This blog explores the act of walking and its ancient connection to philosophical thought. It will reflect on the process of Walking Piece, a project where 50 people will come together in South London to create a performance around the everyday movement.

More widely, these findings from the blog will also attempt to answer questions surrounding the impact of the Arts on those involved and those who are not, looking particularly at participatory dance.

Watch this space for interviews, photos, articles and other materials that we find in our wanderings.

Tuesday 13 March 2012

Alex Murphy on people, performance and piecing it together


Alex Murphy, Creative Projects Co-ordinator

To what extent are the Creative Project’s projects you create for the participants; and by contrast perhaps, to what extent are they for the SDD ‘audience’ or those on the outside?
Our objective is to work with artists to create projects that really involve people in the artistic process. So we spend a lot of time thinking about the people who we will work with, and how to make the project a rich, engaging and accessible experience for them, that will lead to an artistic outcome. So the participants are really key. We exist to give people an experience, through the arts and through the projects that we deliver. That’s really what makes our work different to the company’s projects, or the artists who come in to exhibit in the building. Our focus is on the people who get involved, as well as the artists who are leading the creative process.

So Creative Projects are for the participants, however we also want to create work which is interesting to a wider audience. Something that is not just for the family and friends of those involved. And I think it is, because of the artists we work with. We are creating work that is rich and deep and interesting to a wider audience.
In terms of SDD’s ‘other audience’ or ‘those on the outside’, we’re currently looking into ways in which we can present this work to give it that platform, and expose it to a wider audience. I think we can struggle, because people see the work as non-professional – it’s not trained dancers doing the performance, it’s young people, or the public. Whereas we, and the artists we are working with, see it as a piece of art. How do we present this work so that it can be enjoyed by more people in audience terms? That’s a really interesting challenge.


I am interested in your ideas surrounding performance. Are your projects often outcome-led? Is performance necessary? What is the effect of this on your work and for those involved?
I think this is a really interesting question. Our projects are very much process-led. We use the making processes of the artists we work with as a starting point. It’s very important to us that people have a good experience when they come and take part in projects, so that’s definitely the focus of the work we’re doing. However, having an outcome can be a really important part of that process.

Performance is a really powerful thing to do as participant in a project. Also, if we’re saying we are creating art through these projects, art is something that by its nature should be shared. It’s really the essence of it – you’re creating something, sharing it and drawing other people into it.
Is performance necessary? It really depends on what the project is. A project could be an exploratory process which aims to enrich the people involved, in which case the outcomes may happen later individually, or in a follow-on project, and I think that’s valid. But if we create something, then not sharing it is a missed opportunity for the participants and for the wider audience who would then get to experience that.

So, we’re not outcome-led, we’re process led. Sometimes a presentation of the work is a really valid part of that process, but it’s not the only way to end a project. We’re quite happy to judge that on each project.


Finally, I want to know… Why do you work in the Arts?
Because I like art! It’s my enjoyment and the thing I’m interested in. I think it is as simple as that actually! I get a lot from being involved in art, so if I can come to work and get involved with it there too, I’m going to be happier. I want work that enriches and challenges me in ways that I enjoy. I think because I’ve had good experiences with the arts, and specifically working with the arts in this way, I want to share that, and open it out to people.



Anything else to add?
There’s a question I’ve been musing on for a while. I tell people about my work and they say ‘Oh contemporary dance… I’ve really tried to enjoy that.’  They go along, they watch it…But somehow there’s a disconnect when they’re watching dance, in a way that they don’t have when they read, or see art or watch theatre even. It’s quite fascinating - I can kind of relate to it, I think a lot of people have felt that disconnect. I’m really interested in what that is about. Because, of all the art forms, it’s the one which you should have more of a connection with. Not everyone can paint or sculpt, but everyone has a body that moves. So why people have that disconnection from dance is something I’m really interested in. 

A lot of what I think about when we are approaching people who may not have done dance before is that there is that barrier. People have a barrier to dance and choreography and being creative with their bodies that is very real. It can be a fear thing, or a physical self-consciousness. But also, there is something about dance performance which isn’t connecting with people. I don’t have an answer for what that is. It seems a bit illogical, because it’s a human body moving. We should all be able to relate to that. One of the things we aim to achieve through our projects is to address that barrier.












Friday 9 March 2012

Pedestrian

Here is a shot taken from last weekend by Lucy Cash as her and Becky Edmunds filmed south londoners walking for the film...

Tuesday 6 March 2012

Walking South

Over the last few weeks, Matthias Sperling and I have been visiting places and people in south London as part of our recruitment process for Walking Piece. So far we have been to:
Pocklington Resource Centre in Wandsworth to work with a blind and visually impaired group and Croydon College to work with the Arts staff there.

More to come..

Saturday 3 March 2012

These boots were made for walking...

With my favourite here-i-come boots on, I am off today to join many other south londoners to be filmed walking my walk. Screendance artists Lucy Cash and Becky Edmunds have been commissioned by Siobhan Davies Dance to create a short film, of different clips and edits of people walking from new born babies, to those past 80 years old and all of the inbetween.. Then, filming places in South London they will make a 3 minute film which will be shown as part of Footfall and Big Dance 2012..
http://www.siobhandavies.com/dance/creative-projects/creative-explorations/pedestrian.html