COOP ~ Choreopoethics: undisciplined corporeal publishing and choreographic planning from Day to Day
Seminar 3: 24 - 26 April 2024
"I don't tell stories just to pass the time. It is the stories that come to me, inhabit me and transform me. I need to get them out of my body to free up overloaded boxes and receive new stories." (The Sand Child, Taher Ben Jelloun)
How do you embrace memory and the collective body as living archives in our practices and in relation to Choreopoetics? How do we come together– collectively creating spaces of co-learning, sharing tools within community-building and environments of gathering that can merge into forms of transgressive pedagogies? How do these energies inhibit us in ourselves and as bodies in dialogue with each other?
During this confluence, we will learn about the performative nature of possession in relation to protest and community building. As we tackle these questions, to learn about our desire for radical pedagogies of liberation and alternative pathways of knowledge transmission and community building, we will learn about the ritual and performance practice of Gnawa that are locally engrained in Essaouira.
Gnawa ceremonies are practiced to embody collective relationships to the divine. Through the performatively crossing dislocation, rootedness and belonging in sonic and performative rituals, ancestors are called on to heal.
Together, we wish to find a web of crisscrossings between the idea of moving politically, protest, dance and modality of poetic expression as active tools of disobedience.
The sessions will include material by Josefine Báz, Mohammed Khaïr- Eddine, bell hooks, Sobonfu Somé, Trinh T. Minh-Ha, Etel Adnan, Éduard Glissant, Kopano Maroga, M. Jacqui Alexander, and Taher Ben Jelloun.
The sessions will be facilitated by Chiara Figone, Iman Salem, Laila Sit Aboha, and Samira Ghoualmia.
24 April
Morning session
10.30-11.00
Assembly
Introduction of program and guests tutors
Accompanied by Iman Salem, Laila Sit Aboha, Chiara Figone and Samira Ghoualmia
11.00-11.20
Movement exercise
We invite you to share movement based exercises of gathering, forming a collective body and interconnectedness between each other.
Accompanied by Iman Salem, Laila Sit Aboha, Chiara Figone and Samira Ghoualmia
11.20-12.30
Collective walk
Accompanied by Iman Salem, Laila Sit Aboha, Chiara Figone and Samira Ghoualmia
Lunch
13.00-14.00
Afternoon session
14.30-16.00
We will never be defeated: collective practices in the protest’s language
Accompanied by Iman Salem, Laila Sit Aboha, Chiara Figone and Samira Ghoualmia
16.00–18.00
Investigating posture. Act in protest.
An open dialogue between Laila Sit Aboha and Iman Salem
Accompanied by Iman Salem, Laila Sit Aboha, Chiara Figone and Samira Ghoualmia
Dinner / Evening session
19.00–20.30 Fermenting knowledge. Convivial dinner chats
We would like to share the ceremony of eating all together, to share, reflect and ferment together the experienced day. This will be an informal gathering where we would like to spend time together to exchange about our crossings and the growing trajectory.
Accompanied by Iman Salem, Laila Sit Aboha, Chiara Figone and Samira Ghoualmia
20:30 - 22:00 JOINING Palestine teach-out: What is the Future of Art? initiated by COOP ~ Assembling Land: Rehearsals towards Place-making
"This year, the Palestinian Pavilion at the Venice Biennale takes the form of a manifesto, presented as an A3 Xerox pamphlet. Titled "What is the Future of Art?: A Manifesto Against the State of the World," this gesture calls for urgent action in response to the ongoing genocide in Gaza. It confronts the stark realities shielded by nation-state rhetoric and imperial power. Accompanied by poetry, the manifesto resonates with the themes of dismantling nation-states, reclaiming land, and restoring art and poetry as essential tools of resistance. The unpacking of this timely manifesto, invites participants to join with a selected poem about or relevant to the Palestinian struggle (e.g. Moving Towards Home by June Jordan).
Participants are invited to join with a poem on or relevant to Palestine."
25 April
Morning session
10.00-10.45 Collective walk
11.00-12.45 Chaos Reading
Accompanied by Samira Ghoualmia
Lunch
13.00-14.00
15.00-15.15
Movement exercise
We invite you to share movement based exercises of gathering, forming a collective body and interconnectedness between each other.
Accompanied by Iman Salem, Laila Sit Aboha, Chiara Figone and Samira Ghoualmia
15.20-17.00
Collective Rehearsal
Accompanied by Chiara Figone and Samira Ghoualmia
Dinner / Evening session
Evening session
19.00–20.30 Fermenting knowledge. Convivial dinner chats
We would like to share the ceremony of eating all together, to share, reflect and ferment together the experienced day. This will be an informal gathering where we would like to spend time together to exchange about our crossings and the growing trajectory.
Accompanied by Iman Salem, Laila Sit Aboha, Chiara Figone and Samira Ghoualmia
26 April
Morning session
10.30-10.45
Movement exercise
We invite you to share movement based exercises of gathering, forming a collective body and interconnectedness between each other.
Accompanied by Iman Salem, Laila Sit Aboha, Chiara Figone and Samira Ghoualmia
11-13.00 Collective Rehearsal
Accompanied by Chiara Figone and Samira Ghoualmia
Afternoon session
15.00-18.00 Gnawa Transmissions
Accompanied by Iman Salem, Laila Sit Aboha, Chiara Figone and Samira Ghoualmia
Evening session
19.00–20.30 Fermenting knowledge. Convivial dinner chats
We would like to share the ceremony of eating all together, to share, reflect and ferment together the experienced day. This will be an informal gathering where we would like to spend time together to exchange about our crossings and the growing trajectory.
Accompanied by Iman Salem, Laila Sit Aboha, Chiara Figone and Samira Ghoualmia
Seminar 2: 5 - 8 March 2024
During our gathering at PAF, we seek to foster and inquire about embodied pathways to forms of co-learnings and inquiries of moving politically. We wish to rehearse forms of collective movements, thinking about bodies in dialogue traversing into Choreopoetics together.
What does it mean to move together politically in relation to the radical pedagogy of liberation? How can we rehearse Choreopoetics together? What is the relation between undisciplined corporeal practices such as improvisational movements that can nurture the intimacy of different bodies as a collective and protest choreographies?
Drawing from different trajectories of Black feminist practice, poetic expressions such Transbluesency, and other intersections of dance, poetry, and communal practices, we aim to deepen and rehearse pedagogies of liberation as means to (un)write and (un)fix marginalities and create common grounds for networks of solidarity.
The sessions will include material by Audre Lorde, bell hooks, Denise Ferreira da Silva, Keorapetse Kgositsile, Ntozake Shange, Olu Oguibe, Sarah Ahmed, Sobonfu Somé, and Resma Menakem.
The sessions will be facilitated by Chiara Figone, Emanuela Maltese, Lilia Di Bella, Savanna Morgan and Samira Ghoualmia.
5 March
Morning session
10.30-13.00
Collective Offerings Part 1
Accompanied by Lilia Di Bella, Chiara Figone, Savanna Morgan and Samira Ghoualmia
Afternoon session
14.00-16.00
Collective Offerings Part 2
Accompanied by Lilia Di Bella, Chiara Figone, Savanna Morgan and Samira Ghoualmia
16.00–18.00
Choreopoetics
Accompanied by Lilia Di Bella, Chiara Figone, Savanna Morgan and Samira Ghoualmia
Evening session
20.00–22.00
Merged COOP Invitation Curating Position’s to Screening Eyal Silvan “IZKOR. slaves of memory 1990” + Q&A
6 March
Morning session
11.00-13.00
Crisscross of Chaos reading and Movements
Reading: The Spirit of Intimacy (Sobonfu Somé)
Accompanied by Lilia Di Bella & Samira Ghoualmia
Afternoon session
14.30-16.00
Study Session: Responses to “Indes Galandes”
Readings: bell hooks, Olu Oguibe, Resma Menakem, Sarah Ahmed
Accompanied by Samira Ghoualmia
16.00-18.00
Student led Session
Evening session
20.00–22.00
COOP Dance session
Accompanied by Lilia Di Bella, Chiara Figone, Savanna Morgan and Samira Ghoualmia
7 March
Morning session
10.30-13.00/13.30
Transbluesencies: Interactive lecture + Listening Session
Accompanied by Savanna Morgan
Afternoon session
14.00-16.00
Black Feminist Contextualization
Accompanied by Savanna Morgan
16.00–18.00
Screening: Blues for Mrs. by Dr. Anton Juan
Accompanied by Savanna Morgan
Evening session
20.00–22.00
Student led session
8 March
Morning session
11.00-12.00
Annotations “Notes toward a Black Feminist Poethics”
Accompanied by Emanuela Maltese
Afternoon session
14.00-16.00
Student led Session
16.00–18.00
Annotations and collective mappings
Accompanied by Lilia Di Bella, Chiara Figone, Savanna Morgan and Samira Ghoualmia
Evening session
COOP Dance session
Accompanied by Lilia Di Bella, Chiara Figone, Savanna Morgan and Samira Ghoualmia
Seminar 1: 23 - 26 January 2024
Unpacking “choreopoethics”
In our first sessions at Nida, we aim to invoke reflections on the body as a living archive, delving into practices of embodied knowledge and intuitive knowledge through movement practices, non-linear readings, and immersive sonic experiences. The focus is on contemplating embodied practices as a ground for resistance and “choreopoethics” as a space for rehearsal.
We will explore how we collectively experience shared spaces, intertwining the personal and the collective. Central to our exploration is the quest for forms that facilitate the identification of accomplices, fostering solidarity and cohesion among participants. This session will delve into multiple forms of undisciplined corporeal practices to learn about artistic expression at the forefront of protest.
How do we experience shared spaces to connect the personal and the collective? How can we identify accomplices and find new ways to practice solidarity and political action? How do we move politically? What role does “choreopoethics” play in bridging the personal and the collective through poetic expression?
The session will include material by Audre Lorde, Ntozake Shange, Sarah Ahmed, Denise Ferreira da Silva, Keorapetse Kgositsile, Akwaeke Emezi, and Ta-Nehisis Coates. It will be accompanied by Chiara Figone, Emanuela Maltese, Leila Bencharnia, Lilia Di Bella, Yon Natalie Mik, Savanna Morgan, and Samira Ghoualmia.
23 January
10.00–10.30
Collective offering (poems, sounds, video)
Accompanied by Archive Ensemble
Morning session
10.30–13.00
COOP Improvisation
Accompanied by Lilia Di Bella
Afternoon session
14.00–16.00
Chaos reading (poetry)
Accompanied by Samira Ghoualmia
16.00–18.00
Online session
Chora-poetics > < Choreo-poethics
Accompanied by Chiara Figone and Emanuela Maltese
Evening session
20.00–22.00
COOP cine-forum
24 January
Morning session
10.00–11.00
COOP Improvisation
Accompanied by Lilia Di Bella
11.30–13.00
Collective Reading
Accompanied by Samira Ghoualmia
Afternoon session
14.00–15.00
Online Listening session
Accompanied by Leila Bencharnia
15.00–18.00
Online session
Accompanied by Savanna Morgan
Evening session
20.00–22.00
COOP Rehearsal
Dance Floor
25 January
Morning session
10.00–11.00
COOP Improvisation
Accompanied by Lilia Di Bella
11.30–13.00
Chaos reading (poetry)
Accompanied by Samira Ghoualmia
Afternoon session
14.00–17.00
Student-led session
17.00–18.00
Notations / Reflections / Drawings
Evening session
20.00–22.00
COOP cine-forum
26 January
Morning session
10.00–11.00
COOP Improvisation
Accompanied by Lilia Di Bella on behalf of Yon Natalie Mik
11.00–13.00
Online session
Accompanied by Lilia Di Bella
Afternoon session
14.00–17.00
Collective Walk
17.00–18.00
Mapping / Notations / Reflections / Drawings
Evening session
20.00–22.00
COOP Rehearsal
Dance Floor