Embodied Costume Design: in-between real and imaginary spaces

The workshop “Embodied Costume Design: in-between real and imaginary spaces” is co-taught by the interdisciplinary collective BETWIXT with visual artist/costume designer Charlotte Ostergaard (DK) and somatic dance/theatre artist Sally E. Dean (UK/USA) at PQ in Prague.  Together they aim to create embodied costume design practices by cultivating a liminal place in-between body and costume. 

This workshop’s approach advocates collaborative imagination, where costume designers and performers co-create the movement and costume together as a live embodied experience.  This includes experiments in creating an expanded performative scenography – where the performer transforms the design and the design transforms the performer.  

Charlotte and Sally will lead somatic movement and costume design exercises that travel through three phases of embodied design practice: in-between inside/outside, moving costume/moving body and reflection.

Phase One – In-between Inside/Outside:  How does the body affect the material and the material affect the body?  Participants are invited to experience the relationship between materials and bodies in two ways: inside (activating our tactile sense) and outside (activating our visual sense).  The aim is transform design practices that focus predominantly on the aesthetics of the costume or its ‘outside’, by bringing ‘inside’ processes (the costume’s effect on the body while wearing it) and the relationship in-between to the forefront.

Phase Two – Moving Costume/ Moving Body:  How do we make a costume collaboratively on a live moving body using simple materials? In this process, participants shift between the roles of designer and performer.  The costume is created not from a preconceived visual aesthetic, but from a live interaction between body and costume.  This in-between place creates the form of the costume and the movement itself.  This process integrates Sally’s ‘In Flux Costume Design’ method with Charlotte’s ‘In Dialogue with Material Process’ method.  Their approach merges the roles of costume designer and performer, and expands design processes by starting with a live body as opposed to visual sketches and mannequins. 

Phase Three – Reflections on Methods: What was your experience of being in-between? How can these embodied design methods be integrated into your practices?  Reflections, provocations and discussions will include writing, drawing and speaking. Simple materials will be used in the designing process to include stretchy material, bin bags, and tape.

This workshop is for professional or emerging designers and educators, as well as academics who are open to connecting their theoretical backgrounds through experiential practice. Participants are invited to experiment, taking individual and collaborative risk.