BODY AS SITE is a series of Workshops within Dance Gate’s on-going PERFORMANCE RESEARCH PROJECT at Dancehouse Lefkosia. It is leading toward interdisciplinary performance to explore the Language of the Axis as the language of Home, and also within the theme Ecology & the Arts and Site Specific Autobiographical Performance.
Organized by Dance Gate Lefkosia/ Directed by Arianna Economou
HAPPENING
Facilitators: Demetra Kallitsi and Arianna Economou
Workshop/performance
within the framework of the workshop series ‘Body as Site’ organised by Dance Gate Lefkosia
Free entrance: this invitation is open for both performers and the wider public
Date: Saturday, 23rd March 2019
Place: DANCEHOUSE LEFKOSIA
25 Parthenonos Street, Ayios Andreas , AGORA ( the old Market Hall ) AYIOS ANDREAS
Tel: 00 357 22 780 960/ email: dancehouselefkosia@gmail.com
INVITATION – FOR AUDIENCE
For audience doors open at 11am.
INVITATION – FOR PARTICIPANTS/ PERFORMERS
If you would like to participate, please sign-up through email at dancehouselefkosia@gmail.com or telephone at 99308527 by 21st March. Sign up will be based on a first come first served basis. Please note that the arrival for performers is at 10 am.
Addressed: to professional and non-professional dancers, choreographers, performers, physical theatre actors, visual artists, musicians, students etc.*
Materials: Each participant is asked to bring 10 items of everyday use (e.g. bucket, fruit, vegetable, fabrics, tools, etc.)
‘Happening’ is a durational workshop/performance, taking place within the framework of the workshop series ‘Body as Site’ organised by Dance Gate Lefkosia at Dancehouse Lefkosia. The workshop invites the participation of up to 8 people, who will be paired in duos (during the workshop) in order to create improvised performances over the course of 2 hours. The participants are asked to bring 10 everyday objects, which they will exchange with their ‘performance partner’ and use as the core of their performances.
The workshop aims to bring new life and symbolisms to everyday objects, to initiate fast creative, thinking and performing processes, but also to utilise performance art as a tool for creating a space were the artists, the hosting space and the audience became active participants in the creative process. ‘Happening’ draws inspiration from Dada, Fluxus and the early ‘Happenings’ at Cabaret Voltaire, by playing with the notions of the ephemeral , the improvised and cheap art.
The performance will be open to the public, on a walk-in basis; witnesses, visitors, onlookers are welcome to actively participate in the performances by joining the participants as they surprise themselves and each other, handing out objects, performing solo or duo or not performing at all.
The participants are encouraged to consider:
● ‘Rhythm’
● Sound & noise
● Smell
● Shape
● Spoken word / improvised dialogues
● Space
● Collaborative & solo movements
● Symbolisms & metaphors
● Alternative uses of everyday objects
● Repetition
● Duration
● Performing & non-performing
● Previous work
● References & influences
● Audience Interaction
● ‘Art as a form of storytelling’
● ‘Rituals’
The ultimate goal of the workshop/performance is creative experimentation (for both the artist and the viewer) with the aim of broadening the limits of our imagination, drawing inspiration from working in pairs and transforming our thoughts into creative actions.
Please note that:
*No prior work as a performer is needed as the performance framework does not follow a specific structure, and can be customized according to the background, influences and the body-of-work of each artist, choreographer, performer, visual artist, etc.
‘Happening’ follows the format of ‘Blind Date’, a series of improvised performances, initiated by the performance artists Jacqueline van de Geere and Demetra Kallitsi, in 2016, Leipzig, Germany. The performances were based on rendez-vous or so called ‘Blind Dates’, between the two artists where they allowed themselves the permission to get to know each other by performing during 3h performance sessions. Demetra and Jacqueline both brought in the space 10 items that were unknown for each other, hoping that these surprise objects will fuel a performative fire. Since 2016, The Blind Date, has been utilised as a format for initiating and organising artistic collaborations between various performance artists in Germany, Canada and Cyprus.
Demetra Kallitsi (born 1989, Nicosia, Cyprus) is a conceptual artist, working in the mediums of performance art, textiles/embroidery and poetry/creative writing. She completed an MA in Fine Arts at The University of Brighton, UK, 2013 and a BA in Visual Arts at the University of Salford, Manchester, UK, 2012. Kallitsi has presented her artwork in solo and collaborative art performances, art exhibitions, short films and theatre plays in Cyprus, Germany, Malta, Italy and the United Kingdom.
In 2016, Kallitsi, in collaboration with Jacqueline van De Geere, co-created ‘Blind Date’; a platform for artistic collaborations in performance art in Germany, Canada and Cyprus. In 2017, she served as the Financial Manager for PRWeile Studio, Berlin, Germany, in 2014-2016 as the Cultural Officer at ARTos Cultural & Research Foundation, Nicosia, Cyprus and in the year 2013 as the Museum Coordinator for the Loukia & Michael Zampelas Art Museum, Nicosia, Cyprus. Kallitsi is currently a Coordinator for Xarkis Festival and Artists Residency and a Board Member and Organiser for the cultural organisation Xarkis, Nicosia,Cyprus.
