From 17-19 May, Dansateliers and ICK Dans Amsterdam are organising an international workshop on the theme of Equity: The Body of Skill and Opportunity: Equity through embodied practices.
In co-curation with three dance artists, we propose a program that starts from dance practices that invite perspectives on and strategies for achieving equity as an integral part of that practice. Together with you we will take the time to explore various tools through the principles and questions of these artists and practically practice together. Under Rotterdam’s motto: don’t bullshit, just do.
The atelier The Body of Skill and Opportunity we organising as part of the European Dancehouse
Network, a network of 47 dance houses from across Europe, of which both Dansateliers and ICK Dans Amsterdam are a member. Each year the network researches one theme through. This year we focus on Equity. The atelier is open to all arts professionals in as many different roles as possible. Artists, (dance) makers, communication officers, directors, production managers, business and creative leaders, programmers, curators, cultural journalists, students….
On May 17 and 18 the atelier will take place in Rotterdam, on May 19 at ICK Dans in Amsterdam after which you can visit the Moving Futures Festival. We gladly invite you to participate one, two or all three days. To take time to exchange experiences and physically practice together different possibilities to achieve equity in our ways of working and within our networks
PROGRAM: Wednesday 17 May 12:00-18:00 @Dansateliers
DAY I The practice of Opening and Closing
May 17 th the day is co-curated by Connor Schumacher. We will start from his vision on dance and how he sees the findings of the European project Empowering Dance to base, a seed, of practicing equity on the dancefloor. He will lead us through a guided rave towards the principles and tools he applies in his practice, which are related to the training of soft skills.
Read more about: Empowering Dance – Soft Skills in Dance Guidebook – how to enhance your practice.
Once we have warmed up to the state of dance, we will continue into a choreographic dialog constructed by Connor moving through the personal, social and political. Connor is also inviting Joy Mariama Smith to share their own choreographic dialog on the topic of equity. Performance, installation, and movement artist, and educator Joy Mariama Smith’s work focuses on issues related to visibility, projected identities, and self-representation in different contexts, and investigates the interplay between the body and its cultural, social, and physical environment. In their* dance, performances, and installations, they create spaces in which the distinction between spectator and participant becomes blurred and visitors are encouraged to reflect on the ways in which they deal with space. When they facilitate, they actively try to uphold inclusive spaces.
*they/them/their- used as a first person gender neutral pronoun in English.
Thursday 18 May 10:00-17:00 @Dansateliers
DAY II The practice of Relationships
On 18 May, we will give space to the vision and practice of Jija Sohn and Alexandra Lemm. From core values of care and vulnerability, they question our working conditions and shape human relationships. Together, they are building a movement that questions the preconditions for professional cooperation, thus tilting the position of the artist in relation to for example institutions or funding bodies. Jija is also one of the participating choreographers in the European community-building project Performing Gender, Dancing in your shoes which also questions positions and power relations and she took part in the residency program Crowd – for community engaged dance artists.
Friday 19 May 10:00-17:00 @ ICK Dance Amsterdam
DAY III The practice of Decolonisation
On 19 May, Slovenian/Central African dance maker Christian Guerematchi will co-curate the day in Amsterdam. Christian's work starts from the black body in relation to western cultural and social structures. After a brief introduction, the day is opened by Iranian dance maker Roshanak Morrowatian, who will share her physical practice. Her choreographic work embodied, both physically and spiritually, the multiplicity of human beings and proposes a contemporary inclusive dance that celebrates the power of the collective. Afterwards, artist/curator Richard Kofi, whose work and research looks at unfinished histories of the past and gives them speculative futures, will lead an interactive panel.
Richard Kofi is an expert on Afrofuturism and will lead the interactive panel on equity from this perspective together with Christian Guerematchi. Finally, through physical practices by both Christian Guerematchi and researcher/dancer Suzan Tunca, we will zoom in further on the state of bodies and how we can turn inwards through our skin and move closer to equity in dance practice.
Ticketing:
A ticket covers the cost of a good lunch. However, if you have more to spend and would like to, you will contribute to someone else’s participation who has less to spend.
Register here: EDN registration form. You will also find the ticket link there.
Questions:
Do you have questions, about the program, participation, accessibility, participants or anything not listed here? Let us know via: info@dansateliers.nl
