Fragile? Symposium Dance, Arts and Visual Impairment Tallinn University Estonia 19 to 21 April 2013 This project is supported by: European Union Culture Programme Project partners: Tallinn University, Bærum Kulturhus, Vo’Arte, Salamanda Tandem Collaboration partners: Dance Theatre Tee Kuubis, Film Studio Ikoon Ltd, Põhja-Eesti Pimedate Ühing [North Estonian Association for the Blind] Sponsors: Eesti Kultuurkapital [Cultural Endowment of Estonia], Kulturrådet, Arts Council Norway, Governo de Portugal, Secretario de Estado da Cultura [Government of Portugal, Secretary of State for Culture]. Supported by National Lottery through Arts Council England, British Council Estonia, Royal Norwegian Embassy Tallinn, DGArtes: Direção-Geral das Artes [Directorate General of the Arts], Norwegian Embassy, Norges Blindeforbund [Norwegian Blind Association], Braille Bureau Nottinghamshire England,

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Page 1

Introduction to the symposium programme

Welcome to the Fragile? symposium set here in the beautiful city of Tallinn.

Project partners, Bærum Kulturhus (Norway), Vo'Arte (Portugal), Tallinn University (Estonia) and Salamanda Tandem (England), thank you for joining us to create this European wide gathering of practitioners, participants, artists, and academics, engaged in the fields of dance, art and visual impairment.

We aim throughout the Fragile? symposium to encourage debate, participation, provocation, and appreciation of the contributions of visually impaired people and their collaborative partners in the fields of dance, performance, wellbeing and art.

The symposium programme has been brought together by our Fragile? curator, Isabel Jones, who, in shaping the themes and working closely with partners and contributors, has devised a fascinating event for us consisting of more than 25 separate participatory experiences, inclusive presentations, exhibits and performances.

Events will be presented by an exciting array of visually impaired and sighted experts from all over Europe debating, showing, and performing their work in response to the symposium themes.

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Symposium Themes

Art: an inclusive aesthetic How inclusive is dance as an art form for visually impaired people? What are we doing to make it more so? What affects are there on the ‘Art’ of an inclusive aesthetic?

Training and Work: routes and barriers What shifts are needed both attitudinal and physical for visually impaired people to enter the performing arts as professionals? Where, for whom, and how has it been done well?

Wellbeing: value and appreciation Is dance/art valuable to visually impaired people and, if so, how? How far does this value extend, and does it extend to audiences?

Background to the Symposium: Fragile becomes Fragile?

The symposium marks the culmination of a landmark EU funded project, founded by the Norwegian choreographer Kjersti Kramm Engebrigtsen named “Fragile”. Kjersti stimulated by a desire to share her experiences of dance with blind people Europe wide, and the fragility of this work, invited Estonian choreographer Ajjar Ausma and Portuguese choreographer Ana Rita Barata to join her in developing the project.

Morton Walderhaug from Bærum Kulturhus (Norway) provided the bedrock of support to raise EU money and bring Vo’Arte (Portugal), Tallinn University (Estonia) and Salamanda Tandem (UK) on board to realise the project

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In 2011 Kjersti, Ana Rita and Ajjar started work, supported by project partners and coordinators Marianne Bilger, Clara Antunes and Karmen Ong. Crossing art as well as country borders, the team included composers, costume and lighting designers, and documentary filmmakers from different countries. Including local visually impaired people, dance teachers and specialist educators in the field of visual impairment, the process was designed to anchor the project within local populations in each country. Kjersti, Ana and Ajjar present their culmination as three new choreographic works: “Touched” (Kjersti K Englebrigsten), “Edge” (Ana Rita Barata) and “Plexus” (Ajjar Ausma). Premiered on 30th March 2013 in Lisbon, then performed in Oslo and now in Tallinn at Kumu, we welcome these new works to our symposium.

As part of the process Kjersti, Ana and Ajjar invited English choreographer Isabel Jones to Norway. Inspired by her 30 years of practice and lived experience of the work, she was invited to become curator of this final symposium event to expand the potential of the project to include others. Isabel then introduced a ? suggesting the potential of Fragile? to be a centre for debate and enquiry.

Please find our detailed programme and information on all the Fragile? symposium contributors from page 5 of this booklet.

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A chance to perform Fragile?

As part of her role as curator, Isabel presents a new site specific performance for Astra our host building at Tallinn University. The final work is called Ad Astra, which means, to the stars.

Designed to celebrate a European wide community of interest and people who share a passion for this work, Isabel will bring together all the Fragile choreographers and dancers, with Fragile? contributors and delegates through collective performance.

Isabel works with Salamanda Tandem colleagues including: dancers Mickel Smithen and Indra Slavena, photographer Geoffrey Fielding and co-composer Duncan Chapman, to bring this work to Tallinn. The Estonian String Quartet ‘Amaroza’, will also play live a new piece of music composed especially for the event.

Your choreographic brief if you wish to accept it

Find a partner to help you get to know the Astra building like a friend. One of you can use sight and the other use touch.

Explore Astra and settle in on a place you feel most at home in or are most interested in exploring.

Taking turns to follow each other, bring the space to life in your minds eye through touch, movement and listening.

Hold this moment in your imagination. Record this moment in words with Duncan. Then be ready to dance or witness this moment as a collective ensemble at 14:00 on Sunday. Go to next page for Friday’s schedule

Page 5, Friday

Friday 19 April 2013 14:00 to 16:30 Registration at Astra (Tallinn University Conference Centre) 15:30 Speakers and volunteers meet symposium curator, Isabel Jones, and symposium personnel: Karin Org, Marianne Bilger, Eveli Kuuse, Geoffrey Fielding and Duncan Chapman, at Astra. 16:30 to 18:00 An opportunity to sightsee the medieval town of Tallinn. Please book in advance at: http://www.tlu.ee/fragile. 16:30 to 18:00 Guided tour of Astra for visually impaired delegates with our Estonian team of volunteers. 16:30 to 18:00 An opportunity to visit Kumu Art Museum exhibition, "Listen and touch", together with a special guide, in Estonian or English. Please book in advance at: http://www.tlu.ee/fragile. 18:00 to 23:00 Delegates can gather together at the Symposium Café. The Symposium Café is Odessa located on Narva Road 36. End of Friday’s schedule Go to next page for Saturday’s schedule

Page 6, Saturday

Saturday 20 April 2013 08:30 to 09:30 Arrivals and registration in the Atrium at Astra, Tallinn University. 09:30 to 10:00 Welcome session for delegates in the Lecture Theatre. English to Estonian, Estonian to English translation available. 09:30 to 09:40 Our Tallinn University host, Orest Kormašov (Head of the Department, Institute of Fine Arts). 09:40 to 09:50 Lead Fragile partner, Morton Walderhaug, from Bærum Kulturhus (Norway) introduces the other partners: Vo’Arte (Portugal), Salamanda Tandem (England), Tallinn University (Estonia) and Project Coordinator, Marianne Bilger. 09:50 to 10:05 Artistic Director, Kjersti Engebrigsten. 10:05 to 10:10 Symposium Curator, Isabel Jones. Saturday’s schedule continued on next page

Page 7, Saturday 10:10 to 10:30 Keynote: Per Koren Solvang (Norway). “Between art therapy and disability aesthetics”. 10:30 to 10:50 Keynote: “Silent rhythm: absent dancer. A reflection on sensory impairment as a source of creativity and inspiration”. Kaite O’Reilly (Wales). 11:00 to 11:30 Break time in the Lecture Theatre Foyer and Atrium. 11:30 to 12:45 Presentations and participatory workshops on the theme of “Art: an inclusive aesthetic”. Three lecture demos will be given in the Lecture Theatre with three workshops taking place around the venue. Lecture Demo One: “Audio description: The art of dancing with

words”. Josélia Neves (Portugal). Lecture Demo Two: “A professional visually impaired artistic

director’s experience”. Maria Oshodi (UK). Lecture Demo Three: “Giving clear markers: Duo Milonguita”.

Izabela Morska (Poland). Saturday’s schedule continued on next page

Page 8, Saturday Workshop One: “Expressing the vision within: body mapping

sensory art workshop”. Rachel Gadsden (England). Room A121. Workshop Two: “The acaJOUET tool for visually impaired

choreographers and dance makers”. Delphine Demont and José Luis Pagés (France). Room A046.

Workshop Three is in two parts: An Estonian line dancing

workshop led by Kristin Kurtna (Estonia), and tactile map building led by Lee Sass (UK). Room A018 and café area.

12:45 to 14:00 Lunch in the café. 14:00 to 15:10 Plenary session for all delegates in the Lecture Theatre on the theme: “Training and work - routes and barriers”. There will be two parts: Presentation: “Training, creation, performing: professional

blind dancer's experience”. Saïd Gharbi (Belgium). A round table discussion with VIP contributors including: Maria

Oshodi (UK), Mickel Smithen (UK), Riho Roosioja (Estonia), Rachel Gadsden (UK), Kaite O’Reilly (Wales), Erik Loide and Ülle Lepp (Estonia), Sülvi Sarapuu (Estonia).

Saturday’s schedule continued on next page

Page 9, Saturday 15:20 to 16:20 Lecture demonstrations and workshops. There will be a lecture demonstration in the Lecture Theatre and three workshops taking place around the venue. Documentary Films: “The Fragile project revealed”.

Three film makers: Maria Lloyd (Norway) - “Into The Unknown”, Pedro Sena Nunes (Portugal) - “Edge”, and Vahur Laiapea (Estonia) - “See You On Stage” share the project on film in the Lecture Theatre.

Workshop 1: “Graphic image creation process in the conditions

of non-seeing: descriptive gestures, non-visual experience” led by Diana Raudoniene (Lithuania). Room A121.

Workshop 2: “Blind Duets”. A movement workshop led by Ana

Stegnar and Saïd Gharbi (Belgium). Room A046. 16:20 to 16:50 Tea, coffee and snacks in the Atrium and Lecture Theatre Foyer. Opportunity to wander and meet other delegates and network. Exhibitions continue. Saturday’s schedule continued on next page

Page 10, Saturday 16:45 to 17:30 Feedback session on the day for all delegates in the Lecture Theatre. 17:30 to 18:30 Walk to Kumu café and departures to Kumu. 19:00 to 19:15 Visually impaired delegates meet the dancers on stage. 19:30 Performances at Kumu. Plexus (Ajjar Ausma). Edge (Ana Rita Barata). Touched (Kjersti K Engebrigsten). 21:00 onwards Reception party at Kumu. End of Saturday’s schedule Go to next page for Sunday’s schedule

Page 11, Sunday

Sunday 21 April 2013 09:30 to 11:00 Debate in the Lecture Theatre. “Art: an inclusive aesthetic” led by Professor Mick Wallis (UK). English to Estonian, Estonian to English translation available. 11:00 to 11:30 Tea and coffee break. 11:30 to 12:45 Presentations, lecture demos and participatory workshops on the theme of “Wellbeing: value and appreciation”. Three lecture demos will be given in the Lecture Theatre with two workshops taking place around the venue. Lecture Demo One: “Designing with or for?”

Sarah Kettley (UK).

Lecture Demo Two: “Art walking, psycho geography and visual impairment”. David Feeny (Scotland).

Lecture Demo Three: “The golden age – a multisensory guide

on art”. Gregor Strutz (Germany). Sunday’s schedule continued on next page

Page 12, Sunday Workshop One: “Tactile books: a participatory experience” led

by Sülvi Sarapuu (Estonia). Room A121. Workshop Two: Touchdown Dance workshop led by Katy

Dymoke (UK). Room A046. Tactile map building with Lee Sass (UK). Café area. 12:45 to 14:00 Lunch in the café. 14:00 to 14:45 Site specific performance directed by Isabel Jones of Salamanda Tandem (UK) in the Atrium. 14:50 to 15:00 Thank you to all contributors in the Atrium. Sunday’s schedule continued on next page

Page 13, Sunday 15:15 to 16:30 “What do we take with us?” Final session in the Lecture Theatre. English to Estonian, Estonian to English translation available. This session will include: Discussion in groups of four focusing on issues that have

emerged. Findings and conclusions posted up around the room. Tactile mapping and key points drawn together. 16:30 Tea and coffee with light snacks. Opportunity to explore the tactile map. Café Area. 17:30 Symposium close. 20:00 to 23:00 Gathering at the Symposium Café (Odessa, Narva Road 36). End of Sunday’s schedule and symposium

Page 14 Name of contributor: Per Koren Solvang, Norway. Symposium contribution: keynote presentation. 10:10 to 10:30, Saturday 20 April in the Lecture Theatre. “Between art therapy and disability aesthetics”. Per argues that what emerges as art and how it is categorised is a collective process taking place in art worlds and involving a wide array of social actors. The intersection between disability and art also includes health care professionals and the disability movement as important social actors. He will explore the relation between four ways of framing the intersection between disability and art. These are art therapy, outsider art, disability art and disability aesthetics. The discussion is based on an interview study with disability art affiliated artists in the USA and UK with a focus on how they position themselves in this landscape of relations between art and disability. Role/organisation: Professor, Faculty of Health Sciences, Oslo and Akershus University College of Applied Sciences. Per Koren Solvang’s entry continued on next page

Page 15 – Per Koren Solvang, continued Biography: Per was an associate professor for three years, followed by four years as a professor in the Department of Sociology, University of Bergen, and three years at the Faculty of Health Sciences, Oslo and Akershus University College of Applied Sciences. He has taught at all levels within these institutions and supervises graduate students. Per was a participant in “Vulnerability as a strength”, a multidisciplinary health research network led by Kirsti Malterud, University of Bergen and funded by the Eckbo Legacy (2002 to 2008). Please go to next page for next entry

Page 16 Name of contributor: Kaite O’Reilly, UK. (http://www.kaiteoreilly.com). Symposium contribution: keynote presentation. 10:30 to 10:50, Saturday 20 April in the Lecture Theatre. “Silent rhythm: absent dancer. A reflection on sensory impairment as a source of creativity and inspiration”. Kaite argues that a visual impairment is destabilising. It is maverick, changeable, a transformative shape shifter. She argues this is surely the ideal conditions for undertaking creative endeavors. Sensory impairment as the starting point for creativity for two visually impaired artists and one deaf dancer is an example of what Kaite coins “alternative dramaturgies informed by a deaf and disability perspective” outlining the processes, structures, content and form which reinvent, subvert or critique “traditional” or “conventional” representations and routes. Role/organisation: playwright and dramaturg. Biography: Kaite is an award winning playwright working in the mainstream and UK disability arts and cultural sectors. Kaite O’Reilly’s entry continued on next page

Page 17 - Kaite O’Reilly, continued She received the 2011 Ted Hughes Award for “New Works in Poetry for Persians” with National Theatre Wales, and won the Peggy Ramsay Award for “Yard”. Translated as “Schlacthaus”, it ran in repertoire at the Maxim Gorki Theatre for two years. She was a finalist of the 2009 International Susan Smith Blackburn Award for “The Almond and the Seahorse (Sherman Cymru)”. Productions in 2012 included “The Echo Chamber” with Phillip Zarrilli and The Llanarth Group, and “LeanerFasterStronger”, a co-production with Chol/Sheffield Crucible Theatres in May of that year. “In Water I’m Weightless” with the National Theatre Wales was premiered at the Wales Millennium Centre in August 2012 before transferring to London’s Southbank Centre as part of the official Cultural Olympiad celebrating the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games and was an Unlimited commission for deaf and disabled artists. Kaite was an Arts and Humanities Research Council's Creative Fellow at Exeter University 2003 to 2006, her research through practice being “Alternative dramaturgies informed by a deaf and disability perspective”. This work led onto her current fellowship at Freie Universitat's International Research Centre, “Interweaving performance cultures”, where she will explore her reflections on deaf culture and hearing culture, and mainstream culture and disability culture. Please go to next page for next entry

Page 18 Name of contributor: Josélia Neves, Portugal. Symposium contribution: presentation. 11:30 to 12:45, Saturday 20 April in the Lecture Theatre. “Audio description. The art of dancing with words”. Josélia will address the issue of making dance performances available to blind patrons through audio description, that is, the art of describing visual elements to people with visual impairment. She will argue that the challenge lies in the relay of messages that are simultaneously objective (bodies, images, lighting) and subjective, whilst also needing to make sense of a narrative line that spreads throughout the performance but which is bound by sound, time, sequence and rhythm. Role/organisation: Instituto Politécnico de Leiria. (joselia.neves@ipleiria.pt). Josélia Neves’s entry continued on next page

Page 19 – Josélia Neves, continued Biography: Josélia has a degree in Modern Languages and Literatures, an MA in English Studies and a PhD in Translation Studies with a dissertation on subtitling for the deaf and hearing impaired. She teaches at the Instituto Politécnico de Leiria and at the Universidade de Coimbra in Portugal. She is guest lecturer at various universities in Europe. She has carried out a number of projects within the field of sensory accessibility for the media, live performances and cultural venues. Apart from publishing a set of guidelines on subtitling and audio description, which are being used by broadcasters in Portugal, Brazil and African Portuguese speaking countries, she has published widely in international scientific journals and has made regular contributions towards collective volumes on accessible communication and audiovisual translation. She has recently completed a postdoctoral research project at the Imperial College of London which addresses inclusive communication in museums. Please go to next page for next entry

Page 20 Name of contributor: Maria Oshodi, UK. Symposium contribution: presentation. 11:30 to 12:45, Sunday 21 April in the Lecture Theatre. “A professional visually impaired artistic director’s experience”. Maria will talk about her work as the Artistic Director of Extant, and how, in its pioneering approach to management for and by visually impaired professional arts practitioners, she pushes boundaries, is consultative and achieves high production values. Role/organisation: Extant, UK. (http://www.extant.org.uk). Biography: Maria Oshodi worked as a playwright for theatre from 1984 to1992. Her plays include: “The S Bend, Blood Sweat and Fears, From Choices to Chocolate”, “Here comes a Candle and Hound”, all of which were produced by national touring companies such as Talawa and Graeae and later published by Longmans, Metheuen and John Murray. After graduating with a first class Bachelor of Arts honors degree in Drama and English, she worked in arts management and for BBC drama production. In 1997 she founded Extant, one of the first visually impaired performing arts companies in the UK managed by visually impaired artists. In 2008 Extant became a Regularly Funded Organisation of Arts Council England and is now one of their new National Portfolio Organisations. Please go to next page for next entry

Page 22 Name of contributor: Dr Izabela Morska, Poland. Symposium Contribution: presentation. 11:30 to 12:45, Saturday 20 April. “Giving clear markers: Duo Milonguita”. Izabela will present a brief history of her and her partner’s, Lilly-Marie Lamar’s, existence as Duo Milonguita. Performing to Argentinian tango music, their stage appearances epitomize queerness: neither able bodied, at least not in a standard way, nor heterosexual, they practice what Susan Sontag terms “camp art”. Role/organisation: Lecturer and performer. Biography: Izabela Morska holds degrees from Mills College, the Polish Academy of Sciences, and Gdansk University Poland where she now teaches in the English Department. She is a Kosciuszko Foundation and an Iowa International Writers' Workshop fellow and author of several books of poetry, fiction, and nonfiction. Izabela is also a former ISEEES Visiting Scholar and BBRG Affiliated Scholar at the University of California, Berkeley as well as a Yaddo Fellow. She is currently working on her new nonfiction book, “Philomela's sister: debt and its literary associations”. Please go to next page for next entry

Page 23 Name of contributor: Rachel Gadsden, UK. Symposium contribution: workshop. 11:30 to 12:45, Saturday 20 April. “Expressing the vision within: body mapping sensory art workshop”. During this physical and artistic workshop participants will discover the process of body mapping, a powerful tool to vision how life experience is stored in your body. Accessible to everyone, body mapping gives participants the tool to use your body as a relievable compass to navigate life journeys and awaken creativity. Rachel believes everyone can draw but most people have just never had the opportunity to express themselves creatively. During this hands on, energetic, physical, dynamic workshop (adapted to suit everyone’s access needs), Rachel will awaken the artist in everyone. She argues that creating artwork is not about what you are able to “see”, it is about sharing your “vision”. This understanding is the foundation for what participants will experience in this workshop. Role/organisation: Visual Artist. Rachel Gadsden’s entry continued on next page

Page 24 – Rachel Gadsden, continued Biography: Rachel has a Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts degree in Fine Art and is a contemporary British visual artist who exhibits internationally and works across mainstream and disability art sectors in the UK and internationally. Rachel’s artistic methodology is expressionistic, energetic and raw, echoing the deepest motivations of what it is to be human. Six years ago Rachel became visually impaired having been diagnosed as having retinoschisis. Initially confounded by the impact this might have on her professional visual artistic practice she became conscious of two things: firstly, that visual artistic expression is not necessarily adversely affected by visual impairment; secondly, that this same limitation can also serve to enhance the breadth of artistic vision. Ultimately freed by the latter notion, Rachel continues to expand her artistic horizons working as a professional visual and performance artist in UK and internationally across mainstream and disability sectors. Please go to next page for next entry

Page 25 Name of contributors: Delphine Demont and José Luis Pagés, (France). Symposium contribution: presentation. 11:30 to 12:45, Saturday 20 April. “The acaJOUET tool for visually impaired choreographers and dance makers”. During this workshop, Delphine and José Luis will present their work in collaboration together and will introduce delegates to their practice and to the acaJOUET choreographic tool. The tool is designed to enable visually impaired people to choreograph though a tactile score. As part of the workshop, Delphine will also show videos, photos and extracted videos of “Clairières”, the duet Delphine made with dancer Saïd Gharbi. Role/organisation: Acajou, France. (http://acajou.m4ne.com). Biography: Delphine Demont is a choreographer and dancer and the director of Acajou Company since 2005 with the dancer José Luis Pagés. They both work on questioning what is visual in dancing or teaching dance. They have been working with the visually impaired community since 2005 offering workshops, masterclasses, creations and specific tools. Please go to next page for next entry

Page 26 Name of contributor: Kristin Kurtna, Estonia. Symposium contribution: workshop demonstration. 11:30 to 12:00, Saturday 20 April. Estonian line dancing workshop. Kristin will talk about how she started teaching line dance for visually impaired people in Estonia, the methods she used to teach visually impaired and sighted people together, and the difficulties she encountered. Her presentation is based on her university diploma paper exploring the impact of line dance on visually impaired people. To demonstrate this Kristin will teach one dance followed by an open discussion. Role/organisation: NGO Huviline. Biography: Kristin’s interest in dancing started at an early age and has grown over the years to encompass a variety of styles including folk, lindy hop, ballroom, and show dance. She started line dance in 2002 and in 2004 became an instructor for visually impaired people, a role she continues today. She graduated in 2006 with a BA degree in Social Work and Economics from Pärnu College, Tartu University. From 2007 to 2009 she worked at the Estonian Union for Child Welfare as Assistant and then Project Manager before moving to Viljandi in Estonia where she works as a hospital social worker. She tries to make all her work meaningful and have some kind of positive impact on people. Please go to next page for next entry

Page 27 Name of contributor: Lee Sass, UK. Symposium Contribution: Tactile map building. 12:00 to 12:45, Saturday 20 April. Lee will be leading the creation of a tactile map to mark the European community of interest coming together for the Fragile? symposium. Role/organisation: Artist with The Collaborators, In The Boat, and Salamanda Tandem. Biography: Lee sees herself as an instigator and practitioner, a cartographer of ideas, mapping out routes, suggesting directions, planning and pointing out ways of seeing. She generates ideas and invites people to explore them with her. Please go to next page for next entry

Page 28 Name of contributor: Saïd Gharbi, Belgium. Symposium contribution: presentation. 14:00 to 15:10, Saturday 20 April in the Lecture Theatre. “Training, creation, performing: professional blind dancer's experience”. This talks will act as a stimulus for the round table discussion on the theme of “Training work: routes and barriers” which follows. Since 1993 when Saïd first began dancing, his approach to movement, as well as to co-dancers and to the public, has changed considerably. In this discussion he will describe different working frames and give concrete examples of how he was and is learning and creating movements. Role/organisation: Blind dancer and performer. Biography: Saïd Gharbi started dancing with the Belgium company, Ultima Vez, in 1993. He was blind from the age of 14 and did not receive any dance training. The route from training to performing was very short. In the beginning his learning process consisted of reproducing movements created by other dancers by use of touch. The first dance vocabulary he learned was inherited from Ultima Vez. Saïd Gharbi’s entry continued on next page

Page 29 - Saïd Gharbi, continued Later on, because of the need to work on the quality of the movements, the poetic descriptions completed the non-visual information. Imagery permitted the evolution of movement material; it became finer, more specific and multidimensional. After years of working with different companies on various projects and frames, Saïd developed autonomy in creating dance movements. He also articulated and specified his onstage presence. At present he shares movements he creates with seeing dancers as well as his artistic vision of the work: he is affirming his own artistic expression in the field of performing arts. The absence of visual information made his evolution as an artist and dancer draw greatly on relationships with co-dancers, directors, choreographers and spectators. The process of creation as well as performing are therefore significantly marked by the human element. Please go to next page for next entry

Page 30 Name of contributor: Mickel Smithen, UK. Symposium contribution: roundtable discussion. 14:00 to 15:10, Saturday 20 April in the Lecture Theatre. “Training and Work: routes and barriers”. In this discussion, Mickel will address challenges he faced in his emergence as a visually impaired performer. Mickel will also be working with Isabel Jones, to present a site specific piece especially made for the symposium and presented at 14:15 on Sunday 21 April. Role/organisation: Visually impaired person and performer with Salamanda Tandem for the symposium. Biography: Mickel is an extraordinary creative artist, performer and practitioner who has worked with some of the UK’s best disability dance companies including: Amici Dance Company, Salamanda Tandem and Candoco. The world isn’t built for visually impaired people but Mickel believes in equality and the importance of disabled people “out there” to educate others from all walks of life. Please go to next page for next entry

Page 31 Name of contributor: Riho Roosioja, Estonia. Symposium contribution: roundtable discussion. 14:00 to 15:10, Saturday 20 April in the Lecture Theatre. “Training and Work: routes and barriers”. Role/organisation: Visually Impaired Public Administration master student, Tallinn University. Biography: Riho holds a bachelor’s degree from Tallinn University in Public Administration with specialisation on Common Rights (2005). Currently he is at the end of his master studies in Public Administration there. His master’s thesis examines the opportunities for disabled people within the Estonian labour market taken from the perspective of the visually impaired. He is also a certified masseur in lymph massage and classical Swedish massage and is working in a beauty salon in Tallinn. Between 2006 and 2008 he worked as a specialist in the North Prefecture of the Police and Border Guard Board and is currently protocolling interrogations in Russian. Being blind, Riho is a frequent user of the text speech programme, Jaws. Additionally, he takes an interest in reading, ceramics and psychology, and is a passionate proponent of active participation of visually impaired people in working and leisure activities. Please go to next page for next entry

Page 32 Name of contributor: Erik Loide, Estonia. Symposium contribution: roundtable discussion. 14:00 to 15:10, Saturday 20 April in the Lecture Theatre. “Training and Work: routes and barriers”. Role/organisation: Estonian Foundation for the Visually Impaired (EFVI), Chairman of the Council, Accessibility Expert. Biography: Erik Loide finished Tartu Emajõe School in 1981. During his studies at Tartu Emajõe School he acquired the profession of piano tuner. He studied social work in Tallinn Pedagogical Seminar between 1999 and 2005. He has worked as an “infotainer” in the first private radio station in Estonia, Radio KUKU, as a computer trainer of visually impaired students and as an ICT consultant of visually impaired adults. Erik is founder of the EFVI and has been the chairman of the council since 1998. As an ICT and accessibility expert Erik has been involved in several ICT and culture related local and EU funded international projects such as Information Society for All, Art for All, Heritage for Everybody. Between 1976 and 1993 Erik was a leader of several music groups and played in several pop and hard rock bands. Please go to next page for next entry

Page 33 Name of contributor: Ülle Lepp, Estonia. Symposium contribution: roundtable discussion. 14:00 to 15:10, Saturday 20 April in the Lecture Theatre. “Training and Work: routes and barriers”. Role/organisation: Estonian Foundation for the Visually Impaired (EFVI), Chair of the Board, Researcher of the non-profit sector. Biography: Ülle Lepp is currently a PhD student at the Faculty of Social Sciences in Tallinn University of Technology. She graduated from Tartu State University in 1980 and has pursued advanced studies in Estonia and internationally. Ülle worked as a sociologist for Saar Poll, a social and market research company, and has been an adviser of the Chancellery of the Riigikogu (Estonian Parliament). From 1999 to 2005 Ülle was involved as a project manager and expert in several projects related to the Estonian non-profit sector development. She has been a visiting lecturer in several Estonian universities, teaching non-profit sector issues. Ülle is a founder of the EFVI and has been a member of its council and board since 1998. As a project manager she has been involved in several culture related local and EU funded international projects such as Art for All, Heritage for Everybody. Please go to next page for next entry

Page 34 Name of contributor: Maria Lloyd.

Symposium contribution: documentary film. 15:20 to 16:20, Saturday 20 April. Title: “Into the Unknown”. The idea is that the film is a tribute to Hege who has taken a step few visually impaired people have dared to take: to work with dance in a professional context. The film follows Hege's journey from her job as a librarian to dancing in a professional modern dance performance in front of an audience. We get an insight into the process of how it is to get to know a new side of oneself and find a new movement language with choreographer, Kjersti Engebrigtsen and the other dancers. We hope the film will inspire everybody to dare to try something new and challenge themselves to the point Hege does in the performance "Touched". Harald Paalgard's strong visual universe and Maria Lloyd's registry that blends the use of photographs and film make for an innovative mix of dance film and documentary. Role/organisation: Artist/filmmaker (www.marialloyd.co.uk). Maria Lloyd’s entry continued on next page

Page 35 – Maria Lloyd, continued Biography: Maria Lloyd trained at the International School of Theatre Jacques Lecoq in Paris. Since then she has been creating dance films and visual theatre. She started as a performer specialising in poetic portraits on screen and stage. Nowadays she mainly directs films. Her experience of working extensively with teams of artists has led her to find a personal film language where art forms meet and challenge each other. Living in England for 13 years her films were commissioned and distributed by South East Dance Agency (UK) and Euroarts in Berlin. Her work is funded by Arts Council England and she has won the IMZ prize in Monaco for best screen choreography. Her short films have been shown on European TV channels and screened in many international festivals. She has just finished directing the British, Polish and Norwegian dance film project, Salt, and working on "Into the Unknown" for Fragile in Norway. Please go to next page for next entry

Page 36 Name of contributor: Pedro Sena Nunes, Portugal.

Symposium contribution: documentary film. 15:20 to 16:20, Saturday 20 April. Title: “Edge”. This film follows the Fragile project process since November 2011. A portrait of the intense experiences lived by those participating in seminars and workshops, this documentary explores a narrative that crosses movement and humanity based on experimental aesthetics. Pedro says of his work: “Edge will focus particularly on the creative process of a performance, choreographed by Ana Rita Barata, proposing on the one hand, its accurate register – thus establishing itself as a parallel object of memory – and, on the other, to research optical, narrative and sound experimentalisms that frame a confluence of the register images and poetry pictures into a single sequence of plans built with a single desire: to identify with an unprecedented creative process, simultaneously compromised with the human matter and the ability to designate a limit, an exponent, a threshold – of personalities, bodies, gestures, personal paths - which merges in the border of the movement imagery potential settled in video through a camera that fixes it towards perpetuity. Pedro Sena Nunes’ entry continued on next page

Page 37 - Pedro Sena Nunes, continued Converges, through an exploratory register, personal portraits, individual texts, collective processes of sharing between dancers, visually impaired performers and creative/technical teams in one only process, named in the extreme and confined to the vertigo of impossibilities.”

Role/organisation: Co-Artistic Director of Vo'Arte Association. Biography: Pedro Sena Nunes was born in Lisbon in 1968. He completed his degree in Cinema in 1992 at Escola Superior de Teatro e Cinema and studied in several schools throughout Europe. He co-founded the Companhia de Teatro Meridional and has directed numerous documentaries, fictions and experimental works in cinema and video and produced over 100 radio and TV publicity spots. Traveler and three times father, director, producer, photographer, teacher and artistic consultant, he currently works as co-artistic director of Vo'Arte Association programming various multidisciplinary festivals. He collaborates with CiM (Multidisciplinary Integrated Company) in the creation of new possibilities for special needs integration into performing arts. 20 years as a director and photographer have awarded Pedro 27 national and international prizes. Please go to next page for next entry

Page 38 Name of contributor: Vahur Laiapea, Estonia. Symposium contribution: documentary film. 15:20 to 16:20, Saturday 20 April. Title: “See You On Stage”, a documentary about Estonian dancers working on in the Fragile project. Role/organisation: Film studio Ikoon, film director/producer. Biography: Vahur graduated from Tartu University, department of Estonian Language and Literature in 1985. He received his master’s degree (Structure of Estonian Sign language) from the same university in 2006. His roles have included: working as a carpenter, a teacher for deaf children, a research fellowship in sign language of the deaf, head of the national Heart Health Program, and head of original programming at the TV Station Kanal2. In 2001 Vahur established his own film studio, Ikoon. Vahur is a director/producer of 20 documentaries and 10 documentary series. All of them have been broadcast by Estonian National Television or other channels in Estonia. Vahur Laiapea’s entry continued on next page

Page 39 – Vahur Laiapea’s, continued His documentaries include: “The Rich of Spirit”, “Silent Film about the Deaf Girl”, “A Film about my Mother”, “Beautiful People”, “The Mission of the Rom”, and “We met in Solenzara”. Publications includes a monograph about Estonian sign language and bilingualism of the deaf (“The language is open”, Notes about Sign Language”, 2006). Please go to next page for next entry

Page 40 Name of contributor: Dr Diana Raudoniene, Lithuania. Symposium contribution: workshop 15:20 to 16:20, Saturday 20 April. “Graphic image creation process in the conditions of non-seeing: descriptive gestures, non-visual experience”. Diana’s workshop presents the problem of depiction in tactile images aiming to find out what else, besides touchable marks, belongs to the sense of touch. She sees the sense of touch falling into the scope of images through descriptive gesture which also acts in the situation of non-seeing. Role/organisation: Vilnius Academy of Arts, postdoctoral researcher and volunteer for the non-governmental organisation, Culture Artifact. Biography: From 2006 to 2009 Diana worked at the Lithuanian Training Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired as an art teacher. Since 2008 she has been a showdown (a sport for the blind and visually impaired) referee. Dr Diana Raudoniene’s entry continued on next page

Page 41 - Dr Diana Raudoniene, continued As a volunteer for NGO Culture Artifact since 2006 she was involved in many activities and cultural projects: exhibition “Wood and linen. Graphic artists of Vilnius for people with visual impairment” 2006, Lithuanian Library for the Blind, book with tactile illustrations Lithuanian Mythological Symbols 2009, Summer art academies Art Baltica in Berčiūnai in 2007, 2008 and 2009 in Kuršėnai children’s foster home, and 2010 in Giruliai. More information can be at: http://www.cultureartfact.org/index.php?lang=EN. On October 12, 2012 Diana defended her doctoral dissertation, “Graphic image, intended for a blind perceiver: the relationship between visuality and tactility”. Please go to next page for next entry

Page 42 Name of contributor: Ana Stegnar, Belgium. Symposium Contribution: workshop. 15:20 to 16:20, Saturday 20 April. “Blind Duets”, a movement workshop. Ana will co-lead a workshop with Saïd Gharbi involving improvisation and instant composition based on their work. In the workshop participants will work in couples of blind/blindfolded and seeing dancers using the strategies of visually impaired people as inspiration. 3 propositions will be explored: “hands following”, “manu-pull-ating”, and “listening to movement”. Participants will explore the relationship between blind and seeing dancers through movement and physical action. This is a dance class where seeing or not seeing makes no difference: where imagination and feelings, as well as the contact with a partner, initiates movements. Ana Stegnar’s entry continued on next page

Page 43 – Ana Stegnar, continued Ana’s and Saïd’s approach is influenced by Skinner Releasing technique, some aspects of Lisa Nelson's work, the Body Weather Laboratory and research on dancer's presence. Role/organisation: Dancer, choreographer and teacher. Biography: Ana received her dance training at CNDC d'Angers and worked for Ultima Vez (1994-1997). She studied theatre and performing arts in Belgium at UCL from 1997 to 2000. From 2002 Ana has been creating her own work in collaboration with Saïd Gharbi within the company Les BGM based in Brussels (www.lesbgm.be). She was also working with several visually impaired people as preparation for the project, “Miros”. Ana teaches dance and movement to professional dancers and amateurs. Recently, she participated in the European project IDOCDE (http://www.idocde.net). She has also proposed a training for “image whisperers”, a project of accessibility to culture for the visually impaired. Please go to next page for next entry

Page 44 Name of contributor: Kjersti K. Engebrigtsen, Norway. Symposium contribution: talk and performance at Kumu. 09:50 to 10:05 talk, and 19:30 performance, Saturday 20 April. Title: “Touched”. Choreography: Kjersti K. Engebrigtsen. Performers: Alexander Aarø, Nina Biong, Hege Finnset. Eidseter, Geir Hytten, Katja Henriksen Schia. Light design: Jan Erik Smedhaugen. Composer: Knut Olaf Sunde. Costumes: Gjøril Bjercke Sæther. Touched explores ideas around the concept of touch. Can touch unite people with different abilities? Is touch conceived differently by sighted and visually impaired people? Imagine touching a face you cannot see? Seeing dancers jump unto each other to say hallo, but how do they jump onto someone who is blind? How does a blind person jump onto you? Touched is an encounter between two different worlds, sighted and visually impaired people. The performers are trying to develop a common language and at the same time to explore their own individual voice. Role/organisation: Artistic Director of Fragile and choreographer for “Touched”, the Fragile performance developed in Norway. Kjersti Engebrigtsen’s entry continued on next page

Page 45 - Kjersti Engebrigtsen, continued Biography: Kjersti K. Engebrigtsen is currently active as a choreographer, teacher and special needs educator. She made her debut as a dancer and choreographer with the Høvik Ballett Company (Norway) in 1969 and since then she has created more than 20 dance works. In 1976 she started Danseloftet Studio which was the first dance studio in Norway at the time to introduce alternative dance disciplines such as Tai Chi and release technique. Her teaching experience is broad and varied. She has been introducing dance and movement for visually impaired people since 1987. She is Fragile’s initiator and artistic director. Please go to next page for next entry

Page 46 Name of contributor: Ajjar Ausma (Estonia). Symposium Contribution: performance at Kumu. 19:30, Saturday 20 April. Title: “Plexus”. Choreographer: Ajjar Ausma. Assistant: Riina Ausma. Dancers: Hedy Haavalaid, Kärt Tõnisson, Jaan Ulst. Sound designer: Taavet Jansen. Lighting designer: Oliver Kulpsoo. Costume designer: Liis Plato. Ajjar describes Plexus as: “… a bundle, a maze of channels, where information is continuously flowing, where different inputs and coordinates of space merge and then depart into a new form and composition. We are interested in a relationship between the internal and outer space, in chaos and regularity within it and how we relate to the different distances between them. We explore the differences and match visually impaired and sighted dancers in spatial and movement cognition, in hearing and feeling of the sounds and music. Plexus combines different personalities, movement languages, desires, perceptions etc.. Through the process of interpretation, co-working and compromises, a new existence is born and a quality of movement and being is achieved. Ajjar Ausma’s entry continued on next page

Page 47 - Ajjar Ausma, continued The aim of this process is to increase confidence and empathy in ourselves and others through dance and personal experience and sharing knowledge. It is about the ability and willingness to understand people with different perception and how to cooperate with them.” Role/organisation: Actor, director, choreographer and dancer at Cabaret Rhizome, Tallinn. (http://www.cabaretrhizome.ee). Biography: Ajjar, born in 1977, studied choreography at the University of Tartu, Viljandi Culture Academy. He also has a wide experience within healthcare, ergonomics, folk medicine (Yumeiho massage, Hatha yoga, Alexander Technique, Chinese medicine, physiotherapy etc.). Ajjar is currently an actor, director, choreographer and dancer at Cabaret Rhizome, Tallinn. He also works as a freelance masseur, physiotherapist and movement therapist. Recently he has been working in Tallinn Laagna kindergarten/elementary school as a movement therapist. He has been teaching dance and physical theatre, as well as massage, in various schools, camps and festivals. Ajjar has taken part in numerous local and international performing art projects. Please go to next page for next entry

Page 48 Name of contributor: Ana Rita Barata, Portugal. Symposium Contribution: performance at Kumu. 19:30, Saturday 20 April. Title: “Edge”. Artistic direction: Ana Rita Barata and Pedro Sena Nunes. Choreography: Ana Rita Barata. Dancers and performers: Bernardo Gama, Joana Gomes, Luís Oliveira and Sofia Soromenho. Sound: Tiago Cerqueira. Light Design: João Cachulo. Costume Design: Marta Carreiras.

“Moment or space that corresponds to the end or the beginning of something. Or the nearly. Or the memory of a path. That has no end. It is from an unknown device that we start an abstract trail, that takes us to most concrete of life – the beginning of everything.

The beginning of each course – four – in a memory of some. What is threshold? a light, a hole, a process, a life and death or the beginning of everything. Each course depends on one another, they are pairs but different among themselves. They come together within movement, create a limit and after they split space. Change material, recombine, reduce and separate. They give way to a story that starts and finishes right there – an imaginary line remains. Who see it, wanted to look.”

Ana Rita Barata’s entry continued on next page

Page 49 - Ana Rita Barata, continued Role/organisation: Co-artistic director of Vo'Arte Association. (http://www.voarte.com). Vo’Arte is a partner in Fragile. Biography: Born in Paris in 1972, Ana studied classic and modern dance at Escola Superior de Dança, Conservatório Nacional (Lisbon, Portugal) and at European Dance Development Centre in Arnhem (The Netherlands). Some of the choreographers she has worked include: Paulo Ribeiro, Yoshiko Chuma, Carolyn Carlson, Wim Vandekeybus, Benoit La Chambre, Steve Paxton, Samuel Louwick and Alain Platel. Since 1994 she has developed transdisciplinary performances with Pedro Sena Nunes involving communities with special needs. She has worked as Artistic Director of Vo’Arte since 1997. She is the co-creator of Multidisciplinary Integrated Company (CiM). Please go to next page for next entry

Page 50 Name of contributor: Professor Mick Wallis, UK. Symposium contribution: debate. 09:20 to 11:00, Sunday 21 April in the Lecture Theatre. Mick will be leading a debate for the Fragile? Symposium. Role/organisation: Chair in Performance and Culture, University of Leeds. Biography: Mick’s early research career (from 1990) focused on sexuality, theatre pedagogy, and non-canonical performances of the twentieth century. The latter now forms one element in a range of projects he is involved in concerning cultural histories of performance. A second focus is on Applied Performance Theory explored most recently through emergent objects in relation to design. A third focus in pedagogic and public sector research concerns participatory arts experiences for people with severe access needs. This is conducted under the aegis of the “Arts Work with People” project where he works with Salamanda Tandem and through his National Teaching Fellowship (2001). Much of Mick’s work is interdisciplinary especially in regards to the cultural histories of performance and emergent objects. Please go to next page for next entry

Page 51 Name of contributor: Dr Sarah Kettley, UK. Symposium contribution: lecture/demonstration. 11:30 to 12:45, Sunday 21 April in the Lecture Theatre. “Designing with or for?”. Sarah's lecture demonstration discusses how design currently tries to be inclusive through participatory processes and designing for the extreme user. It describes the trajectory from customer to user to human centred practice in design. It asks what would happen if we brought a person centred approach to the field. Role/organisation: Artist and Academic, Art & Design, Built Environment and School of Architecture, Nottingham Trent University. Biography: Sarah Kettley is an artist researcher working in the field of wearable technology. Her first degree was in Silversmithing & Jewelry Design, and she holds a Masters in Multimedia and Interaction Design, completing her PhD in Craft as a Design Methodology for Wearable Computing in early 2008. In 2007 she held an AHRC Research Fellowship on the “ensemble” project embedding wireless sensor nodes in a jewelry and sound installation.

Page 52 – Sarah Kettley, continued. She continues to collaborate with the Research Consortium in Speckled Computing, headed by Informatics at Edinburgh University, designing wearable devices to extend the reach of the medical care environment. Sarah joined Nottingham Trent University as Interdisciplinary Research Fellow in 2008, working across textile design and product design and leading the stretch-sensing project, Aeolia. She has been supported in her research by the Australian Network for Arts and Technology, the Scottish Arts Council, New Media Scotland, and the Netherlands Media Art Institute. Sarah is currently a Senior Lecturer in the Product Design subject area at NTU, leading the Horizon Scanning module on MA/MSc Smart Design, and leading the MA Product Design framework. She works with the British Design Innovation on behalf of the College to help improve graduates’ employability, and is NTU’s representative in the technical textiles research network, Arcintex. Please go to next page for next entry

Page 53 Contributor: Dr David Feeney, UK. Symposium contribution: presentation. 11:30 to 12:45, Sunday 21 April. “Art walking, psycho-geography and visual impairment”. David’s presentation places the wayfaring experiences of individuals with visual impairment at the centre of an evaluation of claims that contemporary art walking is among the most inclusive and democratic of art forms. In doing so, he presents an account of an art walk project currently being undertaken by Visual Impairment Scotland which incorporates the experiences of visually impaired walkers, artists and rehabilitation professionals. Role/organisation: Manager and Senior Research Fellow, Visual Impairment Scotland. Biography: David completed a doctorate in Visual Impairment & Aesthetics in 2004 and has published a book and several papers on this theme. He manages a national visual impairment support service for young people with visual impairment and is Principal Investigator of an Arts & Humanities Research Council funded programme exploring the impact of visual impairment on art engagement. Please go to next page for next entry

Page 54 Name of contributor: Gregor Strutz, Germany. Symposium contribution: presentation. 11:30 to 12:45, Sunday 21 April in the Lecture Theatre. “The golden age – a multisensory guide on art”. Gregor with present his work on “The Golden Age”, the first German multisensory guide on art. It invites people to discover an internationally renowned collection of Dutch paintings from the seventeenth century in the State Museum, Schwerin, in a completely new way. Gregor will present his findings and open up a discussion with delegates. Role/organisation: Graphic designer specialising in inclusive graphic design. Biography: From 2007 Gregor has been working on different projects for German museums to develop accessible offers for visitors with disabilities. "Other eyes - a fotoreadingtouchhearbook" for disabled and nondisabled readers was published in 2009. Since 2010 he has been organising a travelling exhibition entitled "Other eyes - an exhibition about seeing". He is Chair of the non-profit organisation, Other Eyes (Andere Augen e.V.), and member of the Competence Network Universal Design of the International Design Center, Berlin. Please go to next page for next entry

Page 55

Name of contributor: Sülvi Sarapuu.

Symposium contribution: workshop. 11:30 to 12:45, Sunday 21 April. “Tactile books: a participatory experience”.

The workshop will start with an exploration of how Kakora’s tactile books for children, tactile labels and cards, tactile maps, signs and plans provide a unique and accessible stimulus. Exploring these things blindfolded, participants will also be introduced to stimulant glasses. Participants will also be invited to draw a sketch blindfolded by following one another’s’ descriptions and evaluating the results. By modeling a specific topic, Kakora argues that there is a unique opportunity here to create a mind image while being blindfolded and from the mind image create an object.

Role/organisation: Kakora. Biography: Kakora is a non-for-profit organisation formed in the summer of 2006 to promote and educate the makers of tactile books and prepare tactile picture books for visually impaired children. It prepares audio descriptions in Estonian and produces tactile labels and cards for people with impaired sight. It delivers events for people with disabilities from different countries and advocates for cultural events to become accessible and available to people with disabilities. It organises courses for visually impaired people, art pottery and amateur exhibitions of work. Please go to next page for next entry

Page 56 Name of contributor: Katy Dymoke assisted by Stuart Jackson. Symposium contribution: workshop. 11:30 to 12:45, Sunday 21 April. Touchdown Dance workshop. This workshop will introduce some basic skills and techniques that establish a framework from which to improvise and explore the body in movement. The core method is founded in contact improvisation, a dance movement form that is done in twos and groups. It involves aspects of yoga, developmental movement, spatial orientation, and embodiment and movement ideas from martial arts and gymnastics. It is suitable for beginners as well as experienced practitioners and will invite you to participate in a facilitated exploration. Please come in comfortable clothing such as leggings or jogging pants and T shirts, it is best to avoid clothes with zips or many buttons. Role/organisation: Katy is Director of Touchdown Dance. Stuart is a dancer with the company. Katy Dymoke’s entry continued on next page

Page 57 - Katy Dymoke, continued Biography: Katy Dymoke is a dancer and dance movement psychotherapist working in health and community settings as well as professional dance. She is a Body-Mind Centering teacher and director of its education program in the UK. Katy is also director of Touchdown Dance, founded in 1986, and established the current touring company in 2004 to provide movement and dance education and performance projects for visually impaired and sighted dancers. Its foundational principles are that touch has a visual aspect and when we move in contact with another person we explore space and movement more fully. Katy believes that there is no single form of dance and that it evolves continually. Dance is a means to liberate the body-mind; it provides a challenge and then a sense of fulfillment, which is affirming and integrating. By moving the body we move our being, and lucidity in movement supports lucidity of mind. She will be assisted in her workshop by Stuart Jackson, who has been with Touchdown since 2004. He has danced with Saburo Teshigawara as well as Touchdown Dance and has performed all over the world. Please go to next page for next entry

Page 58 Name of contributor: Isabel Jones. Symposium contribution: Symposium Curator, artist. 14:00 to 14:45, Sunday 21 April. Director of “Ad Astra: site dance site music” a site specific performance for the Astra Building at Tallinn University. Isabel is also curator for the Fragile? symposium. Role/organisation: Curator of the Fragile? Symposium. Artistic Director of Salamanda Tandem (UK) partner in the Fragile project. Biography: Isabel Jones is a director/choreographer and a singer/composer and founded Salamanda Tandem in 1989. Isabel has broken new ground in the creation of socially engaged contemporary art and performance; leading dancers, musicians, sculptors, film makers, poets, and directors to make both intimate and large scale works that engage disabled and non disabled people on an equal basis. Since 1989 Isabel has directed and co-composed 36 large-scale performance works, funded by Arts Council England every year since 1994. From 2009 – 2012 Salamanda Tandem launched Project 20 to disseminate 20 years of practice. As part of this, Isabel led 54 seminars in Universities across Britain, and wrote a book “Dance and Disabled People” published by The Foundation for Community Dance UK in 2010. Isabel Jones’ entry continued on next page

Page 59 – Isabel Jones, continued From 1982 to 1986, Isabel pioneered an internationally known method of work with children on the autistic spectrum called “Musical Interaction, she later refined this into “The Artists Journey 2002” working with Mick Wallis to develop a professional education project “Arts Work with People” at Leeds University. A significant part of Isabel’s life is the work with her father Lewis Jones, who lost his sight at age 7, and became deafblind when Isabel was a teenager. In 1985 they produced their first public performance for 8 visually impaired dancers and an audience of visually impaired people (VIP’s). Lewis became the inspiration for founding Salamanda Tandem, and Eye Contact Dance company in 1992, which Lewis and Isabel co–founded and directed together. Working professionally for 20 years, they developed a somatic movement method called “Movement through Touch 1993”, and a sensory process that enabled VI, and deafblind people to make dance and multi media performance on an equal basis with others. They made a further 7 professional works for national touring, with 6 VI and 6 sighted performers. Setting out to communicate an inspirational inner world of VI and deafblind people, they pushed the boundaries of what seemed acceptable on stage at that time, including; dance, film, yogic visualisation, installation, guide dogs, vibration, live music, as well as smell, and cooked fresh food cooked on stage for sighted and VIP audiences. Driven to change what Lewis felt as an impoverished idea of ‘bolt on access to art’ for VIP’s, they worked with Duncan Chapman to pioneer the UK’s first piece of audio description as an artform at the South Bank Centre London in 1995 “SubVision”. Please go to next page for next entry

Page 60 Name of contributor: Duncan Chapman. Symposium contribution: artist. 14:00 to 14:45, Sunday 21 April. Site specific performance for the Astra Building at Tallinn University, co-composed with Isabel Jones. Role/organisation: Performer and composer. Biography: Duncan is a freelance composer, sound artist, and performer, working regularly with leading organisations in the UK including: The Philharmonia Orchestra, Royal Festival Hall, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, London Sinfonietta, Albeburgh Music, Wigmore Hall, Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival, and the BBC. He is currently working with Sound and Music, De Montfort University on the Ears 2 project, and with the orchestra of The Royal Opera House. Duncan contributes to postgraduate programs at York, De Montfort and Limerick universities, and is an external examiner at Aberdeen University and Goldsmiths College. He is a frequent traveller to more exotic locations to lead music projects in Tokyo, Singapore, Budapest and throughout Europe. His work often involves artistic collaboration, producing sound installations, recordings and multimedia performances. He has collaborated long term with Isabel Jones and Salamanda Tandem on installations, performances and participatory projects, duo performances and recordings in the UK and abroad including their ongoing annual project, "Dark Januaries". Please go to next page for next entry

Page 61 Name of contributor: Indra Slavena. Symposium contribution: Performing Astra for Salamanda Tandem, a site specific work made with curator Isabel Jones. Role/organisation: Dancer. Biography: Dance artist, Indra Slavena, studied at the Latvian Culture College (2001 to 2003) and the Academy of Latvian Culture (2003 to 2005). After leaving her native town of Riga to come to the UK to train as a dancer, she received a first class honors degree from the Scottish School of Contemporary Dance (SSCD) in 2012. During her time there she received the Leng Trust Prize for Outstanding Endeavour (2010) and was nominated for the Evening Telegraph “Hero Award” (2011). In addition to having been part of Touchdown Dance since 2007, she has worked with Indepen-dance and Amici Dance Theatre and regularly works for the Scottish-based artist, Caroline Bowditch, as well as other independent choreographers. She was part of Dancers Emerging Bursary Scheme at Dance Base in Edinburgh and is currently fortunate to work at StopGAP Dance. She is performing as a professional dancer with Salamanda Tandem in Tallinn, one of several site specific series events Indra will be part of in 2013. Please go to next page for next entry

Page 62 Fragile? symposium 2013: Organisers. Project Leader and Bærum Kulturhus's Artistic and Managing Director: Morten Walderhaug (Norway). Fragile Artistic Director: Kjersti K Engebrigtsen (Norway). Project Manager: Marianne Bilger (Norway). Fragile? symposium Curator: Isabel Jones (UK). Project Coordinator in Portugal: Clara Antunes (Portugal). Project Coordinator in Estonia: Karmen Ong (Estonia). Communication Manager in Estonia: Eveli Kuuse (Estonia). TLU Conference Center Project Manager: Karin Org (Estonia). Please go to next page

Page 63 Exhibitions and poster presentations: During the symposium there will be various exhibition items, including art works by: Sara Dias, visual artist, Vo’Arte (Portugal). Pedro Sena Nunes, Vo’Arte (Portugal). Geoffrey Fielding, photographer, Salamanda Tandem (UK). Rachel Gadsten, visual artist (UK). Sarah Kettley, wearables, Trent University Design Dept. (UK). Diana Raudoniene, visual artist (Lithuania). Kakora, tactile books (Estonia). Poster Presentations: In addition to the exhibition works some contributors and organisations will be giving poster presentations including: Estonian Foundation for the Visually Impaired (Estonia). Touchdown Dance (UK). Acajou (France). Front cover credit. Salamanda Tandem UK: “Ad Astra: Site Dance Site Music”, Tallinn University Estonia 2013. Director: Isabel Jones. Photograph: Geoffrey Fielding. End of document