Twenty students participated in a stay at home residency between 6-17 July 2020, organised by the First Site Committee.
The residency provided students with the opportunity to explore the impact of the global pandemic on their creative practice, by attending workshops by industry professionals, collaborating with peers from other disciplines and getting feedback on their work.
Fiz Eustance, First Site Committee member, had a quick chat to one of the residency participants Ritika Vohra.
Hi Ritika, tell me a little bit about your practice?
My practice is about making textile works that document the flow of self and its surroundings. I make with my hands, sense with my body, and articulate amidst the conscious and unconscious thoughts. I use hand-stitches to understand and connect with my inner-self, reveal hidden meanings, and ground with the space that surrounds me.
What ideas/techniques/materials did you explore during the Out of Site residency?
I was eager to use lived experiences of a space as my material for making. The idea of slowing down, playing with a concept for hours, using techniques of imagining and performing, working between two worlds while situated in a static space was something I loved working on as part of this residency. I had never thought of applying it to my practice, it was more like an unrealised project and I am so glad I got the opportunity to do it!
Which workshop resonated with you the most?
Manisha Anjali’s Dream & Unconscious Sites and Amrita Hepi’s Dance, Words, Movement workshop, both resonated with me the most. The idea of free flowing performances and scores; connections with unconscious spaces and place through movement; holding on to the tools that extend beyond the body were fascinating!
Do you have a highlight you would like to share?
In words of Joseph Brodsky, “And what is space anyway if not the body’s absence at every given point?” is how I would mark this experience of my at-home Residency. Loved the collaborative spirit of filling in each other!!
Thanks to Fiz Eustance and Karima Sulaiman for organising the residency, and to all the students who participated.
Check out our Insta @firstsitermit to see some of the amazing work created during the residency.
