Practice Based Research in the Arts

At the end of 2012 I took a truly enlightening Gamification course from Kevin Werbach. That online course was from The Wharton School through Coursera. Now at the end of 2013 I’ve just enrolled in a very exciting course, Practice Based Research in the Arts. Taught by Leslie Hill and Helen Paris at Stanford, through NovoED. Here’s the course description video:

from Stanford Online / NovoED:

Leslie Hill, Associate Professor, Performance Making.
Helen Paris, Associate Professor, Performance Making.
Ryan Tacata, PhD candidate, Stanford University.
Oct 09, 2013 – Dec 11, 2013.

A unique online course and multi-platform site dedicated to an interrogation of practice-based research in the arts. Users upload documentation and excerpts of work in progress alongside reflections with an emphasis placed on the intersections of creative and critical methodologies. This course centers on creating an opportunity for students to develop frameworks (context, tools and networks) which will enhance their ability to articulate practical-creative research within academic contexts. The online nature of this course stems from our desire to create an open forum for artist-scholars, national and international, who may wish to participate and form a convivial creative community of arts practitioners within the academy.

Mexico City, 1968

The course begins on 9 October. iRez’ own Fake Nadya Tolokno (Future President of Russia) is planning a new virtual public artwork, Mexico City, 1968 for 19 October. Perhaps we’ll be able to work with Mexico City 1968 in Practice Based Research in the Arts. Fake Nadya is interested in exploring the anniversary of Tommie Smith, Juan Carlos & Peter Norman’s “Black Power Salute” on the podium of the 200m event. She’s thinking about that moment vis-a-vis Kseniya Ryzhova and Tatyana Firov’s “Illegal Kiss” at the IAAF Track Championships in Moscow 2 weeks ago.

Practice Based Research in the Arts sounds like an exciting, engaging experience. Perhaps it will transform my work. Does it sounds interesting to you? Consider enrolling in this free course from NovoED. I’d love to share ideas and perhaps collaborate with you!

Leslie Hill & Helen Paris / Curious

Here is a description from the home page of Curious, the London-based performance art company that Hill and Paris direct:

“We call our company curious because what drives us as artists is an intense curiosity about the world in which we live.

“As curious we have produced over 40 projects in a range of disciplines including performance, installation, publication and film. Each of the projects starts with a question such as; “what smell reminds you of home?” (On the Scent); “what is lost and what is found in places undergoing rapid regeneration and change?” (Lost & Found); “why is the American gun lobby promoting feminine protection?” (Three Semi Automatics Just for Fun), “what do you long for and where do you belong?” (be)longing) and “what are gut feelings?” (Autobiology). Our investigations involve intimate, personal journeys alongside public research and enquiry. This leads us into collaborations and conversations with a huge range of people – truckstop waitresses, biological scientists, political refugees, occularists, nuclear weapons experts, sex workers, old folks’ social groups and lost property workers to name a few.

“Curious was formed in 1996 by Leslie Hill and Helen Paris. Since then, the company has developed a reputation for its edgy, humorous interrogations of contemporary culture and politics, work that has been called as smart as it is seductive.”