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 SESSION B.1 : EXERCISE
 
LATERAL PROGRAMME DEVELOPMENT
  
You have selected at random some words that you are now asked to consider. Can you seek to incorporate the following approach into your discussion?

1. Each member of the group should try to contribute a response to each word under consideration. A random word has it's own associations, ideas, concepts, and this can be different for different people, hence the potential of brainstorming.

2. You are all asked to suspend judgement during brainstorming. Let each idea stand (write it down as a 'possibility'.)

3. Accept possibilities even if they appear contradictory or mutually exclusive.
 
Some hopefully helpful hints

When each word has yielded up its possibilities, see how each concept stimulates programming ideas. For example, at one such session the word 'sky-scraper' led to discussion around 'stories' stacked on top of each other. This in turn led to a programming proposal that a 'vertical drama' could be written for radio, and broadcast in serial 'chunks' from early morning until later in the day, thereby encouraging listeners to stay with the station to see how the drama would unfold.

The group could also decide to cluster all five or six concepts to devise one specific programme, or a programme approach that incorporates all assembled issues.

You are asked during this brainstorming session to suspend judgement and to let each idea stand as a possibility. They are asked to accept possibilities even if they appear contradictory or mutually exclusive. This approach encourages co-operative thinking rather than adversarial argument.

During the process the group doesn't have to be 'right' (that is, focussed on programme development) all the time. They can use what appear to be irrelevant or provocative concepts to move forward from these to useful new programme ideas.

Report back to the main group; don't worry if nothing revolutionary emerged at this short introduction session. It is possible that when you report back, that your concepts will stimulate an idea from someone in the other group. That’s the random potential of brainstorming

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