A curated gathering at Siobhan Davies Studios as part of their Percolate Programme.

Why is touch so important?
Why is it so complicated? 

This gathering explores our (no doubt) complex relationships with touch and consent. There will be space for provocation, conversation, watching, listening, doing, digesting and reflecting – led by a collection of artists and practitioners from the fields of dance, performance, neuroscience, therapy and disability. 

Human touch is fundamental to human communication, bonding and health. It is our first sense to develop in utero and our primary means for the spread of compassion and empathy. We live our lives through our bodies in a deeply tactile world – constantly touching and being touched. As we emerge from 18 months where touch was banned, and with the on-going reverberations of #metoo – where touch boundaries have been repeatedly violated – we are trying to work out how to be together (again).

This is an experiment at hosting a discursive event in an experiential and hybrid (in-person and online) way so that dialogues about touch and tactility are not abstracted into solely cognitive processes, but remain firmly rooted in our bodies.

This is a relaxed event – you are welcome to move around the building as you wish. There will be space for resting and crafting throughout the day. Refreshments and a plant based vegan lunch are included in the ticket price. You will be asked about your dietary requirements when booking.

Contributors

• Professor Michael Banissy, Social Neuroscientist

• Kimberley Harvey, Dance Artist

• Vera Tussing, Choreographer

• Vicky Malin, Dance Artist

• Fevered Sleep, Cross-disciplinary Arts Organisation

• Louise Tanoto, Dance Artist

• Dan Daw, Dance Artist

Click here for more information and booking