Natifah White will host/steward Shared Shelves, a pop-up library exploring what a reading material can be and how it might be shared. For this iteration, the library is organised around the question:
‘What is something that makes you feel really rooted? … And it might not be a book!’ (referencing Ashby Combahee)
The library brings together a small collection of reading materials that respond to and stretch this question, including a movement score, an album and a few community-sourced suggestions.
Throughout the day, the library will be open to explore in different ways. Between 11am-1pm, Natifah will spotlight the movement score as an invitation into the collection (much like how a book might be recommended or highlighted by someone in your local library). This session offers a chance to spend time with the score alongside the other materials gathered in the library with others. Outside of the session, the library will remain open for you to browse, listen, read and explore the reading companions.
Natifah White (she/her) is a Nottingham-based dance artist currently applying movement principles to reimagine archive and library systems. She describes her work as a referential web spanning performance (credits include: Seke Chimutengwende, Florence Peake SERAFINE1369, and Elinor Lewis and Joe Garbett) and a personal proactive based on guiding questions.
A question anchoring her work right now is: ‘How do we take the immaterial into the material?’ (reference: Joseph Zeal-Henry). She used this to reimaging archive/library systems, thinking about how these structures might be experienced and circulated through movement and collective care. Her approach is relational; she’s interested in learning from others, building on existing practices and finding ways to carry that work forward.
These enquiries extend into her digi-practice, ‘thisishappening’, which experiments with archiving as an ‘amplifying practice’, using crediting, repeating and sharing ‘strategies of solidarity’ (reference: Archival Textures).
Independent Dance is resident at Siobhan Davies Studios. To find out more about accessibility and the amenities available within the building please see here.
If you have any questions about the accessibility of our programme and would like to discuss any specific access requirements, please feel free to reach out to us via email info@independentdance.co.uk or by phone on 0207 091 9650, to speak to a member of the Independent Dance team.
During the session, all participants are welcome to take breaks, observe, exit and enter the space as they wish. Lounge areas are available on the first and ground floors of the building. Yoga mats, blocks, cushions and ear defenders are available for use. We also welcome you being in contact if you would like to discuss the option of bringing your access support worker. Please speak to a member of the ID team if you require any assistance.
