Worlding human-nonhuman relations through site-based movement practice

 Event 

Worlding human-nonhuman relations through site-based movement practice

This session explores Vicky’s research into body-site relationships encountered in and through site-based movement practice.

Informed by theories of New Materialism (Barad 2003, 2007, Bennet 2009, Haraway 2014, 2016) Human Geography (Massey 2005, Longhurst 2000) and non-representational / worlding theory (Stewart 2012) it explores human-non-human engagements and body-site synergies and their implications for Anthropocene thinking.

The practice explores the ‘vibrant matter’ (Bennet 2009) of bodies, sites and their and materials in dialogue with one another and employs a somatically informed, corporeal approach through which human-world entanglements and embodiments emerge through intra-active encounters.

Through simple movement tasks and group and solo exercises the workshop puts ‘vital materialism’ to work in pragmatic ways and illustrates a form of praxis that works to ‘counter the narcissism of humans in charge of the world’ (Bennet 2009, p.xvi).

Incorporating pedestrian, organic and somatically informed modes of moving and responding to tasks, scores and provocations participants are invited to consider emergent movement and bodily ‘utterances’ (Haraway 1991) as articulations of the ‘conversations’ between bodies, materials, and sites.

The session will include:

• An introductory overview of Vicky’s research
• A site-based movement session (for all abilities / levels of experience) in which participants will engage in movement tasks and short exercises
• A post-practice discussion and evaluation of the movement practice as a method of exploring and considering sites and spaces in and through the body – and time for questions

Practicalities: We will be touching and moving with site materials – for example the trees and the ground; participants should wear loose comfortable clothing and trainers / suitable footwear for uneven ground. Participation is at your own risk, individuals are responsible for their own safety. Please bring water and sunscreen as required – and your body and imagination! 

About the speakers

Vicky Hunter

Vicky Hunter is a practitioner-researcher and Professor of Site Dance at Bath Spa University, and formerly led the MA Choreography and Professional Practices programme at the University of Chichester from 2013-2023.

Her research explores site-specific dance and the body-self’s relationship with space and place encountered through corporeal, material, spatial and kinetic engagement with lived environments.

She is Principal Investigator for the AHRC funded ‘Dancing Otherwise: Exploring Pluriversal Practices’ network.