Two artists and an academic come together to uncover the answers.
Katie Dale-Everett (Choreographer), Thomas Buckley (Artist), and Daisy Bow du Toit (PhD student in Craft and Social Media at Kingston School of Art) each bring distinct backgrounds and approaches to art, community engagement, and thought. United by their work with technology (be that emergent technology like VR, motion capture or social media), they came together earlier this year to explore how their unique skill sets could engage with intergenerational participants to unravel the mysteries of our digital identities and their impact on the environment.
Initially meeting to learn more about each other’s practices, we explored how different scents can evoke unique memories for each of us and experimented with using our bodies in new ways to create points of connection—much like posting on social media, where a post is seen and interacted with by others. We also delved into Daisy’s unique approach to social media, which draws parallels between crafting online content and the elements involved in traditional crafts, such as knitting a jumper.
Working with seven participants of various ages, backgrounds and interests we then led a workshop at the Kingston School of Art. Workshop participants were taken through a series of exercises that built their connection and trust as a group, created space for them to reflect on their social media use and it’s impact and explore new potentially more creative and meaningful content. This looked like moving as one and moving in response to each other, generating sound through collective made pressure and creating a reflective social media post/story sharing their thoughts, reflections and new discoveries from the workshop.
What did we learn from this initial collaboration as creators and with our participants?
- Participants found value in having a facilitated space to reflect on the impact of their social media use—something that some were already mindful of, while others were not.
- Translating how we use social media and its impact on others into creative outputs (such as sound, dance, and personification) allowed participants to develop a more human, physical, and emotional connection to a medium that often feels distant, fleeting, and intangible.
- Beyond environmental concerns, many participants also reflected on their subconscious thoughts and worries about how their posts are perceived, which emerged as a key part of the conversation.
- Participants left the workshop feeling more equipped to use social media constructively and to question how, why, and what they use it for, empowering them to make more mindful choices about when to post.
- As a unique trio of collaborators, we were able to learn from one another, discover new approaches to our concerns, and find inspiration in the process. This experience has prompted us to think about the future of this project, which, looking ahead to 2025, could involve longer workshops and a potential installation. We also hope to engage younger participants who are just beginning their social media journeys as the project continues to develop.
Visit our project Instagram account to learn more, where we share information, connect as creatives, and invite others to join our community: @digitalfootprintsuk
Links to website:
Daisy Bow du Toit: https://daisybow.com
Katie Dale-Everett: Digital Choreographer: https://katiedale-everettdance.co.uk
Thomas Buckley: https://www.thomas-buckley.com
Thanks to NCACE for supporting this project.
Image: Ruby Gadsby. Caption: A behind-the-scenes still of a technical development session for Katie Dale-Everett Dance’s work ‘Playscape: How to Build a Galaxy’
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Katie Dale-Everett, Thomas Buckley, and Daisy Bow du Toit, awardees of the third round of NCACE Micro-commissions.
