Voice as Instrument: Performance Poets in Conversation
(2023)
author(s): JillR
published in: Journal of Sonic Studies
This videoed conversation with two young spoken word artists, Ryan Sinclair and Sipho Ndlovu, took place in Autumn 2022 and explored their motivations to pursue what many would view currently as a precarious career in the creative and cultural industries. The project was prompted by findings from a doctoral research study undertaken by Jill Robinson in collaboration with Beatfreeks, a youth engagement organisation founded in Birmingham by Anisa Morridadi in 2013. It uses creative practices to build young people’s confidence and competences and open up opportunities for them to disrupt the unequal power relationship between them and policymakers.
There was no ‘dry run’ for the recording as Jill wanted Ryan and Sipho to speak in the moment and not come with well-prepared responses to questions provided in advance; hence the pauses and stops and starts on the recording as each of them take time to reflect before answering. Inter alia, they consider how their own experiences of growing up in Birmingham have shaped their interest in music and spoken word and how these have enabled them to make their own and other young people's voices not only to be heard but listened to by those with decision-making powers over their daily lives
Ryan and Sipho will perform their poetry as part of the launch event for this special issue on 10 March 2023. Details will be made available shortly.
The application of creative practice as a means of disrupting or re-defining the dynamics of power in, with or for different communities.
(2022)
author(s): Sabrin Hasbun, Gareth Osborne, Rachel Carney, Julika Gittner, Catherine Cartwright, agnes villette, Harry Matthews
published in: Journal for Artistic Research
In this exposition, seven research practitioners investigate how creative practice can be applied as a form of knowledge production in order to disrupt or re-define the dynamics of power in a range of different contexts. These applications of creative practice take varied and complex forms, often transferring creativity from the practitioner-researcher to their participants, increasing participant agency or re-defining existing hierarchies, as they form, empower, and enlighten real and conceptual communities. This collaborative exposition has been developed through presentations and discussions over the course of two years. Although each researcher applies different methodologies to their individual projects, our work as a group followed a pattern of creative practice, reflection, and reformulation, as we responded to each other’s research, creating a research community of our own. We want to emphasize that creative practice can not only disrupt or re-define the dynamics of power in a range of different contexts, but that it can do this in an infinite number of ways. In this variety and adaptability lies the potential of creative research.