{"id":11023,"date":"2020-07-28T14:41:26","date_gmt":"2020-07-28T13:41:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.museums.cam.ac.uk\/blog\/?p=11023"},"modified":"2020-09-04T14:49:25","modified_gmt":"2020-09-04T13:49:25","slug":"there-is-a-piece-of-me-inside-this-painting-now","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.museums.cam.ac.uk\/blog\/2020\/07\/28\/there-is-a-piece-of-me-inside-this-painting-now\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018There is a piece of me inside this painting now\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"

The idea of dance within a Museum<\/h3>\n

When we began the Dance with the Museum programme<\/a>, one of our core aims was to engage participants with the beauty and inspiration that is the Fitzwilliam<\/a>. Exquisite architecture, beautifully proportioned rooms, graceful decor – the very experience of being in those rooms was integrated into appreciating the art. Together, Ruth Clarke (Inclusion Associate) and myself had a shared vision, to bring music and movement into the Museum to nourish conversation and connection: between the different art forms, between participants and paintings, between confidence and agency.<\/p>\n

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The creative practice<\/h3>\n

In this programme, to fully appreciate an artwork means you slow down, become comfortable, and open yourself to heightened sense-based awareness.\u00a0 In order to move into the focused attention these pai<\/span>ntings merit, you need to allow yourself time to take in the space you<\/span>\u00a0are in, the company, your own state of being.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>Our group participants<\/span>\u00a0have<\/span>\u00a0bec<\/span>o<\/span>me increasingly skilled at appreciating processes of subjective and open-ended engagement.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>The sessions, both at the\u00a0<\/span>M<\/span>useum and in the\u00a0<\/span>community, setting<\/span>\u00a0are<\/span>\u00a0never didactic lectures<\/span>\u00a0– the<\/span>y<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>a<\/span>re<\/span>\u00a0rich\u00a0<\/span>and\u00a0<\/span>experiential<\/span>,<\/span>\u00a0where what lies\u00a0<\/span>within oneself is key to unlocking what lies <\/span>within the painting.<\/span><\/p>\n

A closed Museum<\/h3>\n

What happens then, when the museum closes its doors, the team is dispersed, and the groups can no longer meet<\/span>?<\/span>\u00a0 It was never going to be enough to direct our participants to a website and invite them to scroll alone through an emptied museum – without the vibrancy of companions, interesting conversation<\/span>\u00a0and\u00a0<\/span>embodied presence.\u00a0 We were aware in the\u00a0<\/span>immediate weeks of lockdown of the strong risk for isolation and loneliness in people.\u00a0 We knew the pandemic was going to\u00a0<\/span>change the programme<\/span><\/a>\u00a0<\/span>and thought hard about how to continue delivering an offer that maintained vitality and shared engagement.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

We<\/span><\/span>\u00a0quickly established the possibility of continuing to meet fortnightly with our groups via\u00a0<\/span><\/span>conference phone calls<\/span><\/span><\/a>\u00a0– allowing us to continue looking and sharing togethe<\/span><\/span>r<\/span><\/span>. Printed copies of the paintings were sent out to all participants and to our partner o<\/span><\/span>rganisations.\u00a0<\/span><\/span>However,<\/span><\/span>\u00a0we realised there wasn\u2019t the infrastructure to reach every person in the partner organisations<\/span><\/span>\u00a0and we wanted to create an offer that could be accessed by anyone at\u00a0<\/span><\/span>any time<\/span><\/span>.\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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Growing the practice – creating films<\/h3>\n

We decided to\u00a0<\/span>create a series of films looking at some of the\u00a0<\/span>favourite<\/span>\u00a0paintings<\/span><\/a>.\u00a0 We wanted to stay true to core values: shared looking anchored by building relaxed presence, calm focus, and ample opportunities for self-expression.\u00a0 We particular<\/span>ly wanted people to feel we were still right there with them. Firmly continuing our invitation to enjoy slow<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>and embodied looking, the films begin with a guided relaxation,\u00a0<\/span>then take you into<\/span>\u00a0looking at the painting<\/span>\u00a0and<\/span>\u00a0end<\/span>\u00a0with a balanced amount of information about the\u00a0<\/span>artist and the artwork.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n