Critical Path invites two local choreographic artists into a research residency to explore what it means to acknowledge Country. One of the 2 artists will be First Nations Australian. The artists will work in parallel. Focused on Rushcutters Bay the artists will engage with community in addressing their relationship with land, heritage and living culture.
Selected through a call out process the two artists will be supported in a funded residency process (equivalent to two-weeks) undertaken between January and March 2018, the timeline for delivery to be agreed with each artist. A public sharing of research will take place on Saturday 24 March.
As artists engaged with a choreographic practice, in exploring how we all position ourselves on unceded First Nations Country, a key consideration will be how the body (of all of us who live and work here) situates ourselves in this place (here and now).
Residencies will engage with the community – those who live and work around Rushcutters Bay and with traditional custodians of the land. We expect to engage a First Nations facilitator to work with the participating artists, to talk through ideas and concerns, to ensure appropriate cultural frameworks, ethics, engagement and protocols are understood and undertaken.
The residency will offer a way for the artist and the community to consider our relationship to this land. It is a project of reflection, questioning, learning and also celebration. It is not about creating a show, but rather using the specialist knowledge of the artists to engage with these ideas in new ways.
The selected artist(s) will have autonomy in their residency. The First Nations facilitator will play an important role and help maximise the opportunity for rich interactions, and for those participating to feel appreciated and intimately involved in their story. Critical Path and the artists will work closely with Woollahra Municipal Council and with organisations around Rushcutters Bay to engage the broader local community. This engagement is a key element of the research which each artist will undertake.
The research residencies will culminate in an informal presentation at the Drill Hall, where artists will share their research. We’ll open the doors to the public in a free event to include activity outdoors (weather permitting).
Expressions of interest. Please send us a short bio (max 200 words) of who you are and your choreographic / dance practice. Also tell us in no more than 1000 words
- Why you are interested in this research project
- How you think you would approach it, i.e. what are the things that you know about how you would enter into this research period
- Any particular people, groups or locations you are interested to explore or engage with.
NEW DEADLINE: Friday 5 January 4pm AEST.
An initiative of Critical Path supported by BlakDance. Funded by Woollahra Municipal Council Community and Cultural Grant and Create NSW.