Personal Information
--------------------






Given name: Jessamyn









Surname: Fairfield









Email: jessamyn.fairfield@universityofgalway.ie









I understand that by submitting this form, I consent to the use of my data for the purposes of the 2026 Forum on Artistic Research'.: Yes









I agree to the terms of service.: Yes













Your contribution
-----------------






Title: ROOTED









Format: Performance (8)









Main language: English









Abstract:
ROOTED is a co-created dance theatre piece which explores ecology and the climate crisis with communities in the west of Ireland. The project comprises both workshops and live performances, in collaboration with the public, scientists, dancers, students, and those who may identify with multiple categories, culminating in a dance theatre production devised from emergent workshop themes, data from scientific collaborators, and the stories and perspectives of project performers. By taking a collaborative and transdisciplinary approach, this work avoids the trap of art/science interactions that are either overly literal or hyperstylized (Coates 2017), allowing themes and meaning to emerge in the overlap between ecology, the body, and community (Bentz et al., 2022).

The movement vocabulary, score and script for ROOTED are developed from co-creation workshops and exploration of ecological data, and also includes improvised components that vary in response to audience interaction with climate data at the event. The embodiment of scientific concepts is both science communication and a shared multisensory experiment (Myers, 2012), enabling new collaborative sensemaking methods not traditionally associated with scientific data and analysis (Vogelstein 2022).

The performance will begin with a short talk about the environment and climate change, followed by an interactive data visualization allowing the audience to explore local human impact through live web-based input and projections. This will be followed by an abstract dance theatre piece, which creatively interprets concepts and interactions from the natural environment using physical movement, projections, patterning and text in a stage performance. This lateral approach to our local ecologies, at the intersection of science, performance, and collective agency, encourages new ways of thinking about the world around us and our place in it.

ROOTED is supported by the Research Ireland Discover programme.










Image: https://www.sar2026.ie/system/files/webform/submit_contribution/277/dance%20ecology.jpg









Short biographies of the presenter(s):
- Jessamyn Fairfield is a lecturer in the School of Natural Sciences and the School of English, Media and Creative Arts at the University of Galway. She holds a PhD in Physics from the University of Pennsylvania as well as an MA in Writing from the University of Galway. She leads research and practice on the intersection between science and the performing arts, and is an improviser, writer, and performer. She founded Bright Club Ireland, a research comedy variety night which has held over a hundred events across Ireland and trained hundreds of academics in standup comedy. Her most recent project, We Built This City on Rock and Coal, explored climate action using improvised theatre, co-creating 30 shows with remote coastal Irish communities. 
- Deidre Cavazzi is the Honors Chair and a Professor of Dance at Saddleback College. She holds an MFA in Creative Writing from Dominican University and an MFA in Dance from the University of California at Irvine. She has been an artist-in-residence with The Arctic Circle in Svalbard and both the Fish Factory Creative Centre and NES in Iceland. Her ecopoetry chapbook, carapace, root & feather, was published in Fall 2025 by Bottlecap Press. Her work as a choreographer and artistic director explores STEM themes through performance, often involving interdisciplinary collaborations and opportunities for further engagement through educational partnerships.










Previous presentations or iterations of the research:
If there are any previous performances they will be in the week leading up to the conference (matinee performances and a preview, specifically inviting co-creation workshop participants as described above).














Requirements
------------






Additional information:
The themes of the performance have been developed through co-creation workshops with communities in Galway and Mayo, as well as Transition Year students. In addition to the performance at SAR, we plan to hold matinee performances and an evening preview to invite workshop participants. This work is embedded specifically in the west of Ireland and its communities, and aims to empower youth alongside adults, rural residents alongside city dwellers, to move through climate anxiety toward justice.

The artistic development of the project is in dialogue with community voices as well as data from the National Biodiversity Data Centre, bringing scientific research together with practice-as-research. The translation of data and community input into a theatrical vocabulary, including text, images and movement will contribute to a planned publication on interdisciplinary exploration of climate themes and collaborations between artists, scientists and the public in the development of new works.










Spatial and technical requirements :
This dance theatre production requires a large stage, sound desk and lights. The interactive data visualisation section of the performance necessitates a projector with the widest possible projection space at the back of the stage. We will also borrow a motion capture suit and associated hardware from the Centre for Creative Technologies. Finally, we request use of one of the ODC studios for a pre-show interactive digital display with the audience, which ties into part of the show.










Potential risks or ethical concerns:
The probability and magnitude of any discomfort or harm anticipated from this performance is not greater than what might be experienced in daily life. There is potential for minor distress to audience members as well as performers due to climate anxiety, hence resources will be provided on the project website and supported in depth during the rehearsal process. Research planned as part of this performance has been approved by the University of Galway Research Ethics Committee (2025.05.017).










Create a user account for SAR 2026: No