On the 10th of February myself, Candy Bowers, Sarah Aiken and Lucienne Shanti gathered at the wonderful MPavillion to discuss …. What are the benefits of change? Why, and how, do we find it uncomfortable? How can we more openly approach it?
A further framework for the discussion was the provocation that ‘transitions are awkward’ (proposed by Damon Gameau in the documentary 2040) and the question, if we need to make a ton changes in order to survive as a species, how can we approach transitions with more grace, flow and even sensuality?
I gathered artists to speak on such matters as they are well-versed in vulnerability. Whether they act, paint, write, dance…, they reflect something of the human experience. Further, for those who move in their careers, like yoga teachers, transitions are a necessary part of life’s flow—you can’t make a position without a transition.
Listening back over the discussion (which will soon be available as a podcast on the MPavillion website), I am grateful to each speaker for talking so candidly about the more vulnerable of their experiences as humans well as how they cultivate discomfort in their professional fields. Process for instance is something all artists have to embody whilst creating works; and yogi’s ask us all to move through classes.
Sarah talked to her and Rebecca Jensen’s piece WAISTD - What am I supposed to do? which tackled our cultural inertia in the face of climate change by asking audience members to participate in almost every scene. She stated
‘The reason we keep doing participatory work is because it is so uncomfortable. It’s terrifying… But it’s so interesting because people have to make decisions all the time…'
This is perhaps what we need people to do more in the face of our climate crisis. At the time that we feel perhaps most crippled, most trembling and fearful, the most vulnerable, we need to be proactive. Sarah continued by reflecting on this tension through the process she and Rebecca underwent as they created WAISTD. For how do you
‘…play with the tension between holding ourselves accountable and the power hierarchies that exist in this conversation… Our individual roles matter to a certain extent but we need to look at the systematic and structural things that are really f’ing shit up’.
Candy reflected here on what it’s like to be literally excluded from the work she so passionately wanted to make because she didn’t, at the time of graduating from NIDA, ‘fit the demographic’. The transition between an industry and culture that said no and an artistic drive that said YES.
Here the conversation took an important twist for what could be possible if more perspectives and intelligences were included in the conversation about climate change and the survival of our species? This was in fact something I concluded the evening with - a provocation directed to the audience. Can we move a little from the ‘modern piety towards science’ and consider other voices? The Arts for instance embody creative thought, imagination and innovation. Isn’t that what we need right now? People who MOVE and people who think beyond?
Lucienne’s voice during the conversation when talking to the awkward part of the evenings conversation reflected on how important it is to ‘…allow ourselves to experience the whole spectrum of human experience. And vulnerability is one of them. And awkwardness is one of them. And fear is one of them. And discomfort is one of them. And if we decide to reject all those that we perceive as negative, there’s a lot of ourselves that we end up suppressing… so as soon as we allow ourselves to be in an awkward place… you’ll notice aspects and part of yourselves coming forth… which then becomes this beautiful thing like …what am I capable of? What can I do that I didn’t perceive I could. There’s a lot to know it NOT knowing’.
The conversation moved into discussions around the differing approaches we can take during periods of transition (could they be experienced in a more sensual way for instance???), as well as what KIND of survival we want to have. The desperate gripping kind or one that flourishes?
I am so very grateful to these women for their perspectives and intelligences, to all guests who joined us and to the MPavillion for providing such inclusive spaces for all to be able to attend and participate.
x Kate
