'Light steps’ and ILA project: the making of ‘Found'
- Submitting institution
-
Middlesex University
- Unit of assessment
- 33 - Music, Drama, Dance, Performing Arts, Film and Screen Studies
- Output identifier
- 1538
- Type
- I - Performance
- Venue(s)
- Norden farm Arts centre
- Open access status
- -
- Month of first performance
- May
- Year of first performance
- 2018
- URL
-
http://eprints.mdx.ac.uk/31373/
- Supplementary information
-
-
- Request cross-referral to
- -
- Output has been delayed by COVID-19
- No
- COVID-19 affected output statement
- -
- Forensic science
- No
- Criminology
- No
- Interdisciplinary
- No
- Number of additional authors
-
0
- Research group(s)
-
-
- Proposed double-weighted
- No
- Reserve for an output with double weighting
- Yes
- Additional information
- This submission documents research undertaken over five years (2014-2019). The project investigated agency and placemaking for young people using dance as a non-verbal mode of communication and placemaking. The submission includes documentation of practice-based research components Light Steps(2014 – 2019) and Ila Project: the making of Found (2016-2019) alongside a journal article examining the implications of the research ‘Wind in my hair I feel a part of everywhere’ (2019).
Using Ken Robinson’s ‘Out of Our Minds: learning to be creative’ (2001), and practice-based model Creative Partnerships (UK) as a starting point, the research asked if the act of young people collaborating with professional artists could be valuable in terms of young people’s agency in their communities. There was a particular focus on how dance-arts could provide non-verbal, somatic-based opportunities for young people’s cultural participation within an educational setting (their schools) but also within cultural organizations (their local museums and art galleries). The research asked if ‘making an artwork together’ was rewarding enough to sustain partnerships between young people, schools, parents, cultural organizations and artists particularly across government policy changes (such as after Creative Partnerships policy was redirected following the 2010 UK general election).
A key finding was that the somatic and sensorial nature of making and performing dance together was reported significantly engaging. Through their sustained interest young people demonstrated agency and interest in the act of making together. Their carers and the community organizations involved reported insights into the young people’s sense and sensorial understanding of the place (emplacement). The research grew in momentum starting with one school and gallery, culminating with the involvement of approximately. 1,601 children and 554 adult carer/parents, 22 schools, 2 galleries, 2 museums, 5 children centres, and 4 arts centres in South East, England and Flint, Michigan USA.
- Author contribution statement
- -
- Non-English
- No
- English abstract
- -