Abstract

My practice led research examined projects involving walking and playing in the context of interminable conflict, I will discuss the role play might have when negotiating the ever changing terrains that we inhabit and move within. My research focused on three types of play; games, performative movement and scale models. For this presentation I will outline how I came to link play with ongoing political conflict and why ludic walking has become central to my practice that investigates both habitual and new spaces by means of playful interventions. How can cards, dice and props operate as productively destructive forces and solicit active engagement? What can chance and appropriation contribute to practice led investigations of contested spaces? And what can be learnt from creating scale models?

Dr Idit Nathan is a practicing artist with many years’ experience as artist/educator. In 2002 Idit co-founded Cambridge Curiosity and Imagination for whom she devised and led numerous creative partnership projects and research led interventions. Since 2012, she has focused on her own arts practice led research completing her thesis ‘Art of Play in Zones of Conflict- the Case of Israel Palestine’ in 2018. Idit often works collaboratively as Play the City, Now or Never! Her work has been exhibited in the UK, Europe and Israel Palestine.