Day 2 – Political Body
2017
INTERCHANGE FESTIVAL 2017
Day 2 – Political Body
This day gathered Sydney artists whose practices deal with the body as the place of agency – creating works that discuss marginalised communities, socio-political landscapes, cultural identities and body politics. The schedule included:
MORNINGS ARE DIFFICULT
Breakfast Conversations
Facilitator | Raghav Handa
Participants | Tim Bishop, Rakini Devi and Liz Lea
In keeping with the theme of Political Body the conversation considered what it means to create Intercultural Work – the politics. Grappling with issues of appropriation and assimilation. Traditional, experimental, innovative… labels that define or confine us?
MORNING SESSIONS
Workshop | Where Are You Looking?
Facilitator | Liz Lea
A workshop exploring performance awareness, expression and intricate detail, drawing from training in the classical Indian dance style Bharata Natyam and two Indian martial arts Kalariapyattu and Chauu.
Forum
Facilitator | Paschal Berry
Participants | Caroline Garcia, Martin del Amo and Amala Groom
A muscular discussion about cultural Identity in creative processes, and how culture informs the way we move. Exploring ideas of what we carry in our cellular memory, our personal histories, our cultural tropes that affect our art practices and our creative conversations. The forum explored the crossovers in practice and connections in process regardless of culture, in our shared humanity; what makes us all laugh, what moves us when we experience art.
PRESENTATION: INTERNATIONAL GUEST ARTIST BILL SHANNON
Bill Shannon used video and storytelling to share specific examples of his street based works which were performed in keeping with his political and cultural beliefs as they relate to strategies of how to present to the public a given disabled body with integrity and purpose.
While on site Shannon also wandered about, both inside and out, interacting with the environment and people in an improvisational dance, performance art and at times, comedic manner.
AFTERNOON SESSIONS
Workshop
Facilitators | Adelina Larsson & Nick Power
A yarn about community, politics and practice and how each of these affects, or feeds the others. With video examples.
Sharing Activity
Artist | Bhenji Ra
A Performance Lecture exploring the Disruption of the Body and the Privileges of Poetics.
CURATED EVENING
Political Body | A collection of Performances, Workshops, Talks and Screenings
Curator | Adelina Larsson
With works by Artists:
- Latai Taumoepeau – Performance as Activism. Performance and screens with Latai Interviews
- Bek Conroy – Talk about her viewpoint on Political Body and facilitated conversation focusing on politics, economics and performance.
- Rhiannon Newton – Open practice/facilitated workshop on the dancing body, focusing on the act of doing/being.
- Justin Shoulder and Victoria Hunt – Screening and discussion between the artist and the dramaturg, ‘What does it mean to be human?’
- Screenings – Ros Crisp DiRT, Philip Blanchard, Eisa Jocson, Justin Shoulder, Latai Taumoepeau
- Skype dates – Ros Crisp DiRT, Eisa Jocson, Venuri
- Private conversations – Nikki Heywood, Philip Blanchard, Bek Conroy (radio podcast ‘date w an economist)
Image credit: Bill Shannon Guest Presentation Interchange Festival 2017. Photo by Matthew Syres.