Social change & Education
2023 // La Voce del Corpo Altro - Laboratorio pratiche psico-corporee | (The voice of the Other Body-Hub for mind and embodied practices)
In a Western context, where mind and body are perceived as separate, the hub “ La voce del Corpo Altro” aims to create a first meeting space to support a process of observation and reappropriation.
As people with diverse backgrounds, diverse skin nuances, and plural stories, the environment we live in, often shows itself as repelling and expulsive. Consequently, our bodies react with triggering mechanics that keep repeating themselves. This repetition forces the body to adopt them as the normality.
We are conscious that we are immersed in a reality in which our skin and bodies are loaded by other people's prejudices. The will is to expand the space of the perception of the self to allow us to observe through a new lens and give voice to what the body communicates.
The aim is to shift the focus and bring consciousness of our mechanics, dynamics, and patterns, to learn to recognize them and allow the listening and the discovery to happen.
In collaboration with:
Murphy Tomadin (Pysicologist and AFAR activist) and Carmela Iziegbe ( Artist, AFAR, CHAMPS Activist)
Creating a Process - An Independent Project Development
Creating a project - An individual Project Development is an approach and practical method developed for dance students that are interested in the sociological, political, cultural and anthropological background of a specific Afri Diasporic dance studies. The aim is the development of a critical and reflective essay that connects academia and movement; which places as a foundation the necessity to connect the individual story and research with the History.
The topic is approached as “alive” material in its discovery of the symbolism, the movement vocabulary connected and its physical exploration.
It is a lecture given to dance students at Irie! Dance Theatre (BA) in Diverse Dance Styles (the curriculum requires 40% of Theory). The lecture explained a practical method to develop critical and reflective essay connecting and exploring the following elements:
Topic chosen
Sociological, Political, Cultural or/and Anthropological background
Connected bibliography
Auto-Reflection-Personal story to History
Physical exploration
Symbolism
Movement vocabulary connected
Description of the abstract
Art of the Movement for Social Change
In a world of displaced humans: educators, mentors and teachers need to adapt their approach to a new era of diversity in our everyday reality. The Italian school system seems at the beginning of the conversation in how to approach a multicultural backgrounds in its students. It has became a necessity to begin from the deconstruction of potential limiting narrative that can influence the relationship between the educator and the students.
The noun Afri* is used as More Than an Africa: Africa and its Diaspora creates and has created different sub environment where people, artists and dance makers have found different way to express it. The term Afri is used as a description of this reality.
The following lecture has been given supported by the Ministry of Education, University and Research of Italy/ Marco Polo -Istituto Comprensivo di Trieste (IT) Diversity & Inclusion in Dance for teachers and ATA educators training, and explores the following elements:
Different from who? Until you told me
Other body | The importance of representation
Diversity and inclusion | Local and Global Panorama
Fragility= Difficulty=Expressivity=Necessity
You & Us
Curiosity vs Judgment
Not Knowing
Practical Exercise
2022 // Ofelia Balogun Full Speech at the EICS
The Edinburgh International Culture Summit brings together Culture Ministers, artists, thinkers and arts leaders from around the world to share ideas, expertise and best practice, with a view to inspiring positive change in cultural policy and investment.
The Summit seeks to emphasise the importance of artistic exchange in a world that is increasingly complex and multi-lateral.
Culture and the arts have an inestimable impact on the vibrancy of the world we create and on the strength of the relations we create with each other”
In the August 2022, Ofelia Balogun has been invited as a youth contributor to give a talk about Dance, culture and education and participate as a relator to the panel of “ Creating a Creative Curriculum” on behalf of Irie! Dance Theatre.