The Critical Response Process® in Action

Devised by choreographer Liz Lerman in 1990, Critical Response Process® (CRP) is an internationally recognized method for giving and getting feedback on creative works in progress. In this first in-depth study of CRP, Lerman and her long-term collaborator John Borstel describe in detail the four-step process, its origins and principles. The book also includes essays on CRP from a wide range of contributors. With insight, ingenuity, and the occasional challenge, these practitioners shed light on the applications and variations of CRP in the contexts of art, education, and community life. Critique Is Creative: The Critical Response Process® in Theory and Action examines the challenges we face in an era of reckoning and how CRP can aid in change-making of various kinds.

In this webinar, listen in on a discussion between co-authors Liz Lerman and John Borstel and some of 21 contributors to the book’s exploration of CRP and its applications. With samples from the book and lively conversation, the webinar touches on such topics as: 

• What do we mean by “good feedback” and how can it enhance creative process?
• How do feedback principles like relationship-building, agency, and inquiry function in teaching and learning?
• How can changes in the ways we give and get feedback impact current-day reckonings of equity, justice, and consent? 

As a student, this type of structure is essential for discussing artwork. As someone who uses this structure for their Art Studio coursework, Liz Lerman’s Critical Response Process® is essential in bringing accessibility to the classroom. This framework allows artists to take the first step even when they might be uncomfortable or perhaps they might not be able to talk about their work in the first place. It kickstarts a dialogue that allows budding artists to truly grow by encouraging them to ask questions about their own work, and to work through introspection rather than through external opinions alone.