Spor Los

The relationship and tensions between creative disciplines has preoccupied Allen’s research for more than a decade. In receiving financial support, Allen worked with four internationally recognised higher educational institutions on a collaborative Erasmus Intensive Project. ‘Spor Los’ brought together eight fine art students from the University of Glamorgan in Wales, four ceramicists and four actors from Volda University in Norway, eight dancers from the Latvian Culture Academy in Riga and eight film-makers from Annadolu University in Turkey. Students participated in a series of workshops over a two-week period before producing a body of work for a major performance and exhibition on Bojcaada Island, Turkey.

Research analysed the relationship between the body and the creative act, and dealt with notions of trace. The articulation of presence and absence was explored through the archiving of performance without the use of the lens. In doing so, similarities between the creative disciplines were established and analysed and a body of work that acknowledged and bridged the divisions was produced.