Now the project has been filmed it’s a great time for me to reflect on the practice and the project. What began as a small idea of dancing in a space soon become a beautiful tapestry of collaboration and co-creation, including different compositions and ways of making work.
The biggest shock for me during the process was the day of filming in the City. Some people laughed and would shout that we were dancing on the wrong side of the strip club, some people would stare but many also stopped, clapped and spoke to us. I had never expected this kind of communication on the day or for people to become as involved in the piece as they were. It was almost like I was so focused on the end piece I had forgot that performing it in the space was an event itself. Women would stop, clap and cheer; tag us in pics on twitter. Someone told me that they would never have expected to see this in this location ever and it transformed the feeling of the place for her. I couldn’t believe that I had not imagined what it would be like live, it felt so empowering. All the dancers were buzzed, the energy was electric.
As we danced sometimes the narrative would adapt, a certain step would suddenly mean something different in the space. It was beautiful to see the piece transform as it moulded into the location. Women who were sat at Coffee Tot’s were looking out the window watching us perform it with their children. It felt so beautiful to perform the piece for them. The community at Coffee Tot’s helped to choose which artwork would dress the other windows in the arcade. I was able to hear about some of their beautiful conversations and allow their anecdotes to inform some of the movements, so it felt incredible to see them watching the piece as it was brought to life.
Moving forward, the project taught me that space can transform a piece. All the objectives we had spoken about, saying we wanted to feel powerful and to re claim a space, we felt every word when we stood there ready to perform it. Jana’s beautiful camerawork has added another level of understanding and humanity to the piece. I really hope everyone enjoys it and asks themselves questions.
It has been an emotional project. We curated a special place to create work and hold powerful conversations and I will miss working with these incredible women. This piece is really for all women in Coventry. I writ this poem when I first got the commission and I wanted to share it with you as a final farewell:
Where Lady Godiva rid thru and spoke for women, now standing tall n proud on that horse waiting for someone to come and take the baton and keep speaking and speaking and speaking and speaking about women’s place in this mad city
Cos at the very beginning she was labelled bad, cee oh vee city of violence
The city that never sleeps
The city that twists and turns and coils and locks and innocent blood lines our streets trickling through the cracks to our grey, dark bricks.
She holds Art, she bleeds Art cut her open and lyrics would bleed through her wounds.
Together she, her, they, us.
The city that never sleeps the city that twists, turns, coils and locks but then creates and re-imagines and believes and loves and laughs and speaks and shouts and the streets that wait for us to stand on them and dance and kick and scream. The streets where little Amal walked and community walks and so many more will walk here and feel the power of our city beneath her.
We’re rebuilding and re-writing our narrative here. Reclaiming to let our daughters move differently in these streets. No shadow behind them but a path through the city which will care for her, nurture her, enable her,
for she is the foundation the city is built on.
Thankyou Cov.
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