Q-Touch: a workshop exploring the meaning of touch and contact through dance and movement

What’s on offer?

An hour and half dance workshop exploring the meaning of touch and contact, aimed at beginner level so no prior dance experience is required.

Participants will learn about touch in relation to movement and dance, either through solo or partnered movements. You will also learn more broadly about conceptualisations of touch, which has been an important topic of conversation throughout the pandemic – what and who we can and cannot touch and the implications of that for our livelihood in a society.

Also, and most importantly, you will have a fun dance activity!

What’s it about?

The workshop is based on research published by Mo Cheded and Alex Skandalis, and workshop participants will be provided with Zines summarising the key points of the research project. 

We aim to engage with the wider public on our discussions and theorising of touch and combine academic knowledge and art (body movement) to advance discussions on the topic. In this workshop we are elaborating a fun activity that will engage you with our research and invite you to respond.

Our research explores how interactions with surfaces, objects, and, of course, other humans have been wholly transformed during the pandemic. We've considered different scenarios whereby touch and contact have become heavily policed during COVID‐19. During this time socialization processes were transformed due to the digitalization of entertainment and community formation. More specifically, our research focuses on alternative modes of touch and contact within the context of queer digital entertainment spaces, learning from this and questioning how the world can be shaped and sensed in a post-Covid-19 era. 

Who’s leading the event?

Dr Mo Cheded, Lecturer, Lancaster University Management School and Joshua Hubbard, an internationally renowned professional dancer and founder of The House of Decay in Manchester.  

Open to

The workshop is open to all and everyone interested in dance and movement, but most importantly focused on young people and adults provided the depth of the themes covered.

Of particular interest to

The workshop will be of particular interest to people with an interest in dance and movement; the impact of Covid-19 and emergent viruses on the control of touch and contact in society.

Scheduling information

Please wear comfortable clothing, in which you can move freely, and bring a drink to keep hydrated.