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This moment became an important factor in our final piece, presenting imagery of confinement and perhaps suffocation, relating to the ideas of a metaphorical burden.

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Phone exploration (watch from 45 seconds to 1 minute 30)

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The strategic timing of this project, although challenging at times, with factors of unfamiliar peers and presentation of our first creatively led project, gave us a common ground. It positively encouraged the development and relationship of the group, enabling the sharing of our creative processes, resulting in a tight knit, supportive and understanding peer group.

The final production had great effect due to the open minded nature of the group, offering continual individual and group experimental and exploratory opportunities for creativity. At first, the continuous speed of the final piece felt uncomfortable. It did not seem to make any sense and felt slow. However, after discussions with Eva and considering her feedback, it became clear that this would and did play an important role in the representation of the piece. In fact, it began to gather energy, the fabric something sinister, dark, growing, enticing more people in, enveloped and taken over.

On reflection of the final piece, the journey portrayed has many connotations, beginning with vulnerability, growing and developing into something with strength and impact, gaining and gathering momentum, ending in something of stillness and relief, a united common ground.

I have learned much from this project, however I have only reflected on a few of these lessons in this work. Most importantly, I have learned to trust the process and my ability as a performer, realising the value of my own creativity and voice is a vital factor that I need to develop.

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Silence became an important factor within the piece, we discussed and explored possibilities of further inclusion of music, sounds and noise.

Watching the video above from 45 seconds to 1 minute 30 seconds, we played with the atmosphere created, by each playing random sounds from our phones. To me, this immediately portrayed a sense of melancholy, perhaps nostalgia and a sense of civil disobedience. The phones and the random waffling noise itself creates distraction, chaos, lack of clarity and confusion, potentially symbolic of political figures at the forefront of the issue. We effectively use our bodies to metaphorically suffocate and silence this establishment and the reason for protest.

Equally, I like the ambiguity that this presents and the space this allows for different interpretation. This is a common theme throughout the piece.

The clump of still bodies combined with the silencing of the sound from the phones could represent the loss of ability to be heard and the increasing lost individuality within society. This imagery was also greatly influenced by the idea of sleep being act of protest. This was an idea explored throughout the final piece, creating imagery of rest, sleep and peace. To me, this presents a powerful and mature image of protest.

Following this, the circular formation brings sense of community through the physical shape of the structure, representing something whole and never ending. We discussed how this could portray the endless cycle of the need for protests, but also the continuous togetherness seen from the community; coming together for radical change.

The overall atmosphere throughout created an incredibly powerful feeling, using simple and little amounts of motion to emphasise the significance of the sounds.

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Follow the arrows to each section. Please see my essay at the end of this work.

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Following this, we decided to focus on a large piece of cloth. We discussed how this could be used to portray a variety of metaphorical images, to provide a common ground for those within the protest, sharing a common interest and passion. This added imagery of seclusion and a fight against the establishment in contrast with strength.

I enjoyed the manipulation of the fabric when it rippled and whispered giving an impression of nature, something unstoppable, of force, or an image portraying the strength of tidal waves rippling and growing in crescendo. This could be interpreted as many things; destruction or power, the break down of the protest itself or the successful outcome of the protest, the unity of belief building positive impact.

The strength of image bought by the use of a single prop, successfully creates a powerful statement or action expressing the disapproval or objection required for the protest.

The fabric draped across the floor could illustrate the metaphorical collapse of something of huge significance; something worth fighting for, something to protest about. We realised that it could be used to create a sense of collaboration and anonymity, bringing a feel of community and power of a collection of people with shared belief.

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The chaotic scattering of bodies brings a sense of organised obstruction and non violent resistance, with the use of props creating a connection and further sense of this.

On reflection, moving to a position of lying still with others, felt a natural progression and a gesture easy to follow that in a group I did not know, like in a protest, felt a powerful statement.

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We began to experiment with a variety of props, including fabric, rope, chain, tape and buckets bringing a sense of imagery, emphasising the ideas we previously discussed.

Attached is a video that materialised from the idea of the sounds of protest; chanting, creating noise and bringing attention, contrasted with the stillness and silence of us within the video. I feel that this imagery was incredibly effective in portraying the ideas I mentioned, exploring senses of unity and community, presented through the still pedestrianised positioning of the bodies in the space.

As a quieter group member, I enjoyed the natural solidarity that emerged through experimentation of silent protest. This created a topical element, although unintentional, for example, the recent Extinction Rebellion protests where the body form is used as part of the protest. This echoed my own vulnerability and insecurities within the growing dynamics of our new group, with that of the protesters but with strength and unity in numbers behind them.

This contrasted the continuous rhythmic noise created, reflecting the constant struggle for justice, and the slow, sustained quality the waving flag brings, further presenting a sense of power and strength amongst the image.

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Throughout the creative process, I found the overall atmosphere exciting but also challenging.

For me this lay within some hierarchy created within the group, particularly within the teacher led classes. Perhaps because of the significance of the project, the topics being dealt with and the emotive response this bought among us. However, I feel it is more down to the variety of personalities within the class. I found it difficult to express my ideas because of the more extroverted characters within the group and the number of students involved. I found this quite overwhelming, but encouraged my realisation to work on this.

Difficulties arose within self directed rehearsals, due to lots of voices expressing lots of ideas at once. This was resolved by taking turns, providing opportunities for all to be heard. I then felt more able to express my creative ideas and participate more within the group discussions and explorations with movement.

A variety of questions arose, the main point of discussion being: what is the meaning of the cloth? To me, the cloth represents the burden of protest. It is shared, carried and cared for by each person within the piece, signifying its importance and the metaphorical weight of communal burden. I feel that this is shown through the visual aspect and the sheer size of the material.

On reflection each class and feedback was vital to the progression of the piece and of my personal development. I enjoy contributing as a team player. However, this was hindered by lack of continuity and presence from some participants.

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During our first week of creative classes, we discussed our initial ideas and thoughts for further discussion.

Some of the original topics discussed were: Connotations of the colour red to bring sense of energy and emergence to the subject we choose, use of voice; incorporating slogans, chants, raised voices to illustrate group presence of a protest, sense of community; bringing people together, resistance, belief, civil rights, gathering, injustice and public display.

We discussed the empowerment, solidarity, anonymity and the shared hope and frustration that emerges from the act of protest. To me, these images suggest a sense of power contrasted with a unified struggle. I feel that this could have been an interesting motif to explore further within movement. I liked the idea of exploring the image of being physically unified, and the morals and ethics of the protest itself. Importance of liberation through freedom of speech is something that is vital to us all. Protests are an effective method to fight for this. What I have learned from this project is that the power of movement is also great, the coming together as a group, as we did, brings sheer power in numbers.

We also discussed the provocative, tension led nature of protests, perhaps integrating this into a more practical sense of strength and resistance within the movement, presenting a metaphorical image of the aesthetics of a protest.

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During the introductions to this project, I was thoroughly excited by the thought of creating, collaborating and dancing alongside my peers of a new group. We had not yet been exposed to the idea of group creative processes, meaning that this would be a new, unfamiliar project for all. Although a new topic for myself, I do have some previous experience collaborating closely alongside peers and this is a factor that I have enjoyed in the past.

This project was an opportunity to present the aesthetics of a protest, exploring topical and relevant subjects, presenting them through a practical approach. This is something that holds great significance to me, and is a topic I have been exposed to throughout my upbringing. Alongside this, I see the ideology of protests to be highly relevant within today's society, offering opportunities for individuals voices to be heard and matters of importance to be bought to the forefront of daily life.

The act of protest is becoming increasingly difficult with new laws and this could be explored further; the restriction of freedom of speech.