Settling back in...

Settling back in....

It was good to reconnect with the MAPP community during the 'Welcome Back' Skype call last week. Whilst a lot of the info talked about wasn't necessarily new, I was encouraged to hear it again from a more confident place this time, and hopefully this means approaching module 3 with a little more clarity about what I'm interested in/passionate about/curious about/familiar with or inexperienced in. 

I thought I'd share a few things that I've experienced over the summer as a way of framing this blog post.

Walking, noticing, thinking. I recently visited an exhibition by a local artist, Tony Kerrins called Walking and Drawing. Since relocating to the SW and inspired by his love of the coastal and rural landscapes in Dorset, Tony exhibited a collection of paintings, drawings, notes from a sketchpad and prints; most of them beginning with a walk. I was particularly interested in his approach to creating work, sometimes getting out a sketchpad and capturing in the moment, and other times capturing from memory. Within his work, I gained a sense that walking and drawing has shaped his view of everyday life.

      I felt an urge to adopt a more mindful approach to the walking I did around my local area during lockdown, to strive to really see things, to notice what comes up. In one instance, on a familiar trail running route, I stopped to capture a short video each time the terrain changed in some way. I found this shift in my attention changed the experience for me, and editing the short clips together mapped the route through visual footage as opposed to tracing my route on a map or GPS device. 

Experimental Screendance Project. Like many, my teaching work stopped suddenly in March and I threw myself into exploring the digital sphere. I delivered classes digitally to a youth dance company I work with and as our confidence in the use of Zoom grew, we took part in digital workshops in art journaling, dance for screen and film and creative writing online. Particular themes emerged for us; places and spaces, the world around us and our sense of self within it. With these in mind, we spent time getting out and about in our local surroundings, taking time to notice the little things, and captured a portrait of our communities through moving, filming, writing and journaling. The result; a short dance film we’ve called Neck of the Woods.

Creative Jamming went online! I’ve been able to continue with a regular improv jamming practice alongside friends and colleagues who’s main disciplines include dance, visual arts, textiles and costume design and music/sound. Whilst predominantly taking the opportunity to move, in our most recent jam I also did some journaling. Here’s a photo from that session, it’s interesting to note some things really stand out for me here; ‘flesh, muscle and bone’, ‘stability vs instability’, ‘shapes or moving through them’.  

I hope everyone on the MAPP courses are well, and looking forward to the term ahead.