i fyny: A visit with Simon Whitehead
Photography by Winnie Finesse
As i fyny was drawing to an end, this workshop with Simon Whitehead came on a perfect, warm, summers day to be a beautiful experience of the five months the associates have spent together on various activities and learning from different professionals.
Traveling through the green countryside to the village of Abercych, we walked a mile or so through a wooded valley to a picturesque field, surrounded by a small, slow-moving river. Sitting in patches of shade on an old wooden bridge, we started with introductions of each other’s practice. After many months of not being completely sure of the most succinct wording to describe our practice, we’re now feeling pretty comfortable in talking about it. Simon Whitehead, a movement artist who lives in the village with his family and works a lot with the local community, introduced his musical practice by playing us a piece on a speaker. He'd captured the flow of the river around and beneath us through vibrations on electric guitar strings, accompanied with other ambient music.
Following this, we split into pairs and found a place in the area we each liked and took turns observing each other and just being in the moment. My partner for the activity, Rhiannon, appeared peaceful and calm as she stood in the river – grounding herself as part of the environment.
Back at the bridge we took part in a sense of touch activity, which perhaps sounds a little funny written down but there was nothing uncomfortable about it. In our pairs we took turns gently tapping each other’s head, arms, and legs to be more aware of our surroundings in that moment. It was surprisingly relaxing and peaceful. Laura’s dog, Ruby, who’s been a delightful addition on the some of the workshops, wasn’t left out and looked perfectly serene after it too.
After lunch we again wondered off in pairs to explore, this time a movement exercise in which we observed the other as they expressively moved in whatever way felt right at that moment. Some of this took place in the river and in the field where we played with the fresh hay which was drying wonderfully in the sun.
Before leaving the area, we went to the river together, some to make a piece of art in response to the day with rocks and other materials at hand, placing the rocks in the river around their shadows. And some of us went for a swim which was refreshing after the day’s heat.
Having learned more again about different artists and how they work with where they live and the community around them, we left with a sense of closeness to each other, place, and a memory to treasure.
