Introduction BACKGROUND
L AY O U T
Together with Fashion designer Sinead O’Dwyer
Here is an outline of the format of the pack:
and collaborating dance artists Alethia Antonia, Dorna Ashory, Iro Costello, Florence Pearl
• It begins with the considerations that
and Natifah White we have been working on a
we might have to make when working in the
project to tackle themes of bodily autonomy in
contexts of dance in galleries and museums.
the context of dance, fashion & public spaces
These are not exhaustive and may include
(such as galleries and museums).
factors that you have already considered. They have been included to invite discussion and
The project, Slip Mould Slippery, explored
encourage reflection by all stakeholders.
practices for working together ‘in the studio’ and what it now means to make performance
• Some of the considerations are then
for public venues. Through R&D studio time,
unpacked with reference to my practice and
we have been questioning the autonomy of the
where these ideas have come from.
performer, the power dynamics of inviting people to be seen and where power and responsibility lie
•
within these exchanges. By putting these ideas
invitations and suggestions of possible ways
into practice, we formed the basis of where our
in which facilitators and dance artists might
conversations, around what dance artists might
address these points.
After the considerations, the pack explores
need from venues, have come from. We are offering up our research, which is still in practice
• Finally, there are links to ‘Information
and evolving, as an invitation to other artists and
Sheets’ for artists and venues and an additional
museum and gallery venues. As a consequence,
suggested ‘check list’ for venues. These can be
this pack does not offer a one size fits all solution
downloaded and edited to suit your work. They
but is intended to encourage dialogue between
are an attempt to find a practical and clear way
venues and artists as they attempt to navigate
to disseminate the thinking around this work.
new ways of working, especially in the current environment. We have been working specifically
This pack can be dipped into or read in full
in contexts of galleries and museums, but a
depending on your previous experience with
lot of these provocations can also be applied
this work. We hope it is helpful!
to any working relationship for dance. This work is a collective effort that is intended to go beyond institutional critique to ask how we might all care for each other when negotiating a shared environment.
