phone. Writing messages (real or digital) to each other. It could be writing or poetry or recording conversation. Printing, making something with food, eating together.

Afterwards.

At the end of the session we might staple what we’ve made into a booklet. Or stick them on the walls and hold an exhibition. We might record video interviews about what we made and what we thought about being together in this way. We might share things on social media, live or afterwards. We might reflect on the day out loud together. When the day is over we might want to make something else about the ‘workshop’, or just write down some thoughts. Afterwards I would probably create a ‘project’ section on my website, sharing what happened on the day and if I learned anything or how I felt before, during and after the day.