WWFG is a design studio founded by Karisa Senavitis and Kevin O’Neill operating between New York and Philadelphia. Our work—in the realms of culture and care—moves beyond existing networks to see/hear new perspectives.
As design thinkers and consultants we navigate complexities, identify intersections, and make them sites of knowledge making/sharing. Part of our practice is organizing workshops within simple parameters, yet delivering diverse and generative content/knowledge that would likely never enter your space under normal day to day operations. We like to challenge assumptions, connect strangers, and empower collective work (rather than a leader/genius).
We believe that the basic condition of every one is vulnerability and creating the space/interface for culture and care opens up new possibilities for wellness. We design the connective mediums.
Perfect Strangers
These are mutually enlightening dialogues seeking new ways of thinking and accessing creativity by linking strangers with a common interest. This platform is suggested for people starting a new project/initiative and seeking a new direction or looking to see how their work connects/intersects to other fields of study/practice.
We will learn about your areas of inquiry and identify cultural producers that are approaching similar questions from a different perspective. We go beyond your field/awareness to bring something different to your way(s) of thinking. We introduce you to each other remotely via Skype where we lightly moderate a one-hour conversation. Transcripts are provided afterwards.
$1,750 for 3 one-on-one conversations
Collective Readings
We host sessions with small groups from your organization where there will be discussions of texts that come from a variety of disciplines and cover diverse topics as a way of building collective discussions disregarding academic expertise/format in favor of exploration without pretense.
We will meet to identify your area of interest/intersection (such as mental health, access, environmental justice, surveillance, intersectional feminism, disappearance, critical graphic design, etc.). We will coordinate a workshop with a guest doing exciting work in that area to provide a text that everyone can read (ahead of time) and then discuss in an informal “book-club” setting with the author in attendance.
Snacks are provided and we keep the group engaged in a 1–2 hour-long discussion that offers insight and comradery amongst your team.
$2,500 for up to 10 participants (client provides venue)
See
Knowledge Is a Does ↗
Disassemblies
Disassemblies are one day events/happenings that take an interdisciplinary approach to knowledge making. There may be readings, music, screenings, performances, etc. by a selection of guests for an audience focused around a single theme developed by WWFG and the client.
Example themes could be: accessibility, self care, public policy, consent, caregiving, or collective work. The guests and audience will have an opportunity to break into conversation to identify major questions, blind spots, and possibilities to design new paths and approaches. New relationships are forged and projects are formulated in a deliberate and accelerated process.
We identify and invite 3 guests. The client side can invite up to 25 participants for this 8 hour day that stimulates ideation and critical thinking. The biggest impact is when we can focus very specifically on an existing project/problem your team is working on.
$7,500 + facilities and meals
We can also discuss variations that are open to the public
Foreign Bodies
Foreign Bodies is a platform for rewiring dialogue and opening channels between research in the realms of care and culture. Foreign Bodies takes a single and specific healthcare project and places it into a cultural context: so that knowledge may travel both inside and outside traditional methods of research and communication towards unintended audiences.
Art/design institutions can host a Foreign Bodies resident. Universities and businesses developing healthcare research can place an independent researcher in a temporary residency. We act as ambassadors and liaisons to both parties. A residency can last for approximately one month. With clients, we can determine the intention and output of the residency which can be customized to the resources available and scope of impact all parties are looking to achieve.
Due to the custom nature of the Foreign Bodies residencies fees are tbd.
See
Give/Take/Lose/Make Voice ↗
(Foreign Bodies pilot program) ↗
Documentation/Publication
We would like to extend our services to the documentation and publication of any of our programs. This may take shape as a website, a booklet, a poster, a presentation, etc. The scope is tailored to your needs and budget.
Select Partners/Clients
(in no particular order)
ArtEZ (NL)
Jan van Eyck Academie (NL)
University of Maastricht (NL)
University of Pennsylvania (US)
Fishbird (US)
Janssen Pharmaceuticals (BE)
University of California Berkeley (US)
Access to Medicines Index (NL)
Institute of Tropical Medicine (BE)
University of Amsterdam (NL)
W139 (NL)
Artists Space (US)
A Space (US)
Generation Code (PL)
Beursschouwburg (BE)