Alter State Festival
Recorded as part of the Alter State Festival 2022 and proudly supported by the Besen Family Foundation. Alter State is a major disability arts festival celebrating contemporary art and live performance by artists from Australia and Aotearoa (NZ).
Radical Processes
Making a circus show grounded in community-care and self-care.
In this video, creatives of the new Women’s Circus show, Momentum, reflect on their two year process. Together, they devised shared principles of self care, deep listening and meeting people where they were at. By doing so, they created a show where mental health took priority, and the whole ensemble was allowed to fully exist as complex performers and individuals.
Movement, breath and improvisation
Improving wellbeing and creativity
In this video, Vanessa Chapple facilitates a discussion with artists from Women’s Circus about how movement and improvisation impacts their mental wellbeing and creativity. Performers Vivienne Halat and Melinda Smith activate their bodies and the space through a somatic exploration, guided by co-director Jo Dunbar.
Lived Experience
What place does your experience of mental distress or disability have on your art?
Dan, Rhen and Andi reflect on how their lived experience intersects with their art practices. Andi shares a poem she wrote that highlights how art can explore personal experiences of disability and mental distress. The conversation investigates themes of self expression, community, identity and privilege.
Facilitated by Artemis Munoz (they/them)
Panellists:
- Andi Snelling (she/her)
- Dan Graham (he/him)
- Rhen Soggee (they/them)
Advocacy and slow time
What can we do to make creating easier for artists who have lived experience of mental distress or disability?
Dan, Rhen and Andi share their vision for a supportive arts industry and what artists living with a disability and/or experiencing mental distress may need to thrive professionally and be creative.
Facilitated by Artemis Munoz (they/them)
Panellists:
- Andi Snelling (she/her)
- Dan Graham (he/him)
- Rhen Soggee (they/them)
Alter State
Radical Processes: Making a circus show grounded in community-care and self-care.
In this video, we hear from Jo Dunbar, co-director of new Women’s Circus show Momentum and performers Vivienne Halat and Melinda Smith. They discuss some of the methods of collaboration and devising they developed over two years of working together, and the shared principles grounded in self care, deep listening and the idea of meeting people where they were at. They talk about balancing their mental health and how the principles developed by the whole ensemble gave them permission to fully exist as complex performers and individuals.Â
Movement, breath and improvisation to improve wellbeing and creativity
In this video, Vanessa Chapple facilitates a discussion with artists from Women’s Circus about how movement and improvisation impacts their mental wellbeing and creativity. Performers Vivienne Halat and Melinda Smith activate their bodies and the space through a somatic exploration, guided by co-director Jo Dunbar.
What place does your experience of mental distress or disability have on your art?
In this video, Dan, Rhen and Andi reflect on how their lived experience of both disability and mental distress intersects with their art practices. Andi shares a poem she wrote that highlights how art can explore personal experiences of disability and mental distress. The conversation investigates themes of self expression, community, identity and privilege.
Facilitated by Artemis Munoz (they/them) | Panellists: Andi Snelling (she/her) ; Dan Graham (he/him); Rhen Soggee (they/them)
Advocacy and slow time – What can we do to make creating easier for artists who have lived experience of mental distress or disability?
In this video, Dan, Rhen and Andi share their vision for a supportive arts industry and what artists living with a disability and/or experiencing mental distress may need to thrive professionally and be creative.
Facilitated by Artemis Munoz (they/them) | Panellists: Andi Snelling (she/her) ; Dan Graham (he/him); Rhen Soggee (they/them)
