Exploring approaches to establishing consent when contact making in community and participatory dance. As practitioners, we need participants to trust in our capacity to provide a respectful and collaborative working space. In this session we will discuss the acts of rapport-building, communication and connection-making for dancers with additional needs, including participants who are non-verbal.
How do we know as artists and practitioners that we have consent to contact an individual that we work with?
Examining the necessity and purpose of contact, we will share considerations and approaches for remaining mindful of personal boundaries and permissions. We seek to help practitioners work confidently and in appreciation of autonomy for our participant dancers. This session is for practitioners working within inclusive dance practice but could be a valuable reference for anyone working with non-verbal participants in dance. The online event is both discussion and practical led.
Participants are asked to create a safe working space to move in, wear comfortable clothing and have a bottle of water, paper and pen.
Led by artist Sali Gresham (see below for further information) this event is in partnership with SENSE national inclusive dance programme.
This Zoom event is free of charge to People Dancing Members and £10.00 for non-members.
This event is now fully booked.
Booking deadline: Midday Tuesday 21 February 2023.
About Sali Gresham
This session is led by artist Sali Gresham.
Sali is an artist and performer with over 20 years of touring theatre, film, and festival performance across the U.K. and Europe. In 2012 she began working with SEND adults and young people and loved how new approaches to movement, expression and communication could create infinite potential for creativity. She continues to work extensively in arts and performance with SEND schools, groups and communities. Highlights include helping to deliver Inclusive practice at the People Dancing Summer School, and Co-choreographing the opening and closing ceremonies for the CPISRA world games in 2015.
Sali leads the SANDance and Square Peg inclusive dance groups for Inspire Youth Arts, and has led the group vision to see SANDance become a bridge for young disabled people to find opportunity in the arts and performance sector.
As a digital artist Sali has also created work with SEND participants and audiences. In various artist residencies she has explored routes to expression and connection through Vr and adaptive technologies, developing an inquiry of the relationship between the body, autonomy and our sense of identity.;
Image credits Top - Sali Gresham. Photo: Jeff Foster. Bottom - People Dancing Summer School. Photo: Rachel Cherry.