DIY: 2009 – Rajni Shah Not Knowing

A 3-day workshop about the act of not knowing, and about the value in not having the answers; a choreographed series of encounters and spaces for reflection in the city of London.

Various locations within London (zones 1-2), Wed-Fri August 26-28 (full days, plus evening of 26th – exact timings tbc)

Project summary: 

For two days participants will wander collectively, undertaking a series of gentle and surprising activities as a group; on the third and final day, each participant will undertake a randomly selected solo activity or encounter in a public space, followed by a shared meal prepared by Rajni. Participants will come in knowing nothing about the journey they are about to undertake except that it will throw them into a space of not knowing, of journeying, and finding a new way of looking at the world. All three days will be led by Rajni with interventions from other professionals.

“This is a sideways approach to becoming closer to the political and personal crises we find ourselves in at this moment in time, and it explores an artistic topic that is close to my heart at the moment: manifestations of the state of in-betweenness. However, each participant will bring his/her own reasons for wanting to wander at this moment, and it’s important that this is the case. The workshop will provide a space for sharing and exploring together without any fixed outcome. It will provide a way to be in the world whilst being on retreat – to witness, to share and to listen”.Rajni Shah

Application procedure: 
Please write an email explaining why you would like to take this opportunity to leap into the unknown and what you feel you would gain from the experience at this particular moment in time. Please include a biography, CV, or link to your website. Application deadline Friday 17 July. Applicants will be notified by Friday 24 July.

Other notes:
The workshop is open to artists and arts professionals at any stage in their career who feel that this workshop would be of benefit to them.
Any access or dietary requirements should be mentioned in the application as the activities will be tailored to suit the group’s needs.
There will be a maximum of 10 participants.
This workshop is free of charge and each participant will be provided with a modest budget for travel within London during the three days.

About the artist: 
Rajni has been creating and directing original performance work since 1999. Her work ranges from large-scale performance installations made through an in-depth collaborative process to small solo interventions in public spaces. She has performed in the UK, Europe and USA, including the National Review of Live Art, Alternate ROOTS, Tanzquartier Wien, Arnolfini Bristol, Nuffield Lancaster, Chisenhale Dance Space and the Chelsea Theatre. Current projects include Dinner with America, a large-scale installation performance exploring the idealisations and contradictions of the image of ‘America’, and give what you can, take what you need, a participatory work which uses gift-giving as the basis for an intervention into public spaces. Rajni is an Artsadmin Associate artist. Please see www.rajnishah.com for more.

Contact:
For further information or to apply, please email [email protected].