Inscribing Movement: articulating strategies for live writing processes
HELD:
Department of Performance Studies, University of Sydney
Seminar Series
3-5pm Friday 19 October 2012Seminar Series
ABSTRACT:
This workshop/lecture will introduce some of the distinct writing processes that are generated through Orr & Sweeney's live research practices based around themes of dance ecology. Working through exposure to specific sites using immersive and durational methods, the body is exposed to certain sensory data that offers the writer information through an immediate somatic-empathetic framework, within environmental performance practice.
This session will articulate certain strategies for developing sense based languages as a means of reflecting and transcribing perceptual modes of engagement, whilst considering the notion of dance as a live writing practice and the dancer as self-inscribing entity.
BIOGRAPHY:
Since 2007 Orr & Sweeney have co-facilitated residential research intensives in remote and regional locations in UK and Australia, developing a method for cross-cultural and interdisciplinary live performance practices based in site, bringing together professionals from land science and various arts disciplines. Their work is centred around new knowledge construction formed out of immersive performance ecology acts that occur between the boundaries of live art, new media and physical performance. Since 2006 they have developed an ongoing Embodied Research Forum – a nomadic platform that invites visual artists, archaeologists, architects, ecologists, environmentalists, choreographers, designers and geologists to partake in sense led physical explorations of land through immersive practices. Orr & Sweeney’s approach is informed by contemporary choreographic practice and advocates a critical cultural dialogue between audience, performer and environment that actively seeks new performance vocabularies and language exchanges across disciplines to contribute to a wider sustainability discourse. Their work has been performed widely throughout the UK and Australia, supported by the Centre for Sustainable Futures (UK) the Centre for Interdisciplinary Arts (WA), CRAFT Council, ACT and PLaCE International Research Centre, University of West England. Dr Rachel Sweeney is currently a Visiting Fellow at the Humanities Research Centre, ANU and lectures in Performance Studies at Liverpool Hope University, UK. Marnie Orr is a choreographer and independent arts producer and currently lectures at the WA Academy of Performing Arts.
IMAGE: Body: Rachel Sweeney. Camera: Marnie Orr. Braidwood, NSW. (C) 2012 Orr & Sweeney.