I respectfully acknowledge the Yalukit Willem Clan of the Boon Wurrung and the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung people of the Kulin nations, the traditional custodians of the lands and waters on which I am privileged to live and work. I pay my respects to elders, families and forebears of all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and recognise their continued connections to language, culture and Country. I support the Uluru Statement from the heart. www.fromtheheart.com.au
Always was always will be aboriginal land.
WHERE TO BEGIN?
GRATITUDES
I am indebted to A Good Catch for their willingness to disrupt their beloved circus practice and embrace uncertainty, discovery, and posthuman thinking. Spenser Inwood and Sharon Gruenert your stamina, nerve, graciousness, and patience, and creativity. They are risk-takers who care for all who take risks with them with respect and joy.
So much gratitude to Alexandra Harrison, for her passionate insights, observations, provocations and clarity. For unbounded and contagious curiosity, friendship and supportive discussions on the phone. I love the way you can articulate complexity with such vitality while cultivating space for disagreement.
Special thanks to the Zoë makers for taking this ride with us, for knowing when to wait and when to offer, when to change course and when to stick to your propositions. For sharing your creative skills and reflecting your insights in your work with us. I am indebted to Clara Mee Yee Chan (costume), Gina Gascoigne (lighting projection), Naima Fine (composer/sound). Thanks to Claudia Sangiorgi Dalimore for documenting our process, and in so doing showing us what we are becoming.
I can’t thank my supervisor Fiona Hillary enough. Firstly for accepting my application with joy and for introducing me to Rosi Braidotti as well as many other fabulous feminist thinkers. I am also grateful for your appreciation, and thoughtful commentary on my arts practice. Your respect and compassion for students is extraordinary. Thankyou too for your passionate interest in the public space and nudges toward the uncomfortable places I was trying to avoid.
Thankyou Ceri Hann for conversations, and all of your generous ideas and contributions including hard hats, green screen and magic video switches.
Many thanks to my MAPS cohort, what a fabulous group to take this journey with. Thankyou all for sharing your creative practice with me. I only wish we had more time in building 50 together.
Thankyou to Latonya Wigginton for assistance with the website.
Thankyou to Cosmo Batton Polke for your tolerance as my Master’s studio took over our home. We might be able to use the dining table for meals again soon. Thankyou for tech support and cooking dinner or ordering our takeaways!
Who is Zoë?[1]
Zoë is a vital force of empty chaos and absolute movement. She is an entity with multiple facets, she is kin, she is wise, playful and wants to live. She adapts to circumstances and holds her own even as she meshes with strange and unfamiliar forms.
Zoë is a circus performance, ta da! And she is not, bom bohm. Zoë is tricky to explain. This is the best I can do for now.
Footnotes
[1] Braidotti, Rosi. Posthuman Knowledge Polity Press Cambridge 2019 Zoe p10 inspired by “the generative potential of Zoe” there are many references to Braidotti in creative writings throughout this research paper.
In the Middle of Zoë 