Five Bodies Critical Creative Workshop and Poetry Reading – Feb 2021 (Johanna Hedva)


 

Johanna Hedva. Photo: Pamila Payne

 

On Wednesday 10th February 2021, an international group of artists, writers and researchers gathered for the third time in the Five Bodies critical-creative workshops series, organised by the Critical Poetics Research Group at NTU in collaboration with Nottingham Contemporary.

The third workshop in the series was led by Korean-American writer, artist, musician, and astrologer Johanna Hedva. Over the course of the two-hour workshop, Hedva asked us to consider the many faces and implications of ‘doom’ in the context of a global pandemic, asking what happens when we consider doom as generative: a beginning rather than an end. Through discussion and writing exercises, participants were encouraged to reimagine doom variously as an object, colour, sound, season, or even as an invitation.

Our thanks go to Johanna for this rich and illuminating workshop, and also to those who participated with their own thoughts and words.

The following evening, the third instalment of the Five Bodies readings series saw stunning performances from Jesse Darling, Johanna Hedva and Kameelah Janan Rasheed, followed by a fascinating conversation chaired by assistant curator at Nottingham Contemporary Olivia Aherne. Thank you to the poets, to Olivia, and everyone else involved.

For more information on this workshop series and the accompanying readings hosted by Nottingham Contemporary, please follow the link: http://www.criticalpoetics.co.uk/five-bodies-critical-poetics-workshops-full-programme/.