CALL FOR PAPERS:
CALL FOR PAPERS:
Re:Generations – The Next Generation
Mapping New Futures in Dance of the African Diaspora
1-3 November 2012
The Place, London WC1H 9PY
Following the highly successful 2010 conference Re: Generations - International Perspectives on Dance of the African Diaspora the organising team is very excited to announce
Re: Generations – The Next Generation 2012.
The 2012 conference will explore and reflect on the current state of dance of the African Diaspora and young people through sharing good practice, discussion and debate in order to build a positive future for the development of young dance talent in the UK.
Hosted by The Place, this ground-breaking conference will be delivered by the Association of Dance of the African Diaspora (ADAD), State of Emergency Productions (SOE), IRIE! dance theatre and London Metropolitan University. The conference keynote address will be delivered by Zab Maboungou, Choreographer / Dancer / Director of Compagnie Danse Nyata Nyata & Professor at Montmorency College, Montreal.
The conference partners invite submissions of abstracts of no more than 500 words
for talks, lecture demonstrations, performances, films, classes, or other modes of presentation, which address the conference focus on The Next Generation: Mapping new futures in dance of the African Diaspora. Please align proposals with the themes of:
- developing ideas for practice
- working with young people
- exploring the digital in dance choreography and teaching
- documenting dance and building a legacy
Please clearly indicate the nature and length of your presentation (e.g. 10-minute talk, 20-minute dance performance, short film for presentation etc.)
The conference organisers intend that the proceedings will be documented, edited and published to add to the knowledge available to those interested in studying in this field.
To view the highlights video of Re:Generations 2010 go to
http://www.stateofemergencyltd.com/events.html or
http://www.adad.org.uk/metadot/index.pl?id=24157&isa=Category&op=show or
http://www.iriedancetheatre.org/?s=regenerations
Re: Generations 2012 will give UK-based academics and artists in the field of ‘dance of the African Diaspora’ a platform alongside their International counterparts to stimulate new developments in the field.
The aims of the conference are to:
1. Disseminate current International research in the field of ‘dance of the African Diaspora’ from the perspectives of dance studies (including dance history) and cultural studies relating to young people’s education, training and performance.
2. Explore and stimulate research, documentation and new approaches to teaching in the field.
3. Examine discourses that will inform future practice in the field of dance of the African Diaspora.
The deadline for submissions is 5 p.m. on Monday April 30th, 2012. Submissions will be accepted by email only. Please direct emails to info@adad.org.uk, including ‘Re:Generations 2012’ in the subject line.
About the Re:Generations partners
Established in 1985, IRIE! dance theatre is Britain’s leading dance company working in the field of African and Caribbean dance fusion and education. The company delivers and sustains a range of creative, educational and artistic activities, based on the stimuli derived from Africa and the Caribbean. IRIE! promotes culture and diversity through training, outreach, performance and partnership. Located in the heart of South East London the company occupies the Moonshot centre, which houses dance studios, teaching rooms & archive and library facilities; where it continues to run and develop accredited qualifications, research programmes, community engagement and professional development for the dance sector.
The company has provided employment, training, support and mentoring for a significant number of professionals working in dance as well as related cultural industries. IRIE!’s collaborations have spanned across the UK and internationally. Current programmes include a partnership with City & Islington College (FE) and London Metropolitan University (HE) delivering a Dance Foundation Degree, where African and Caribbean dance & culture are taught equally alongside ballet and contemporary dance.
State of Emergency is an Arts Production and Management Company committed to the support, development and profiling of Black choreographers and their work nationally and internationally. Known as ‘the independent voice of Black dance’, State of Emergency (SOE) is at the forefront in its field and pursues its vision through the driving force of its acclaimed ‘ Mission Programme’, which is a unique umbrella of high quality performances, showcases, tours, conferences, festivals, artists’ training and professional development. SOE aims to support, develop and nurture both existing and emerging talent and to respond effectively to their needs.
Since 1986, State of Emergency has provided development opportunities for hundreds of performing artists in the fields of dance and music. The company has a proven track record in developing talent and is proud of its associations with some of the leading names in the contemporary arts scene. Current projects include Desert Crossings - an international touring collaboration with South African choreographer, Gregory Maqoma.
In response to their research last year, SOE have recently co-ordinated the creation of a National Strategic Alliance for Black Dance and are in the initial stages of establishing an archive for Black choreographers and dance companies in the UK in partnership with the National Resource Centre for Dance.
ADAD is a national organisation that supports the practice and appreciation of dance of the African Diaspora. We want dance of the African Diaspora to be visible and valued as part of the British cultural experience. For the past 18 years, ADAD has supported artists through investing in their professional development and raising the profile of their work. ADAD’s flagship programme is Trailblazers, an annual fellowship scheme which provides four artists with a £2,000 bursary and a tailored development programme. The Trailblazers have had an exponential impact on the development of dance of the African Diaspora in the UK, creating new initiatives in performance, education and professional development.
ADAD’s Heritage project, which was created with the support of the Heritage Lottery Fund has made a distinctive contribution to collecting, conserving, interpreting and narrating the history and heritage that informs the work of Black dancers in contemporary Britain. It is made up of two components a touring photographic exhibition, ‘Black Dance’ in Britain: 1930s-1990s – Moments, and a book, Voicing Black Dance: 1930’s to 1990’s - The British Experience. Launched in October 2006 the exhibition has toured to London, Leicester, Birmingham, Bristol and Leeds, and continues to tour nationally and internationally.
In 2010/11, ADAD extended its national reach through a concentrated programme of work in Yorkshire, UK.
London Metropolitan University is one of the foremost providers of undergraduate, postgraduate, professional and vocational education and training in London. London Met is also home to The Facility, a Research Centre for Creative Practice. Established in 2005 to commission, inspire, develop, investigate, support, challenge, disseminate and archive performance as research it provides a creative an organisational structure for artists and researchers to draw upon and operate within. Over the past seven years we have hosted a variety of international, national and local conferences, symposiums, seminars and events. We have supported a range of researchers through multiple events creating and investigating contemporary arts practice in: performance, image, text, sound, object and space.
The Place is one of the world’s leading centres for dance development. It is a home for dancers and dance-makers, nurturing artists from the earliest stage to mature, world-class talent. The Place combines London Contemporary Dance School, Richard Alston Dance Company and the Robin Howard Dance Theatre, together with pioneering learning, teaching, outreach, recreation and professional development projects. Based in central London, its mix of activities creates a sustaining ecosystem for dance, with interdependent approaches to participation, education, creation and performance that respond to today’s world, and embrace risks.
The Place is uniquely placed to support independent dance artists, providing the space and conditions they need to take the creative leaps that keep the art form alive, and help them attain greater profile and integration within the UK and European dance communities. It is committed to developing new and enhanced ways of engaging participants and audiences with dance. Through all of its work, it transforms and enriches lives through dance and shapes where dance is going next.
