Writing workshops
How to put words on your ideas
Starting in 2015, Claire has been teaching application writing to dancers and performance artists. She has worked with individuals, collectives and institutions such as IG Frei Theater (AT), K3/Kampnagel (DE) Salzburg Experimental Academy of Dance (AT) Tanzhaus Düsseldorf (DE) and Im_Flieger (AT). In those workshops,
The idea behind this workshop is to help artists to put words on their ideas, translating their concepts into clear written proposals.
The current way most work is handed out to makers and movers is through a written selection process, whether it is in the form of a CV, an artist statement or a project description. Therefore, enhancing one's writing skills should be a priority for freelance artists. In this workshop, I share key advice and methods which I gathered in my own experience as a maker/writer/freelancer. I also encourage other artists to make writing an integral part of their creative process, as opposed to something one must get over in order to finally get to the studio/stage.
The workshops contain tips and tricks, writing exercises and time for feedback and questions.
Testimonials
"The three hours I spent in Claire's workshop, probably taught me more than the few writing classes I had throughout my 4 years in dance school. Her material, information and feed is very well structured, efficient and easy to grasp. What she offers is valid and important to any freelance artist who is trying to find his or her way through the vast funding/residency/festival application jungle."
- Britt Kamper
"No matter how hard it might be to accept it , the fact is, that ability to write applications is nowdays for a dancer as important as the ability to move. Most of us have to carry on, not expecting any support within arm´s reach. We are facing the fact, that if we don´t strive to produce art on our own, we won´t become part of it. This requires knowledge in the field of communication of our artistic experience to the various art institutions, festival programers or residency managers. In this sense I highly appreciate the initiative of Claire L. to support artists on their way to the independency and responsibility for their own carreers as freelance artists"
- Petr Ovchat
What do I do for a living? Is being silly and hot not enough?
A workshop by Ari Ban and Claire Lefèvre.
Ari researches queer history, particularly through studying biographies and collecting intimate details within them. Claire writes biographies, and includes intimate details, invisible labour, and humour within them. Together they investigate the biography as a format, questioning the hierarchies of what gets written about one’s life. They propose a shift towards care work, gossip and ornamental platitudes as a queer practice of relationality.
