TOOLBOX
Workshops with artist in residence Anna-Lise Marie Hearn
Photo: Zahra Banzi
A resource, a knowledge system, and a creative tool for dance artists and movement-based practitioners. Intended to inform, inspire, and support the creative process.
Workshop 1 – Toolbox: Tools for Individual Exploration
Wednesday 22nd November, 10:00 - 13:00
*+ Optional “Moving from Improvisation into Setting Material” extension 13:45 – 15:00
Toolbox supporting individual practice and movement research ~
Workshop 2 – Toolbox: Tools for Partner Exploration
Thursday 23rd November, 10:00 - 13:00
*+ Optional “Moving from Improvisation into Setting Material” extension 13:45 – 15:00
Toolbox supporting collaborative practice, touch, contact and response, partner-work research, and duet creation ~
Workshop 3 – Toolbox: Tools for Group Exploration
Friday 24th November, 10:00 - 13:00
*+ Optional “Moving from Improvisation into Setting Material” extension 13:45 – 15:00
Toolbox supporting collaborative practice, touch, contact and response, group research, and group composition ~
◦ For professional dance artists and movement-based practitioners.
◦ The participation fee for these workshops is on a sliding scale from 100 - 300 kr per workshop (pay what you can).
◦ Payments are made via Vipps, PayPal or via invoice.
◦ Maximum of 10 participants per workshop — pre-registration is required*
*Due to there being a limited number of spaces, please only sign up if you are committed to attending. If you can no longer attend, please inform me via email as soon as possible so that I can open that space up for someone else.
https://www.anna-lisemarie.com/sign-up
A physical resource for dance improvisation and composition.
Toolbox is a resource, a knowledge system, and a creative tool for dance artists and movement-based practitioners. Intended to inform, inspire, and support the creative process.
Why Improvisation? Why is improvisation important in a creative process? In what ways can it be useful? Why is it valuable to movement-based practitioners, dancers, and artists? What are the benefits of working with improvisation? Improvisation is a personal and creative exploration, which thrives on receptivity, presence, and generosity. The process of improvisation asks that we are open, curious, and daring to try new approaches that challenge our innate patterns - whilst simultaneously developing and connecting with our own unique creative voice.
& Why Toolbox? The aim and intention of Toolbox is to support the creative process. It is a tool that can initiate the creation of rich and complex movement possibilities, challenge our habits and patterns, develop quality and versatility, and expand our vocabulary of movement. These tools are intended to encourage us to give time for ideas to develop through the body, for a conscious internal process to take place that creates visually intricate movement responses, that lead to the creation of original, complex, and creative outcomes. Ideas may arise, deepen, and develop through interacting and working with these tools. Toolbox can be a resource for creative individuals and groups, a shared knowledge system, which can help us explore and expand our personal movement language and feed our curiosity. It is both a creative tool and an educational tool, designed for professional dancers, movement-based practitioners, choreographers, facilitators, dance educators, and dancers in education. Toolbox is physical, practical, and functional, and can be integrated into a creative process at whichever stage and in whichever space we’re working in.
The Workshops In these workshops, I invite you to meet the Toolbox prototype and engage with the tools to explore and expand your movement research and enrich your practice. Workshop 1 will focus on ‘independent exploration’, workshop 2 ‘partner exploration’ and workshop 3 ‘group exploration’ tools. We will work with ‘+Add on cards’ intended for further development and advancing levels of thinking, and collectively discuss relevant topics and aspects of practice using the ‘Consider cards’. During this prototype testing phase, you will be some of the first “users” of the Toolbox and play an important role in influencing the development of this exciting new resource.
Anna-Lise Marie Hearn
Anna-Lise Marie Hearn (she/her) is a British-Norwegian dance artist based in Oslo, Norway. She works across the dance sector as a choreographer, movement director, dance educator, artist coach, and choreographic coach. Working with dance and movement, she creates experiences and spaces that allow for transformation, vulnerability, and connection.
“I am a dance artist, a choreographer, a collaborator, a coach, and an educator. Improvisation and composition are subjects I have worked with extensively. From professional dancers to dancers in professional education, youth dance, and community dance — movement improvisation is something that has been enriching and resonated, regardless of the level of experience or background, for each of these different groups.
For professional dancers and dancers in training, the subject of improvisation can be approached as a knowledge system to explore and expand their movement vocabulary and possibilities, help them to articulate different ideas, and enhance their ability to be co-creating dancers or go on to be choreographers, collaborators, and makers themselves. Within the spaces of community dance and youth dance, improvisation can be a profound way for people to access and stimulate their creativity and self-expression through movement, and to experience the intrinsic joy and spontaneity of losing yourself in the movement.
Improvisation is like coaching, in a way... Like coaching, improvisation poses questions and frames that allow the individual to respond in a way that makes sense for them. It can highlight the individual’s strengths and qualities, and encourage them to expand, delve deeper, and discover something new. It can also challenge the individual to find new possibilities, directions, or solutions. It is a space that is intended for exploration, to allow vulnerabilities and uncertainties to arise, and to support the reflection process and growth of the creative individual.”
Invitation to join research topics
Stavanger-based dance and movement artists, facilitators, and dance educators ~
During her residency at KRA, Anna-Lise is looking for dance and movement-based artists, makers, facilitators, and dance educators to join her to research, explore, and test concepts and ways of working surrounding and embedded in her project “Toolbox”.
These include, for example; language for inclusive practice, working environment and the importance of discussion, the use of touch, facilitation methods, tools for the creative process, workshop development, and systems that can enable possibilities for freedom of expression, direction and individual response.
◦ Monday 27th November, 14:00 - 17:00: Systems and freedom
◦ Tuesday 28th November, 10:00 - 13:00: Facilitation methods
14:00 - 17:00: Inclusive practice and working environment
◦ Wednesday 29th November, 10:00 - 17:00: Workshop development
~ possible to join half day 10:00 - 13:00 / 14:00 - 17:00
Workshop test with UiS students: 17:00 - 18:30
~ participating research artists are invited to join.
◦ Friday 1st December, 15:00 - 17:00: Participation in open public sharing ~ Presentation
– It is possible to join for as many sessions as you can. Let Anna-Lise know if you have specific scheduling needs.
If any or all of these topics are of interest to you and you would like to join her in this research, please contact Anna-Lise letting her know which sessions you would like to participate in.
– Contact her via email at info@anna-lisemarie.com. You will receive more information ahead of the sessions.