Seonaid

As I reach the end of my six month internship with Shaper/Caper, I have been reflecting on the role of Community Education within the organisation. I joined the Shaper/Caper team in my final year of university, studying Community Learning and Development, and was excited to link the last three years of learning into some really meaningful practice. As a Community Education student coming into the arts, I have a different perspective of what this looks like compared to much of the team, as artists being introduced to Community Education.

Back in September, I was a bit uncertain as to what my role would be, as at the time, there was no direct ‘Communities’ Team. This has changed with the introduction of the exciting role of Community Engagement Dance Artist. I was a bit in the dark at the start but as a I sat in on meetings and learned more about the company, I realised that Community Education was already embedded in the work that Shaper/Caper do. If you are unsure of the profession – as a lot of people are – Community Education works alongside the values of Empowerment, Self Determination, Lifelong Learning, Inclusivity and Working Collaboratively, facilitating opportunity for change and providing tools to communities to empower them to strive for social justice. As I was introduced to projects like Well Good, The Body and OutFest I could see how dance was the unifying factor in linking each of these values together.

An image of an audience of 20-30 people from behind. The are in a brightly lit room. There is a long table at the top of the room where a panel of 5 people are seated. — Queer Question Time in the Overgate’s Gather Space

This involves establishing a meaningful dialogue, not solely between Shaper/Caper and the Dance community, but also among staff, between groups in Dundee and with the organisation, to name just a few. Dialogue involves a lot more than just conversation but is rooted in active listening and purposeful communication and consultation. Don’t get me wrong, this is something that requires practice and patience, with people who are open to listen to things they might not want to hear while you are also continuously challenged. However, when it’s done right, it can create beautiful opportunities for change that we all really want to see.

The backs of an audience of 20-30 people.. At the front of the room there is a projector with an indistinguishable image on it and a woman with blonde hair and a black t-shirt talking. — OutFest artists’ sharing at Dundee Contemporary Arts

Now, Community Education within Shaper/Caper might not take over the dance world overnight but that does mean it’s happening in the right ways – slow and steady wins the race. It’s the blether that happens at the Dance for Parkinson’s classes, it is getting to grill politicians at Queer Question Time or, it’s young people putting together a festival of art that they want to see. These examples are all key events I have witnessed over the past six months and highlight to me, and to the rest of the team, that community education is everywhere if you look in the right places!

Seonaid Durston: Community Education and Shaper/Caper