FAQs
Frequently Asked Questions
Single Session Team Building (Balance Point)
Is this team building or art making ?
It's both. It's experiential learning through a process that challenges the team to think, envision, collaborate, and communicate in whole new ways. We design the prompt for the workshop to meet your goals.
Does the mobile have to be about ideas or can we just have the fun of putting it together?
That’s up to you. If you want to just have the fun and challenge of working together to balance a mobile, great! Or, if you want to use the process to more directly discover how your team connects, relates and balances, or how to unpack the "parts" of your mission, values, brand, or a new strategy, that’s great, too. We design the experience to fit your goals.
You can do this at my company? On-site?
Yes. I come to you. Or it can at an off-site training or special event.
I have a team of 5 people. Can you do it with a team that small?
Five is the minimum but five is great.
I have 150 employees. Can you do it with that many people?
Yes we can! All we need is a room large enough for tables and chairs for everyone. The result at the end of the workshop is pretty spectacular!
Can the process work with people coming from different teams or departments?
Yes! That is one of the real strengths of this process -- helping participants see how the many parts of a team or organization come together and balance into a whole. We design the experience to match your desired outcomes.
Does my team need to have artistic skills?
No previous experience required! Part of the energy and learning comes from people who consider themselves “not good at art” discovering new personal and team potentials.
Who supplies the materials?
TeamSculptures supplies all materials for the workshop.
What are the key differences between this and your multi-session experience?
In Balance Point the focus is on process, not on a lasting final product. While Balance Point results in a mobile that can remain as a daily reminder to apply the learning to the workplace, the multi-session experience is designed to result in a more permanent team-designed sculpture.
Multi-Session Team Building
You can do this at my company? On-site?
Yes. I come to you.
Is this team building or art making ?
It's both. The process challenges the team to think, envision, and collaborate in whole new ways. The product is a colorful, high-flying sculpture that reminds the team of their success.
I have a team of 8 people. Can you do it with a team that small?
Absolutely. You need at least 5 people to animate the process. 8 is great.
I have 150 employees. Can you do it with that many people?
Yes we can. Of course, the more people that participate, the longer the residency needs to be to accommodate everyone.
Can employees beyond the team be involved?
Yes! On Day 2, when we need to apply a second coat of paint, employees beyond the creating team can participate. Some companies make it a happy hour!
Is everyone working together the whole time?
The shape-making, painting and balancing steps of the process are designed for 15 participants at a time. If you have a larger team, they will be together for the introduction, installation, and reflection.
Can the process work with people coming from different teams or departments?
Yes! That is one of the real strengths of this process -- helping participants see how the many parts of a team or organization come together and balance into a whole.
Does my team need to have artistic skills?
No previous experience required! Part of the energy and learning comes from people who consider themselves “not good at art” discovering new personal potentials.
What kind of space and equipment do you need?
Any room that can support chairs and tables for the number of participants. We need access to a nearby sink and a trash can.
Who supplies the materials?
TeamSculptures supplies all materials including hardware needed to hang the mobile(s). If the mobile(s) will hang from a tall ceiling, I’ll need you to provide a ladder or lift.
Is there a ceiling height requirement?
I've created multiple mobiles in a workroom with an 8-foot ceiling or a single mobile in a lobby with a 55-foot ceiling. If you have a space with a high ceiling, we have to make sure we have access to it to install the mobile.
What are the mobile pieces made of?
Foam core. It's perfect for making mobiles. It's extremely light and strong. Once the pieces are crafted and painted people often wonder if they're made from wood or steel. Each piece is flame-proofed with a class A flame retardant and then painted with 2 to 3 coats of flame-resistant paint.
Who installs them?
That's my responsibility, although I am happy to consult with any building representatives.
Can I approve of the installation before you make it?
Envisioning and making the sculptures is the heart of the process. Because of how the process unfolds, no one is surprised by what is created. Before I come, we discuss any specific design desires (required colors or shapes). I can divide my residency where I work with participants to envision the mobile(s) and then return with a model that can be reviewed before creation begins. This, however, removes the participants from an important part of the process. Better is to have a daily check-in that ensures any design considerations are addressed in-process.
How long will the mobile(s) last?
The mobiles are designed to be a lasting reminder of the process. They are fabricated to be permanent pieces of art for your space. And the choice is up to you as to how long you display the mobile(s).
Events & Conferences
Can you make a mobile at my booth at a conference?
Yes! We decide what visual statement you want to make and what level of interaction with participants you desire. Then I customize the mobile-making for you.
Can you give me an example?
For EMD Serano at the American Association of Neurologist Conference, I created 400 pieces for the mobile in advance. Inspired by parts of the brain, the pieces were balanced in pairs by conference participants at the booth. Each pair became a part of a mobile that grew throughout the conference. The final product was a spectacular statement of the company’s goal to “balance multiple sclerosis.”
Can you work with me to "mobilize" a session I present at a conference?
Yes! A mobile can be created on-the-spot with pieces on which participants respond to ideas presented in the session.
Can you give me an example?
I collaborated with DC's Urban Institute for a presentation at the Council of Foundation's National Conference. After new research was presented, the participants responded to the research by writing on colorful pieces I created in advance, and then we balanced the pieces in 18 minutes into an 80 piece mobile! Participants then interacted with the mobile, delighting to see how the ideas connected and related.
Can you make a mobile at a one or two-day training event? Yes! Each event is customized to your needs.
How many people can you work with?
I can work with as few as 10 people for a half-day training event to hundreds at a conference.
Can the mobile made at the conference or event come back to our workspace?
Depending on the scale, the mobile can be reinstalled in your workspace or perhaps divided into multiple mobiles for different workspace locations.
Sounds like we can envision together how this can best enliven my conference or event, right?
Yes! Let’s begin!
