THE ACTIVIST BODY – IN SEARCH OF A METHODOLOGY FOR DANCEBASED ENGAGEMENT WITH UNACCOMPANIED REFUGEE CHILDREN IN ATHENS
Master thesis
Permanent lenke
https://hdl.handle.net/11250/3146599Utgivelsesdato
2020Metadata
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- Institutt for musikk [512]
Sammendrag
This dissertation aims to share and open a debate on methodologies for dancebased engagement with communities in social vulnerability and displacement. It describes the processes and methodologies experimented on developing a dance workshop during an ethnographic fieldwork carried out in Athens in five shelters for unaccompanied children seeking asylum. This study aims to understand what the role of dance inside a refugee shelter is and how it creates affective spaces in the community. In addition to that, this ethnographic work fosters to discuss the kinds of creative opportunities for social transformation can be found in displacement and instability. The main objective of the research is to initiate a reflexive process in order to structure a methodology to facilitate dancing practices in such communities. This fieldwork combines two research approaches: ethnography and action research. Therefore, this research is based on data collected from the field via semi-structured interviews, photos and videos captured in the dance workshops, written feedback from the participants and participant observation. The study evaluates participatory methodology and co-creation as effective practices to engage creatively with refugees through an interdisciplinary dance-based project. Therefore, beyond creating a theory, this work is intended to be a call to action for dance to be involved in the political issues of our times, as well as to bring awareness and relevance to the narratives that have been denied in such communities.
Key words: Displacement, Migration, Activism, Dance-based Engagement, Politics