1.6. Practical tips for survival, success and sustainability

People who have had deep experience or education in two or more particular disciplines or arenas may be of value in facilitating interdisciplinary activity or at least in understanding some of the challenges.

Humility in accepting one’s own lack of understanding in an area is key. Tied to this is the problem of commonly held prejudices or distrust in other principles. Scientists may assume that art is simply trickery (which, even if it was, might not be a bad thing) or artists may assume that scientists think simplistically or mechanically about the world and are incapable of lateral thinking.

Confrontation as well as agreement should be expected and permitted. There should be a means of encouraging critical discussion without taking it personally.

Dangerous tendencies and recommended solutions:

- Communicate early and often – face to face.

- Communicate at the beginning via metaphors and visualizing language.

- Try to make assumptions and expectations explicit at the outset.

- In all research steps ensure that you agree: what is the issue, problem?.

- Create shared experiences with others, despite the project itself: e.g. being in one building, working on one table, creating shared events.

- Diplomacy - manage and nurture relationships.

- Be humble - avoid disciplinary hubris.

- Mutual respect - Don’t be patronising. Sometimes encountered when ie engineers and computer scientists ‘speak down’ to artists, but just as often the opposite.

- Share work, rewards and recognition.