At Netherlands Institute for Cultural Analysis (NICA)

In this workshop we will experiment with a model for creative processes in order to gain shared insights about artistic research. It will be of interest to researchers of all stages who are looking for new connections in their projects. Our point of departure is the so-called RSVP cycle, developed in the 1960s by American choreographer Anna Halprin and her husband Lawrence, a landscape architect.

The Halprins designed the RSVP cycle (Resources, Scores, Valuaction, and Performance) as a solution to problems in effective communication during art and research collaborations. While they always embraced the contingency of creative processes, they also observed a meaningful overcoming of obstacles (in decision-making, sharing intentions, finding aesthetic forms) when applying their model.

An RSVP cycle recollects relevant materials and concerns of participants around a common topic. For this workshop we suggest collaborating around a shared question: how do we balance between art and research in artistic research? Our intention is to carry out an RSVP cycle in 90 minutes, which includes an introduction to the Halprins’ way of working. A concrete goal will be to arrive at a Score that activates participants towards new, ‘right’ directions for their artistic research projects. By collecting our resources and scoring our process, we also hope to manifest what we already hold in common in our understandings of artistic research. An overall aim of the workshop is to inspire participants to pursue other uses of the RSVP cycle.

Together with Thijs Witty - assistant professor in film and literary studies at Leiden University and senior docent in arts education at Piet Zwart Institute in Rotterdam. He has previously taught theory seminars in the choreography programmes of the Amsterdam School of Theatre and Dance, as well as research practices at the Artistic Research MA of the Royal Academy of Art in The Hague.

Contact & registration: t.witty@hum.leidenuniv.nl
Registration deadline: 14 May 2025
Credits: 1 ECTS

For students it is possible to obtain one ECTS for participation. An extra assignment will be provided for this. Ask Thijs Witty for further details (see contact info).