University News Last updated 28 January
The second season of The EcoSomatics Conversation will take place on Wednesday 4 February at 4pm. The first session, hosted by artist, dancer and choreographer Kyra Norman and realm of sound artist Justin Wiggan, will highlight ‘Embodied listening: sound, movement, environment, and ecology.’
The project was developed by RBC’s Associate Professor in Dance Polly Hodson with conversations by Dr Karen Wood from Dance Cooperative Birmingham and C-DaRE.
Polly’s work focuses on process within artistic practice, ethnical approaches to teaching, leadership and mentoring, Skinner Releasing Technique, and Ecosomatics – relating to the body-mind ecology, which then forms public dialogues between practitioners, independent artists and academics.
The online session on Wednesday 4 February aims to open conversation and participation in the thoughts and practices around environmental awareness.
Polly said: “The idea for The EcoSomatics Conversations Series grew out of my own practice; a noticing of how much momentum this new area of work was gathering and a desire to bring people together. I wanted to gather voices across disciplines, geographies and lived experiences, as well as to ask what it means to attend to land, body and ecological justice through embodied practice.”
Season one included conversations spanning from April 2024 to September 2024 with topics such as ‘EcosomaticConnectedness’ and ‘Cultural Regeneration and What can a garden be?’ The episodes are available as a podcast for listeners interesting in revisiting the conversations.
Polly added: “I have been surprised and delighted by how much interest there has been. I knew people would come but the reaction has been moving. The conversations have grown into a genuinely international gathering, with people joining and contributing from all over the world.”
To join the conversation, register your place for the free online session or visit The EcoSomatics Conversation on streaming platforms to listen to the podcasts. This project is supported by funding from the Research Investment Scheme at Birmingham City University.