Walking Lunches
‘I can only mediate when I am walking. When I stop, I cease to think; my mind only works with my legs.’ Jean Jacques Rousseau
Walking Lunches are a weekly series of moving meetings between Claudia Zeiske and artists, arts professionals and other people.
Procedures: Claudia Zeiske provides a written agenda prior to the walking lunch, and sandwiches and tea during the walk. The lunch partner brings a camera and takes three pictures (portrait, landscape, still-life) on the walk. Afterwards Claudia Zeiske writes minutes and archives them once agreed and images inserted by the partner.
Recommended: good shoes, waterproofs, hat and gloves
Walking Lunches are an adaptation of 'working lunches', combining the purpose of a business meeting with fitness and environment appreciation. The idea is that instead of lunch-time meetings people are encouraged to undertake movable get-togethers, where they walk for the duration of a normal meeting (i.e. between 1-2 hours). Targeted for busy people who want to keep fit but can’t 'afford' the time.
The order is: I (the initiator) set the agenda, bring the sandwiches and write the minutes of the terms discussed. The walking partner amends the agenda and commits to taking photos reflecting the 3 pillars of art (a still life, a portrait, a landscape). I write the minutes, and my partner puts in the photos. The minutes are then agreed and archived.
Intention is to set up a snow-ball effect network of walking lunchers over a 6 month period. These moving meetings will be orchestrated by myself; each week I will encourage at least one other person to walk with. The walking partner in turn will commit to undertake at least 2 further walking lunches. If successful this project should create an exponential rise in the number of people walking over the 6 months of the project. If everybody I walk with (minimum 26 people), walks with at least two other people, this will already be 26+2x26 = 78 people. One can imagine how much this number goes up if every one of those walkers again does encourage 2 walkers, and they again.....
Claudia Zeiske
© Claudia Zeiske, 2009
The mind like feet works at about three miles an hour.’ Rebecca Solnit: Wanderlust