Welcoming our bodies and bastions of steel

Understanding the whole person, not just the thinking, but the body and considering approaches that are not predominantly or solely informed from a cis, white, male lens has been central to this year’s Festival. Reflecting and learning from approaches that are not extractive and acknowledging that, when considering how to commercialise culture, or act entrepreneurially with creativity we need to develop inclusive ways of working – not simply download a template and place it, however uncomfortably, or comfortably on others.

Stella Duffy is someone who inspires many, and we have benefitted from her generous sharing and improvisational talks – reminding us that you can only improvise if you really know your area and skillset. Today she encouraged us to engage our body when researching, thinking, writing – to acknowledge where we have come from and how it and others inspire us. It was an incredibly powerful, rich and thoughtful session, providing techniques that we can take forward into our own practice. “It is the edges of our maps we want to get to – and, we want to fall off” she encouraged.

Ensuring that approaches to Inclusion and Diversity are authentic and that practice, education and enterprise develop ways of working that ensure equity was underlined in Jessica Allen’s contribution to the Festival. We heard examples of when she had been invited to deliver trans-inclusive work, but then had been stopped, questioned and subjected to abuse. With compassion Jessica gave us insight into how we could listen, deeply, ask and support people who are marginalised. Jessica also gave us insights into how careers in the cultural industries, perhaps particularly dance, benefit from entrepreneurial approaches. “Be a bastion of iron for the people who need it. Be a barrier for them. We need it now more than ever” and “don’t say or be an ally – be better”.

Both speakers stimulated conversation and positive changes in our ways of being and working.