Körper machen Kontexte

§6 There are more relations than non-relations

Social, political and ethical contexts determine every work and perspective. What does this mean for collaboration? (Quote from Körper machen Kontexte, AGS’s of the Community of Practice at tanzhaus nrw).

A Community of Practice at tanzhaus nrw has designed a series of posters on AGBs – General Terms and Conditions. They are an invitation to think about unequal working conditions and necessary changes in existing and future collaborations.

The exhibition can be seen at the festival “Come Together” on all event days from one hour before the event starts.

The Community of Practice is an approach used, among others, in crisis and conflict research and in pedagogy to approach a problem or a concrete issue from different perspectives in a solution- and practice-oriented way. A group of people working artistically, producing, curating, writing and filming in the field of dance, performance and choreography have transferred this approach to the field of art in five workshops since 2021.

Through the exchange about the respective, sometimes very different working practices, common wishes and problems have been identified and questions formulated, including “How can we learn from and with each other in the exchange of specific practical knowledge? How can we develop strategies to respond to the distribution of power, structural exclusion mechanisms and unequal practices of representation in the arts. How can we actively influence these?”

At the end of this process there is a common gesture: a series of posters entitled Bodies Make Contexts.

Participating artists of Community of Practice: Ana Lessing Menjibar, Barbara Lubich, caner teker, Mamady Wegat, Sandra Noeth & ZOE (Marie-Zoe Buchholz), Initiated by Sandra Noeth and Anaïs Emilia Rödel in cooperation with Mijke Harmsen.

On the Community of Practice at tanzhaus nrw

Bodies make contexts

§1 Calculated provocations

(Structural) Non-equal working conditions (resources, knowledge, power relations) within a group are made transparent: how can they be balanced?  

§2 Hands in Glove 

Different living conditions (related to, e.g. mental and physical constitution or liabilities related to care work) are part of the work planning, are perceived and acknowledged.  

§3 We have a situation. I’ll back you up

Creating a framework for respectfully naming conflicts and misunderstandings and dealing with them in a learning process is the responsibility of everyone involved in a process.

§4 Exposure doesn’t pay your bills: Working together means committing to a transparent, fair and sustainable use of budgets, resources and intangible means of production.   

§5 Invisible Labor

All are committed to recognising and making visible emotional, intangible and mediating labour. 

§6 There are more relations than non-relationships

Social, political and ethical contexts determine every work and perspective. What does this mean for collaboration?