How we got to the Wishing Well – Meting notes May 28

Problem: People in crowded modern cities move in purposeful vectors and only perceive the people they pass as obstacles or opportunities (“Who do you know? How can this help me?”). There are few public spaces where people can sit, enter a reflective state and think of each other in a soulful kind of way.

Solution: Create a sacred space in a busy public space where people can reflect on their hopes and desires and realize they are one world one among many.

Qualities we want the project to embody: Soulful, Playful

We want to: Discover Interactive Grammar, Something Novel, Encourage Social Connection in a public space, Allow participants to play in this public space with their BAGGAGE.

We believe:

• You have to give to receive
• There are GIVERS and there are TAKERS, let’s make people practice both.
• Successful storytelling is Engaging!

Questions:

• Do we want to be authorial with a message?
• Do we want them to take away a new understanding of how to listen? Make new friends?
• What did the Angel give up to become human (the power to hear all voices)

The Wishing Well concept fulfills all of our stated objectives.

We know people will take away different things from the work. But at it’s core in the act of giving something (your problem, your wish, your coin), you get the power of the Wings of Desire ANGEL, to HEAR other people’s hopes and fears.

We may also seed the well with the kind of content we want, and with multiple languages.

Forms that got shelved:

• Actual baggage (we played with the idea of actual baggage in Union Station in which you could say your troubles)
• Confession Booth
• Love Gun