Visual Arts and Theatre Collaboration - new models for art practices in post-conflict situations
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Hertfordshire
Department Name: School of Creative Arts
Abstract
A network of artists, theatre practitioners, curators, writers, producers and scholars will research, using practice methods, the potential of visual art and theatre collaboration to foster new models of practice for post-conflict situations. Our research will be located in the de facto state of Abkhazia in the Southern Caucuses, a disputed territory between Georgia and Russia, which has been in geopolitical isolation since the Georgian-Abkhaz War of 1992/93. The network will analyse the many NGO-funded creative initiatives that have occurred in Abkhazia in terms of artistic excellence, as well as 'efficacy'. We will situate our analysis within a broader review of arts initiatives in post-conflict situations, both contemporary and historical.
Abkhazia has a strong but traditional theatre scene and an under-developed but nascent infrastructure for contemporary visual art, hence this initiative of bringing them together. This network is conceived in order to harness the strengths of both, as well as deepening scholarship in the field. This network will ask, what can we learn from each other to better enable strategies for beneficial and psychologically relevant creative arts practices in post-conflict situations that are also artistically excellent and innovative? Abkhazia is our field site and builds on existing relationships and research of the PI. Our aim is not to create a generalized statement about post-conflict art, art-theatre collaboration or socially engaged practice, but instead to have a located approach, grounded in a specific location, in response to a specific post-conflict situation.
The network builds on practice-led research in Abkhazia undertaken by the PI, Sam Jury, between 2017 and 2020, working in partnership with the Abkhaz cultural centre SKLAD. The network seeks to address gaps in knowledge that became apparent during the process, that is, the misalignment between external agendas that tend to address more generalized issues, such as conflict trauma, and the complex reality in Abkhazia, where the longer view of Soviet era history and the recent war has created a loss of coordinates for the population. This research network responds to an on-the-ground need emanating from arts professionals within Abkhazia and is grounded on their terms. The emphasis is new art forms to better enable engagement with recent history and an alternative, inclusive future, avoiding problematic divisiveness of nationalism. It develops existing research interest and expertise of the PI and Co-I.
The network is structured equally between UK based and Abkhaz professionals. The Abkhaz contingent comprise a theatre professional and a curator, who will also connect the core network to local writers and performers. The UK based core network members are visual artists with expertise in practice-led research and scholarship on ethical engagement. The network's method is structured to identify areas of best practice through knowledge exchange, followed by workshops to co-create scripts and production designed for multi-platform performances. The aim is to discover new approaches and languages through the collaborative process. An advisory panel of scholars from Applied and Social Theatre, Post-Soviet art theory, curatorial practice and a member of an NGO with experience in art in conflict situations, will input expertise in relation to the wider context of the network's activities.
Abkhazia has a strong but traditional theatre scene and an under-developed but nascent infrastructure for contemporary visual art, hence this initiative of bringing them together. This network is conceived in order to harness the strengths of both, as well as deepening scholarship in the field. This network will ask, what can we learn from each other to better enable strategies for beneficial and psychologically relevant creative arts practices in post-conflict situations that are also artistically excellent and innovative? Abkhazia is our field site and builds on existing relationships and research of the PI. Our aim is not to create a generalized statement about post-conflict art, art-theatre collaboration or socially engaged practice, but instead to have a located approach, grounded in a specific location, in response to a specific post-conflict situation.
The network builds on practice-led research in Abkhazia undertaken by the PI, Sam Jury, between 2017 and 2020, working in partnership with the Abkhaz cultural centre SKLAD. The network seeks to address gaps in knowledge that became apparent during the process, that is, the misalignment between external agendas that tend to address more generalized issues, such as conflict trauma, and the complex reality in Abkhazia, where the longer view of Soviet era history and the recent war has created a loss of coordinates for the population. This research network responds to an on-the-ground need emanating from arts professionals within Abkhazia and is grounded on their terms. The emphasis is new art forms to better enable engagement with recent history and an alternative, inclusive future, avoiding problematic divisiveness of nationalism. It develops existing research interest and expertise of the PI and Co-I.
The network is structured equally between UK based and Abkhaz professionals. The Abkhaz contingent comprise a theatre professional and a curator, who will also connect the core network to local writers and performers. The UK based core network members are visual artists with expertise in practice-led research and scholarship on ethical engagement. The network's method is structured to identify areas of best practice through knowledge exchange, followed by workshops to co-create scripts and production designed for multi-platform performances. The aim is to discover new approaches and languages through the collaborative process. An advisory panel of scholars from Applied and Social Theatre, Post-Soviet art theory, curatorial practice and a member of an NGO with experience in art in conflict situations, will input expertise in relation to the wider context of the network's activities.
| Description | The creation of a network comprised of theatre and visual art theorists and practitioners, that met regularly over the duration of 18 months to critically analyse and evaluate theatre and visual art practices in the context of post-conflict situations. The emphasis was efficacy in relation to forward thinking and psychologically beneficial narratives. The analysis informed a series of practice-led workshops to test new methods of collaborative art towards innovative forms of hybrid performances. The resultant methods were then subject to critique and analysis of the network. The significant achievement of the award is a body of practice-led research, in the form of hybrid performance art and film, that embodies the critical thinking of experts in the field. This body of work will be part of seed research and correlating research questions that will be the basis of a larger funding bid. The award objectives are met as follows: • The full Network met for five substantial sessions over an 18 months period. Twice in person, three times on-line. • The Core Network, of arts practitioners and participants, met for an extended week long period and undertook five experimental workshops, testing approaches to visual art and theatre collaboration. • The Core Network created five performances based on the same script and three short films based on the strongest outcomes. • The Network achieved significant seed research for future funded. The award objective to collate and publish a case study and/or report on previous artists interventions in Abkhazia, live performance and film screenings has not yet been met. This was due to the inability to travel to Abkhazia as a result of the regional war in Ukraine. However, Abkhaz partners intend to host one performance and screening of the film outputs at SKLAD Cultural Space during 2024. |
| Exploitation Route | The findings will be taken forward by P-I Sam Jury, in partnership with Abkhaz partners in theatre and cultural provision, as seed research for a larger award. Likely an AHRC Project Grant. Key members of the advisory, notably experts in post-conflict theatre and post-Soviet art theory, are committed to the follow-on research. It is envisaged that the research site be expanded to include a parallel post-conflict context (likely the Balkans or Armenia). |
| Sectors | Creative Economy Culture Heritage Museums and Collections Other |