Choreography of Care

Wednesday, 23.03.2022

Claire Cunningham and Jo Bannon will welcome you and introduce the themes we will explore through the symposium.  David and Sam from Fevered Sleep will also introduce their provocations which will be ongoing throughout the symposium.

Physical Activity
“Some time ago some circumstances in my life made me realise that my caring was actually very limited. Like a rope in a closed circle that if pulled at one end retracts at the other: the more I took care of myself, the less I was able to take care of the people around me. Under those circumstances it became evident to me that I have ‘dead corners' when it comes to caring. “ 

Alessandro’s session will propose physical exercises that are part of a research that explores extensions of care in a non-exclusive and non-hierarchical way. They aim to change "the rope of care" into "a rubber band", so that it can be extended without being restricted at other points.

The exercises are designed to fit any body shape and physical ability; we will be happy to find creative solutions together to make them accessible for everyone.

Spoken word/listening
Liz and Rodrigo will share a text from their zine, HOSPICE, which they co-wrote together exploring the ways in which they are making sense of their own deaths and caring for each other while dying through a queer position. This zine is part of the research in which Liz & Rodrigo conducted towards their most recent duet, Thank you for your effort, even if these requests cannot be fulfilled. They will invite participants into a cozy environment in which to make themselves comfortable, as Liz and Rodrigo read their text aloud in tandem.
Note: This text speaks explicitly about death and dying and includes some sexually explicit memory descriptions. Some of these memories include both sex positive and the brief mentions of violence /assault experiences.

Spoken word/listeningA one to one interaction with mayfield as they invite you to sit with them and lead you through a  score exploring the practice of “attunement”.  Stemming from their recent work Whalefall, this session will share mayfield’s current research into methods of tuning awareness and body to sound, vibration, environment environment and situation, based on the study of whales as sole creatures able to acclimatise to and exist both on the surface and extreme depth.

Spoken word/listening/option to converse
This session is based on a form for conversation used by Claire Cunningham and her colleague Jess Curtis during their show The Way You Look (at me) Tonight. A public conversation between 2 individuals, wandering through a question or theme related to the concept of care, as they also physically wander through and among the audience. 
Three different sessions of this stroll and talk will be hosted by Claire, the first will be shared conversations between the various contributors and team hosting the symposium.  The second session will be an opportunity for attendees to ask questions, and wander, with the contributors or Claire themselves. The third session, on Wednesday, will be a space for attendees to have public conversations with each other about the issues raised for them in this symposium.  You can attend and listen, or (in the 2^nd or 3^rd session) choose to take part in the public conversation.

Conversation/listening
A format for intimate conversation created by Lois Weaver of Split Britches. This session will be hosted by Jo Bannon.

Porch Sittings take seriously the idea that dialogue can happen side-by side, rather than face-to-face with an expert. It makes space for the things we wonder rather than providing a platform for the things we know.   

A side-by-side, informal discussion between attendees inspired by the notion of sitting on the porch, watching the world go by. Everyone can come and go as you please as long as they pay due respect to the silence or the flow of conversation. It is a space to sit, think, dream or get involved in the ongoing conversation.  These conversations are quiet and private.

Spoken word/listening/conversation
Join Julia Watts Belser, as she streams in from the USA to lead a session exploring how we honour the needs of our actual bodies and minds — in a world that often pushes us toward productivity, at all costs.  In this session, we’ll explore spiritual, secular, and creative practices for claiming rest and cultivating spaciousness in conversation with disability cultures, earth wisdom, and Jewish traditions of sabbath.

Absent Tense
by Jo Bannon

An audio essay and accompany publication which reflects the presence of absence in our lives right now. Inspired by the first 12 weeks of lockdown and experienced in 12 parts, it is an intimate meditation on solitude, faith, loss, breath and time passing.

Scottee & Friends Ltd. is a collective of artists, producers, makers and participants who make work about the conversations we tend to ignore.  In this video Sam Buttery, Asad Ullah, Jen Smethurst and Scottee discuss care in the arts, practices in their collaborations and the recognition of each other.

Islands and Bridges (08:49 min.)
IMPRINTS (01:54 min.)
DRAPES (03:13 min.)
DUETS (02:37 min.)
DUNES (02:35 min.)

Take Me To Bed is an installation and an invitation. To come closer, be curious, to be with the dances of these particular bodies. An award-winning work conceived by Luke and Jo Verrent, created in collaboration with artist performers Caroline Bowditch, Janice Parker, Robert Softley Gale and video artist Mark Morreau that explores the dis/comfort of audiences to bodies that are different.

Claire will wrap up the symposium with reflections on what we have witnessed. David and Sam from Fevered Sleep will show a short film they have been compiling throughout the symposium.