Invitation to the Radical Contact Dance Intensive
7th – 13th of August 2016
West Coast of Sweden
Join dancers and activists from many countries to explore the intersection of contact improvisation and political activism. Experience contact improvisation in a space that tries to be conscious and critical of societal norms. Get involved in building a community that connects and bridges a diverse range of interests and experiences in dance, creative expression, embodied activisms and body politics.
This festival is based on a non-hierarchical model of leadership. Those who come to the festival will shape the content. We look forward to you joining us!!
Possibilities and hopes for the week:
* Dance, learn, play, create, relax, sauna, laugh, engage, reflect, as well as challenge ourselves for 7 days in a beautiful natural setting on the Ätran River in the Swedish countryside.
* Try to make contact improvisation a safer and more inclusive dance experience. Share strategies for becoming more sensitive to each other’s boundaries and challenges. Have interesting conversations about activism, self-care, and burnout. Discuss sexuality, queer culture, alternative family structures, personal challenges, parenthood, childrearing, and the building of sustainable community.
* Welcome children, their caregivers, parents, and people of all ages as an important part of this dance community!
* Welcome people who are both familiar with and new to contact improvisation. We also invite political activists who are interested in movement, dance and bodywork.
* Envision, discover, and celebrate, through dance, how freedom, resiliency, and agency can be found in our bodies, our dance, and our movements.
* Use CI to enter an embodied exploration of the ways power and privilege are expressed in society, and in the process, create a supportive, playful and engaging laboratory of critical and sensitive thought around body politics.
* Talk about and explore the social dynamics of class, race, gender, ability, age, sexuality as well as body political issues such as gender binarism, heteronormativity, health, size, body image, beauty, objectification… Through CI, explore how these various forms of oppression can become concrete and material in our bodies, our patterns of movement, our ways of touching and seeing. Also, look at how these relations of domination show up in the way we create our communities and interact in them.
Cost
The total cost per participant, including food and accommodation, should be about 2300 SEK. You can pay anywhere between 1800 SEK and 2800 SEK on a sliding scale. Of course this is only going to work if everyone is really honest about their resources. Please pay as much as you possibly can, so that people who have less can also participate! If money is a problem, talk to us, maybe we can find a solution. There is a small chance the cost per participant may increase as our budget is finalized in the coming months. The payment deadline is 15 July, 2016.
To apply
Please send an email with a short introduction about yourself, your interests and what draws you to this event. The e-mail doesn’t have to be long and any style is welcome. Send to [email protected] by 5 July 2016. Questions can also be sent to this address.
Who are we?
We are a group of activists and dancers from different parts of Europe and from the US. We are diverse in many ways and share a passion for radical political dance community.
How does RC work?
We will plan an open structure. We will have workshops, labs, and roundtable conversations based on proposals submitted by participants and ideas developed by the community during the week. More information to follow.
Our goal is to have a basic framework for children and their caregivers. This will be a community-based effort. Interested in helping shape this? Let us know. We’d love your involvement!
Possibilities and hopes for the children’s program:
* Daily contact improvisation with a child-oriented focus or theme, in which adults and children dance together.
* Daily dance, theatre, crafts, swimming, and other activities for children, during which parents/caregivers may be free to dance or do other things.
* A daily time for parents/caregivers to check in, share, organize and reflect.
What does “Radical” mean?
The definition of “radical” is an interesting ongoing conversation. Come join us as we discuss it. One topic already being discussed is whether we should change the name of this event in future years.
Food
We will share 3 meals a day. Delicious vegan food, mostly regional and biologically grown, will be prepared for us.
The place / barriers
This festival will be held in Tokalynga, a theater which is basically a converted school. Tokalynga is located a few kilometers outside of Ätran, on the west coast of Sweden. Tokalynga has charm, but is NOT barrier free. This is unfortunate, and we are seeking other options for future years. There are approximately 30 stairs going up to the dance studios and sleeping quarters. The kitchen, two bathrooms, the showers, the sauna, the dining room, and some bedrooms can be accessed without stairs. There are some dust, mold, and mildew issues in parts of the building. We encourage camping as an option.
Language
The common language of this event is English. Common other languages are Swedish and German, with others spoken as well. Each year, participants volunteer to help translate so that the event is accessible for those not fluent in English.