(UK)

Dance and interactivity are at the centre of my practice.

During my time as Artist in Residence at Blast Theory, I will be re-developing a piece titled ‘Every Savage Can Dance’ which was originally an installation that acted as a tool to encourage a participant to re-consider how they travelled from the front door to the coffee machine. Having originally been developed and made in 2 days, by breathing fresh air into this process, I strive to push the piece to it’s limits and really understand what elements worked and which didn’t. I want to unwrap the deeper reasons why I brought these elements together and channel my findings into new work. What I do want to focus on particularly is what the participant gains and how they are invited to participate. I’ve always admired choreographers and the idea of working with dancers so this is a direction I’m really interested to explore during my time here and beyond.

Dance is a medium I am fascinated by, be this dancing myself, researching, or by exploring, sometimes unintentionally, in my work. I aim to create work that allows a participant to challenge their understanding of their bodies and if there is means to; respond in a socially positive way. Movement is the most basic form of communication so if I can provide a catalyst to enable this and create an element of community then that would be a wonderful addition to any piece of work.

Interactive art, spacial architecture and the work of artists such as Jeremy Deller and Olafur Eliasson have, through their honest and simple outcomes and highly considered concepts, had a profound impact on the way I see my own process. Choreographers such as Wayne McGregor and William Forsyth are always a constant source if inspiration, particularly when they collaborate across the arts. 

I am amused by the ambiguity of ’getting’ and ‘not getting’ art so exploring new ways to bridge the gap is always an interesting challenge to me. 

See more of Rebecca’s work on her website.