Fieldings – a book on artistic research

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DAS Publishing is proud to present: Fieldings – Propositions for 3rd Cycle Research in the Performing Arts. This book, made in collaboration with researchers from the programme THIRD, introduces you to different perspectives and examples of artistic research. With this,Fieldings provides an insight into THIRD: a unique programme in the arts education of DAS Graduate School, which guides small-scale groups of (inter)national artists in exploring research opportunities at a PhD or equivalent level.

Research in and through the arts: artistic research in practice

In artistic research, one’s research subject is central. Honing in on this subject, different methods are combined that together constitute a practice. Fieldings shows the diversity of possibilities. In addition, the pedagogical approach of the THIRD programme is described and how the various research questions relate to the outside world is explored.

An important part of THIRD is the forming of a peer-community. In small groups (cohorts), different ways of thinking and collaborating are jointly explored and exchanged. The Fieldings publication is an example of this: it came about as a major collaborative project. A special approach has been chosen to represent the various individual projects. The arts practices of twenty-one THIRD researchers are seen through different lenses, and the different observation and making techniques of artistic practices of others, brought together in the three Portrayals chapters. Thinker and writer Lucy Cotter reflects on the different arts practices of Cohort 2 with textual portraits, in which fiction and critical analysis are intertwined. Emilie Gallier (Cohort 1 and tutor Cohort 3) draws on her practice of composing graphic pages for her portraits of Cohort 3, an important technique in her own PhD research. Jennifer Lacey (Cohort 2) offers readings of the research projects of Cohort 1 through visually rich tarot-like cards accompanied by razor-sharp textual interpretations. Research in and through art: artistic research in practice.

In the introduction Sher Doruff describes the potential of the proposition of artistic research and researcher Julien Bruneau (Cohort 1) discusses the pedagogical environment and practice of THIRD in his essay. He describes how the researchers develop as a group: by experiencing each other’s art practice, sharing inspirations and processes and offering space for research and not-knowing.

Into the outside world

How do the questions of artist-researchers resonate in the world? In the chapter Gatherings, researchers pose a question arising from their own research experience to someone outside their field, seeking a broader context. Edited by Konstantina Georgelou, this leads to exchanges with, among others: a parent, an activist, an astronaut, and a scientist. For example, a beekeeper answers the question: ‘How do bees deal with crisis, inside and outside their hive?’, and a man who is blind responds to the question: ‘How would you describe your spectatorship in a dance performance?’ The researchers responded to this answer with an image. The collected questions and answers thus generate a third space: a collection of practices, in which inequalities, contradictions and affinities do not have to be resolved, but may be retained and deepened by examining and re-asking questions.

Fieldings – Propositions for 3rd Cycle Research in the Performing Arts is published by DAS Publishing, the new publishing platform of DAS Research, the lectorate of the Academy for Theatre and Dance.The book can be ordered via das-research@ahk.nl


The book was edited under the chief editorship of Sher Doruff, in collaboration with editors Julien Bruneau, Konstantina Georgelou, Rosie Heinrich, Marijke Hoogenboom and Nienke Scholts, and contributions from all 21 researchers of the THIRD Cohorts 1,2,3.

Fieldings is generously supported by NRO, the National Education Research Agency (NRO).

www.atd.ahk.nl/das-research/third

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