BODY iN THE LANDSCAPE
Working with the local community of Felton was a key part of the project to develop embodied movement, visual artwork and poetry. These were presented in the final performance and exhibition of work.
1. DiSCURSiVE LUNCH
A conversation over lunch, followed by movement exploration began connecting my research to the community participants in Felton. The aim was to develop a collective group who were interested in exploring their relationship with the local land and going on a journey through conversations, movement, and dance. Participants from this event then joined the following two workshops later in the project. Click on the images below to delve into the conversations.
This event was inspired by discursive lunches at the choreographic festival FEST EN FEST, which I volunteered at in November 2022.
2. WORKSHOP ON THE SOUTH SiDE OF THE RiVER
This workshop took us on a walk, following the river east, engaging in conversation about memory and our relationship to the landscape. Conversation flows more easily when walking, and so this allowed me to pick up on interesting details that I perhaps would have missed if I had been alone. Once at the site, we engaged in movement tasks that offered the opportunity to explore memory, imagination, connection and presence with our surroundings. I encouraged the group to look and pay attention to the micro, as well as the larger landscape, A small group allowed for more intimate conversations and development of a sense of group cohesion. Being in close proximity to the River Coquet influenced the improvised movements heavily, often directed towards its flowing water. Click on the images and clips below to learn more about the workshop tasks.
Both workshops used tasks and activities adapted from Anna Halprin's Circle the Earth: Dancing with Life on the Line (1981), which are recorded in her book Making Dances That Matter: Resources for Community Creativity.
3. WORKSHOP ON THE NORTH SiDE OF THE RiVER
This workshop continued with the themes presented in workshop one, exploring our relationship to the land surrounding us, working with memory, imagination, connection and presence, to prompt site-specific and responsive movement. A larger group allowed for a richer exploration individually, in partners and as a group. Although the River Coquet was further away in proximity, the group still felt its presence. Gorse flowers, in bloom in April and May along the river, became significant in the improvisations, largely because of its distinctive yellow colour and heady coconut smell. Click on the images and clips below to read about the workshop tasks.
