design.dance in public spaces an invigorating way to see dance
project description core values
Collaboration
Public Space
Education
Community
DiPS class class structure
Being familiar with the environment
Talking about the art installation
Interacting with the piece
Reflecting your understand through movement
level of participation
Fig.1: Prospective Austin dance community
Fig. 2: Level of participation
Phase 1 research
survey & focus group Research focus:
Method 1: focus group interview
To understand public interest in DiPS and young dancers from college if they may be DiPS’s potential members/active audiences.
( 4 dance students from Texas State University— TSU & Austin Community College — ACC) » A majority of dance students at TSU (80%) aren’t introduced to Dancing in Public Spaces because it is not a apart of the curriculum. » They aren’t aware that dance can make an impact on the community. » Dance in public spaces is more popular at ACC. » Dance graduates are struggling in pursuing professional careers related to dance. » Dancers work at unfulfilled jobs. Method 1 takeaway: Should Dance Waterloo become an outlet for young dancers to keep them involved in the art? If yes, how so?
survey & focus group Method 2: Survey
Do you always come to this trail/park? yes
no
What days & time do you usually come here? M 6–12
T
W 12–5
R
F S after 5
S
Have you noticed any art installation on the trail? yes no
(from hikers, bikers and local residents) » Top 3 favorite dance styles: modern / contemporary, hiphop, partnering
Would you stop by to check it out? yes
no
Have you heard of Design & Dance for Social Practice? yes no What is your reaction when you see an art performance such as dance by an art installation? ignore
curious
appreciative
Would you watch/dance with them if you were invited? watch
dance
probably not
» 80% are interested in watching a public art performance (passive audiences) while 19% intents to participate (potential active audiences) » 98% agrees that pubic dancing fosters community connection.
What type of dance do you like to watch or try? hiphop
jazz
modern/contemporary
cutural partnering
Does public dancing foster community connection? yes
no
male
female
age:
DANCE IN DESIGN & DANCE PUBLIC SPACES
FOR SOCIAL PRACTICE
Method 2 takeaway » Has public art performance always been accessible to the community? » Which ways can public dancing transform passive participants into active participants?
Phase 2 research
community participatory workshop Research focus:
Method:
» To understand the public interest/how dance is portrait in the public eye
» Activity card set
» Focus group: community members / passive audiences who may or may not have contact with dance before.
» Since the number of DIPS participants is very low, community members are invited to the event. Flyer/ bookmark are distributed by library staff and hung on the door knobs of some houses in the area.
Community participatory survey
community participatory workshop
Outcome 3 company members 0 community member Library users showed interest but didn’t stay to watch.
audiences
Dance Waterloo
organizational participatory workshop Method: Using human-centered design toolkit (IDEO) » refocus on their mission and practices but bringing in audiences’ perspectives » understand their strengths, weaknesses and challenges » define their short-term and long-term goals in order to come up with an appropriate and effective solutions
organizational participatory workshop Outcome » defining Dance Waterloo’s brand position among other non-profit organizations and professional dance groups through social media and other unconventional platforms. » engaging surrounding community and having 5 consistent DiPS participants in the next year » improve the quality and quantity of their process final work and in order to connect with the national dance network and to apply for funding.
brand position
engage the community in the creative process
parameter for success
journey map
Fig. 5: Journey map
CURRENT OBJECTIVE Establish Dance Waterloo’s cultural and social identities in public places Why does it matter?
recap Dance Waterloo's missions Âť How might we involve the community through collaboration (Dance for the community vs dance with the community) Âť How might we utilize public spaces to change the way audiences see and interact with dance
solution evaluation Accessibility: being accessible for different groups of audiences. Pedestrians include adults, kids and senior citizens. Affordability: fitting in the designer's & the organization's budget— the cheaper the better Usability: fulfilling the needs of the community and the organization » refer to stage 1 of journey map (seeing—understanding) » portable, lightweight and reusable Feasibility: being able to execute in a short amount of time — in-house studio
solution
evironmental graphic — signage
Fig. 6: Comps for signage that are sprayed on the ground.
poster signage
viewfinder
changing the way‌ we interact with the environment, the people allows us to see things that we could not see, to understand what we have not understood, & to find connection with absolute anything.
THANK YOU
Q&A