The June Forecast by Courtney Scheu

Sea Change

Over the past 18 months, we have seen people and artists relocate from urban hubs to regional areas, in Queensland and throughout Australia. The typically transient work life of an Australian dance artist, the constant travelling from place to place, interstate and internationally, has shifted and as a result, so too has the artist and arts practice.

Environmental context, the artist and artistic practice are intrinsically interrelated. Details and sensitivities of place are inevitably present in creative process and outcome, even when work is not specifically responding to a particular site: the touch and temperature of the air on the face during lunch break, the scent of neighbouring trees in flower, the texture and density of the surrounding soundscape. Such aspects of environmental context imprint… they leave a trace.

For me personally, living in a regional area and being anchored in one place for more than six months has been both destabalising and regenerative. Access to live experiential engagement with dance and arts communities reduced as a result of the pandemic, enhancing feelings of disconnect. Though simultaneously, digital dance experiences and presentation platforms became more accessible; online access to diverse classes, works, professional development and conversations has been empowering and enabling.

Creating art in a regional area has broadly influenced my practice; shifting the form and pace of my creative process and works, the intricacies of decision-making, sensitivity to movement quality, the sense of space in timing, the direction of my attention and focus, and the consideration of the audience – clarity, communication and accessibility are fundamental to truly connect with communities. Additionally, my work has been connected to place since I can remember but the more I am immersed in nature as a result of where I live the more nature demands my attention and deeply inspires my practice. The relationship is symbiotic.

We are seeing a trend of artists leaving cities to explore art beyond the borders of built environments. Let’s lift our gaze from metropolitan hubs to include practice and artists from regional areas. This shift could expand the future of our art-form and situate practice within the relationship of the body and place, regardless of the context or creative outcome.

I acknowledge and respect the Kabi Kabi people on whose land I am living and working and their ancestors that have been the caretakers and danced on these lands for thousands of years.

Bring on regional creative process, regional arts practice, regional audiences and regional communities.

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MEET THE ARTIST: COURTNEY SCHEU

Courtney Scheu is an independent dance artist - performer, choreographer and educator. Drawing from literature, visual arts, improvisation and natural environments, Scheu’s work plays between reality and dream-like states. Scheu is completing Gaga Teacher Training with Ohad Naharin, Batsheva Dance Company (Tel Aviv) supported by the Queensland Government through Arts Queensland and the Ian Potter Cultural Trust.

Scheu and Itamar Freed will present collaborative, interdisciplinary work in Horizon Festival 2021 Final Call, a response to the global emergency of our time, Climate Change. Scheu is currently in development of new work Sand (working title) with Freed, Katina Olsen and Bella Hood through RADF Sunshine Coast Council and Arts Queensland, Sunshine Coast Arts Foundation and Dance. Here. Now. Scheu presented contemporary dance work, Plastic Belly, created in collaboration with Freed live in Supercell Festival of Contemporary Dance 2020 and on film in Horizon Festival Homegrown 2020, Tempo Dance Festival 2020 (New Zealand) and Modes of Capture Symposium 2021 (Ireland). In 2019, Scheu collaborated with Freed as AIRIE - Artist in Residence in Everglades within the UNESCO World Heritage Everglades National Park, Florida, USA, spending a month exploring and creating in this unique and fragile wilderness.

Scheu is committed to contributing to conversations of dance, education and environmental advocacy in Queensland and nationally.