Events

Carrying Each Other’s Weight? Dance, Trauma and Law

Performance Lecture by Dr Maria Federica Moscati and Dr Sean Mulcahy,

with performance by Dr Irene Sofia González

Musical accompaniment Nick Baur and Lucy Finchett-Maddock

2-4pm 14 April 2025

Whitebox, Pontio Arts Centre, Bangor University

The lawyer, the doctor, the artist, the teacher, are all societal advocates and gatekeepers of knowledge and experience. A lawyer, artist, doctor or teacher in some form, may manifest not just one but more of those ascribed roles and identities at any given time, and within this we are reminded of the formula of ‘roles’, and ‘identities’, and form itself, as we shapeshift between what any stage of a day may incur. These ascribed expectations are like laws themselves, almost as if a choreography of routine and custom, institution, much as that experienced by the trained ballerina as they sweat, bend and repeat to transform arms and feet to create complete beauty in movement. Much as those ascribed rules and norms are broken down as life comes in; events happen to breach a constitution, and all needs to be improvised. The graceful shift from one stance and rhythm to the next as dance is then unknown, the edge of a movement, a chaotic reactor and touch, ushers in the unforeseen.

Behind the scenes, are we a living embodiment of the Greek myth of Chiron, the wounded healer, bringing with us to every move the reasons why we came to the very role we choose (or not depending on our circumstances) – those traumas that created the desire to overcome, and the impact of laws on us and within us as we do?

Trauma is evocatively displayed through the dancer, as each body is both autonomous and yet moves through space, held and transfixed through the literal holding of another’s corporeality in one’s arms, the interpolation of one and another, touching and holding, in both pre-arranged choreograph and the task to respond in the moment.

We are very lucky to have trained dancer, lawyer and legal scholar Dr Maria Federica Moscati to demonstrate this beautiful paradox of choreography and form, the custom and ritual of trained steps, herself combining legal with kinetic knowledge of the body with her own exercises on trust and holding. Performer and legal scholar Dr Sean Mulcahy furthers such a continuum through illustrating the power of rules and laws within contact improvisation and the necessity for consent to touch, in the shift between prescription and description in dance as types of contract.

Bridging these two end brackets of kinetic form from organised to unforeseen, is the beautiful work of doctor and dancer Irene Sofia Gonzales, expressing ‘healing the wound’ in contemporary dance, a re-telling of these boundaries between art and life, healing and healer. Musical accompaniment will be provided by musician/teacher Nick Baur, and legal academic/artist Lucy Finchett-Maddock.

Is there a line between a dance that is choreographed and one that is unimpinged by the presence of law, or is it always there? What can dance tell us of the movement of laws between our bodies? What can choreography and improvisation tell us of the kind of laws that exist and how they express themselves within artistic form? Is Chiron a useful framework to consider trauma, law and dance together? How can we learn from dance to hold one another and be with one another in law without reenacting traumas, unhelpful ascriptions, aspirations and hierarchies?

These questions will underlie the performance-lectures, movements and discussions of the event.

Outline of Session

2-2.20 – Simple exercises/movement as introduction

2.20-2.40 – Marica Performance Lecture & Exercises on Trust

2.40-3.00 – Irene Performance & Accompaniment

Healing the Wound

3.00-3.20 – Sean Performance Lecture & Exercises on Consent

3.20-3.40 – Collective Contract & Movement

3.40-4 – Movement Discussion

Dr Maria Federica Moscati

Maria Federica Moscati (Marica) is Reader in Law and Society; an Italian advocate, trained mediator and former dancer. Her main research interests lie in issues relating to Dispute Resolution, Comparative Legal Studies (focus on kinship, family relations, dispute resolution), Children’s rights, Queer people and the law, and their intersection. New areas of research that Marica is exploring concern Dance and the Law; and Hormones and the Law. In her research she incorporates ethnographic expertise, arts (in particular dance) and interdisciplinarity into her legal research work.

She is co-director of the Centre for Cultures of Reproduction, Technologies and Health at University of Sussex; co-editor for EUP of the book series Comparative Legal Studies, Society and Justice; co-editor of the journal Amicus Curiae; Associate Research Fellow at IALS; member of the Editorial Board of The Journal of Comparative Law; Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.For her research on mediation and non-heteronormative families she has been awarded the National Mediation Award for Diversity and Inclusion 2022. She was finalist in the 2020 OUP Law Teacher of the Year Award. In January 2024 she has designed and launched a dance-practice interdisciplinary learning initiative on Dance in Law, Politics and Sociology. Marica combines academic interests with activism. As cause lawyer she has been involved in a number of domestic and European court cases including among others: Case of Orlandi and Others v. Italy.

Dr Sean Mulcahy

Sean Mulcahy is a Research Officer at the Australian Research Centre in Sex, Health and Society with a research focus on human rights law and experiences of stigma and discrimination against marginalised populations, including people with (a history of) hepatitis C, people who use drugs, and LGBTIQA+ people.

Sean completed a joint PhD in the School of Law at the University of Warwick and the Centre for Theatre and Performance at Monash University, where he also held appointment as a teaching associate in Performance Studies. His doctoral research examined the performance of law through a study of courts and law from the perspective of contemporary theatre and performance research and practice. His work has been published in the Canadian Journal of Law and Society, Law and Humanities and Law Text Culture. He also produces the Performing Law podcast.

In addition to his academic work, Sean has also worked as a freelance actor, director and theatre producer. He has performed in the Midsumma, Melbourne Fringe and Adelaide Fringe Festivals, and at the Malthouse Theatre, Arts Centre Melbourne and La Mama Theatre.

Dr Irene Sofia Gonzalez

Dr Irene Sofia Gonzalez Marin is a GP partner based in Conwy, North Wales, with a special interest in Lifestyle Medicine and Creative Health. She defends the importance of social prescribing and a holistic approach as an essential part of GP practice. She has participated in different contemporary dance courses in contact improvisation, Authentic movement, Axys syllabus technique, “dance in cancer care” and practice Capoeira regularly. Her artistic work has focused on nature based practices through movement in a project called ‘Mycelium movement‘ in collaboration with a group of artists based in North Wales, ‘Utopias Bach’, over the last four years.

The performance “Healing the Wound” is an approach to healing. Showing our vulnerabilities, feeling exposed and visible can offer healing and transformation.

The healthcare system is at a breaking point. Solving the matter could start by showing the wounds, finding solutions through transformation. A cycle of care with a dynamic interplay within all the elements involved, considering care, the carers, self-care, the system and cure as equally important. Project ‘Getting out of the cabinet‘.

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Cario Pwysau eich gilydd? Dawns, Trawma a’r Gyfraith

Darlith Berfformio gan Dr Maria Federica Moscati a Dr Sean Mulcahy,

gyda pherfformiad gan Dr Irene Sofia González

Cyfeiliant cerddorol Nick Baur a Lucy Finchett-Maddock

2-4pm 14 Ebrill 2025

Whitebox, Canolfan Celfyddydau Pontio, Prifysgol Bangor

Mae’r cyfreithiwr, y meddyg, yr arlunydd, yr athro, i gyd yn eiriolwyr cymdeithasol ac yn borthorion gwybodaeth a phrofiad. Gall cyfreithiwr, artist, meddyg neu athro mewn rhyw ffurf, amlygu nid yn unig un ond mwy o’r rolau a’r hunaniaethau penodedig hynny ar unrhyw adeg benodol, ac o fewn hyn fe’n hatgoffir o’r fformiwla ‘rolau’, a ‘hunaniaethau’, a ffurfio ei hun, wrth i ni newid siâp rhwng yr hyn y gall unrhyw gam o ddiwrnod ei achosi. Mae’r disgwyliadau priodol hyn fel deddfau eu hunain, bron fel pe bai’n goreograffi o drefn ac arfer, sefydliad, yn debyg iawn i’r hyn a brofwyd gan y ballerina hyfforddedig wrth iddynt chwysu, plygu ac ailadrodd i drawsnewid breichiau a thraed i greu harddwch llwyr mewn symudiad. Yn gymaint ag y caiff y rheolau a’r normau priodol hynny eu torri i lawr wrth i fywyd ddod i mewn; mae digwyddiadau’n digwydd i dorri cyfansoddiad, ac mae angen gwneud popeth yn fyrfyfyr. Mae’r symudiad gosgeiddig o un safiad a rhythm i’r nesaf fel dawns yn anhysbys wedyn, ymyl symudiad, adweithydd anhrefnus a chyffyrddiad, yn tywys yr anrhagweladwy.

Y tu ôl i’r llenni, a ydyn ni’n ymgorfforiad byw o chwedl Roegaidd Chiron, yr iachawr clwyfedig, yn dod â’r rhesymau pam y daethom i’r union rôl a ddewiswn (neu ddim yn dibynnu ar ein hamgylchiadau) gyda ni i bob symudiad – y trawma hynny a greodd yr awydd i oresgyn, ac effaith deddfau arnom ac oddi mewn inni fel y gwnawn?

Mae trawma’n cael ei arddangos yn atgofus drwy’r dawnsiwr, wrth i bob corff fod yn ymreolaethol ac eto’n symud trwy’r gofod, yn cael ei ddal a’i drawsnewid trwy afael llythrennol corfforedd rhywun arall ym mreichiau rhywun, rhyngosod un ac un arall, cyffwrdd a dal, mewn coreograff a drefnwyd ymlaen llaw a’r dasg i ymateb yn y foment.

Rydym yn ffodus iawn i gael y dawnsiwr, cyfreithiwr ac ysgolhaig cyfreithiol hyfforddedig Dr Maria Federica Moscati i arddangos y paradocs hardd hwn o goreograffi a ffurf, yr arferiad a’r ddefod o gamau hyfforddedig, ei hun yn cyfuno cyfreithiol â gwybodaeth cinetig o’r corff â’i hymarferion ei hun ar ymddiriedaeth a dal. Mae’r perfformiwr a’r ysgolhaig cyfreithiol Dr Sean Mulcahy yn hyrwyddo continwwm o’r fath trwy ddangos pŵer rheolau a chyfreithiau o fewn gwaith byrfyfyr cyswllt a’r angen am ganiatâd i gyffwrdd, yn y newid rhwng rhagnodi a disgrifio mewn dawns fel mathau o gontractau.

Yn pontio’r ddau gromfachau pen hyn o ffurf cinetig o drefnus i anrhagweladwy, mae gwaith hardd y meddyg a’r ddawnswraig Irene Sofia Gonzales, yn mynegi ‘iacháu’r clwyf’ mewn dawns gyfoes, yn ail-adrodd y ffiniau hyn rhwng celfyddyd a bywyd, iachâd ac iachawr. Darperir cyfeiliant cerddorol gan y cerddor/athro Nick Baur, a’r academydd/artist cyfreithiol Lucy Finchett-Maddock.

A oes yna linell rhwng dawns sy’n cael ei choreograffi ac un nad yw presenoldeb y gyfraith yn amharu arni, neu a yw yno bob amser? Beth all dawns ei ddweud wrthym am symudiadau deddfau rhwng ein cyrff? Beth all coreograffi a gwaith byrfyfyr ei ddweud wrthym am y math o ddeddfau sy’n bodoli a sut maent yn mynegi eu hunain o fewn ffurf artistig? A yw Chiron yn fframwaith defnyddiol i ystyried trawma, y ​​gyfraith a dawns gyda’i gilydd? Sut gallwn ni ddysgu oddi wrth ddawns i ddal ein gilydd a bod gyda’n gilydd yn gyfreithiol heb ail-greu trawma, priodoliadau di-fudd, dyheadau a hierarchaethau?

Bydd y cwestiynau hyn yn sail i’r perfformiad-darlithoedd, symudiadau a thrafodaethau’r digwyddiad.

Amlinelliad o’r Sesiwn

2-2.20 – Ymarferion/symudiad syml fel cyflwyniad

2.20-2.40 – Darlith Perfformiad Marica ac Ymarferion ar Ymddiriedolaeth

2.40-3.00 – Perfformiad a Chyfeiliant Irene

Iachau y Clwyf

3.00-3.20 – Darlith Perfformiad Sean ac Ymarferion ar Ganiatâd

3.20-3.40 – Cytundeb a Symud ar y Cyd

3.40-4 – Trafodaeth Symudiad

Dr Maria Federica Moscati

Mae Maria Federica Moscati (Marica) yn Ddarllenydd yn y Gyfraith a Chymdeithas; eiriolwr Eidalaidd, cyfryngwr hyfforddedig a chyn ddawnsiwr. Mae ei phrif ddiddordebau ymchwil yn ymwneud â Datrys Anghydfodau, Astudiaethau Cyfreithiol Cymharol (ffocws ar berthnasau, cysylltiadau teuluol, datrys anghydfod), Hawliau plant, pobl Queer a’r gyfraith, a’u croestoriad. Meysydd ymchwil newydd y mae Marica yn eu harchwilio sy’n ymwneud â Dawns a’r Gyfraith; a Hormonau a’r Gyfraith. Yn ei hymchwil mae hi’n ymgorffori arbenigedd ethnograffig, y celfyddydau (yn arbennig dawns) a rhyngddisgyblaeth yn ei gwaith ymchwil cyfreithiol.

Hi yw cyd-gyfarwyddwr y Ganolfan Diwylliannau Atgynhyrchu, Technolegau ac Iechyd ym Mhrifysgol Sussex; cyd-olygydd ar gyfer EUP y gyfres lyfrau Comparative Legal Studies, Society and Justice; cyd-olygydd y cyfnodolyn Amicus Curiae; Cymrawd Ymchwil Cyswllt yn IALS; aelod o Fwrdd Golygyddol The Journal of Comparative Law; Cymrawd yr Academi Addysg Uwch.Am ei hymchwil ar gyfryngu a theuluoedd anheteronormaidd mae hi wedi ennill Gwobr Cyfryngu Cenedlaethol ar gyfer Amrywiaeth a Chynhwysiant 2022. Cyrhaeddodd rownd derfynol Gwobr Athro’r Gyfraith y Flwyddyn OUP 2020. Ym mis Ionawr 2024 mae hi wedi dylunio a lansio menter ddysgu ryngddisgyblaethol ymarfer dawns ar Ddawns yn y Gyfraith, Gwleidyddiaeth a Chymdeithaseg. Mae Marica yn cyfuno diddordebau academaidd â gweithrediaeth. Fel cyfreithiwr achos bu’n ymwneud â nifer o achosion llys domestig ac Ewropeaidd gan gynnwys ymhlith eraill: Achos Orlandi ac Eraill v. yr Eidal.

 

Dr Sean Mulcahy

Mae Sean Mulcahy yn Swyddog Ymchwil yng Nghanolfan Ymchwil Rhyw, Iechyd a Chymdeithas Awstralia gyda ffocws ymchwil ar gyfraith hawliau dynol a phrofiadau o stigma a gwahaniaethu yn erbyn poblogaethau ymylol, gan gynnwys pobl â (hanes) hepatitis C, pobl sy’n defnyddio cyffuriau, a phobl LGBTIQA+.

Cwblhaodd Sean PhD ar y cyd yn Ysgol y Gyfraith ym Mhrifysgol Warwick a’r Ganolfan Theatr a Pherfformio ym Mhrifysgol Monash, lle bu hefyd yn gydymaith addysgu mewn Astudiaethau Perfformio. Roedd ei ymchwil doethurol yn archwilio perfformiad y gyfraith trwy astudiaeth o lysoedd a’r gyfraith o safbwynt theatr gyfoes ac ymchwil ac ymarfer perfformio. Mae ei waith wedi’i gyhoeddi yn y Canadian Journal of Law and Society, Law and Humanities and Law Text Culture. Mae hefyd yn cynhyrchu podlediad Performing Law.

Yn ogystal â’i waith academaidd, mae Sean hefyd wedi gweithio fel actor, cyfarwyddwr a chynhyrchydd theatr llawrydd. Mae wedi perfformio yn y Midsumma, Melbourne Fringe ac Adelaide Fringe Festivals, ac yn y Malthouse Theatre, Arts Centre Melbourne a La Mama Theatre.

 

Dr Irene Sofia Gonzalez

Mae Dr Irene Sofia Gonzalez Marin yn bartner meddyg teulu yng Nghonwy, Gogledd Cymru, gyda diddordeb arbennig mewn Meddygaeth Ffordd o Fyw ac Iechyd Creadigol. Mae hi’n amddiffyn pwysigrwydd presgripsiynu cymdeithasol a dull cyfannol fel rhan hanfodol o bractis meddyg teulu. Mae hi wedi cymryd rhan mewn gwahanol gyrsiau dawns gyfoes mewn byrfyfyr cyswllt, symudiad dilys, techneg maes llafur Axys, “dawns mewn gofal canser” ac ymarfer Capoeira yn rheolaidd. Mae ei gwaith artistig wedi canolbwyntio ar arferion sy’n seiliedig ar natur trwy symud mewn prosiect o’r enw ‘Mycelium movement’ mewn cydweithrediad â grŵp o artistiaid sydd wedi’u lleoli yng Ngogledd Cymru, ‘Utopias Bach’, dros y pedair blynedd diwethaf.

Mae’r perfformiad “Healing the Wound” yn ddull o wella. Gall dangos ein gwendidau, teimlo’n agored ac yn weladwy gynnig iachâd a thrawsnewid.

Mae’r system gofal iechyd ar flaen y gad. Gallai datrys y mater ddechrau trwy ddangos y clwyfau, dod o hyd i atebion trwy drawsnewid. Cylch gofal gyda chydadwaith deinamig o fewn yr holl elfennau dan sylw, gan ystyried gofal, y gofalwyr, hunanofal, y system a gwellhad yr un mor bwysig. Prosiect ‘Dod allan o’r cabinet’.