Observing material as inspiration source︎︎︎
Prep: Gather a variety of different simple materials that have potential for movement: a sponge, paper towel, computer paper, cellophane, a feather, bubble wrap, styrofilm, a rubber band, tinfoil, etc.
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In small groups (3-6) or as an entire group, have one person scrunch up a single material in their hand and then drop it from one foot above ground, in the centre of the group. Everyone watches as that material expands until it finds its final resting position. Be patient with it, some materials will take a long time to find their resting point, but there is a lot to observe as it reaches this point. As a group describe qualities of the movement, this could include tempo, duration, gesture, texture. What does it remind you of? Is there a personality associated with it? This can be spoken aloud or written down. Try to create an exhaustive list, it can be goofy. Move on to another material and repeat the exercise. Continue with all of the materials.
- Then drop two materials at the same time. How does it change when they’re in relationship to one another? What do you observe about their relationship? Does it remind you other relationships you’ve seen? Animal? Human?
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Each participant chooses a material and does the scrunch/drop on their own. Through observation they recreate the quality of movement in their own body. Practice it a few times. Share them. Try abstracting the movement quality. It can be on a spectrum 100% is full recreation of that material and 5% is a subtle glimmer of that material in a human body. Show them in pairs so two materials go at once. Look at the relationship between the two.
- These movements, observations, qualities, personalities, can be used for the beginning of a scene, a dance, or a character, the applications are as endless as the possibilities of the source materials.
︎︎︎good for group communication, brainstorming, developing minute observation skills and generating ideas and source material
︎︎︎from Robert Leveroos, inspired by an exercise of Ann-Marie Kerr
︎︎︎from Robert Leveroos, inspired by an exercise of Ann-Marie Kerr
Welcome to mapping collaboration, a toolbox for workshopping and creating across disciplines...
In spite of a long history of interdisciplinary creation, from our earliest recorded arts to our present moment, artistic pedagogy has created divisions between disciplines. This has left artists in a "post-Babel" condition where we don't share the same language and definitions. It’s also encouraged artists to develop practices for devising, creating and composing work that are distinct to their disciplines.
In spite of a long history of interdisciplinary creation, from our earliest recorded arts to our present moment, artistic pedagogy has created divisions between disciplines. This has left artists in a "post-Babel" condition where we don't share the same language and definitions. It’s also encouraged artists to develop practices for devising, creating and composing work that are distinct to their disciplines.
The inspiration for this project came from faculty and students at Simon Fraser University’s School for the Contemporary Arts where BFA, MFA and PhD programs in Dance, Theatre Production and Design, Visual Art, Film, and Music and Sound all work together in studio settings and playfully experiment with processes of art-making.
We wanted to create a database of projects, assignments and theory that we collect inside the studio and from research happening in other places. We are curious about how we collaborate and how structures reoccur, translate and deviate from one discipline to another.
Composition is central to these processes and offers a base for our approaches and experiments. We are excited about what our students are doing and inspired by the new languages in contemporary art and performance we continue to see develop.
︎︎︎select a category above to build assignments, learn more about how artists process ideas across disciplines and to create a collaborative process of your own
︎︎︎these tools are collected and used in workshops and classes; some are resources from artists; some are quotes about art-making and how bodies think and listen; others are ideas to expand and disrupt your own training and processes.
︎︎︎Each idea is intentially short- and not meant to be executed as written, but to be adapted to your own practice and specific project/context. Some may be taken in parts or combined with others to spark new ways of training and making together.
︎︎︎submit your own ideas and tools so we can keep building this site!
︎︎︎select a category above to build assignments, learn more about how artists process ideas across disciplines and to create a collaborative process of your own
︎︎︎these tools are collected and used in workshops and classes; some are resources from artists; some are quotes about art-making and how bodies think and listen; others are ideas to expand and disrupt your own training and processes.
︎︎︎Each idea is intentially short- and not meant to be executed as written, but to be adapted to your own practice and specific project/context. Some may be taken in parts or combined with others to spark new ways of training and making together.
︎︎︎submit your own ideas and tools so we can keep building this site!
