Clwstwr Clecs: Quick catch up with our funded Cohort member Krystal Lowe, self-employed dancer, choreographer, writer and director.
Hi Krystal!
How would you describe what you do/your business?
I am a self-employed dancer, choreographer, writer and director. I self-produce and create dance theatre works for stage and public spaces.
What inspired you to apply for funding?
I found out about the Clwstwr funding via social media and wanted to learn more. I was given the opportunity to talk to one of the Clwstwr team members about the funding, how it works and what sort of things it can be used for. This allowed me to see that it would suit me well and support the research and development side of my work, so I decided to go for it. Following my successful application, I received £10,000 in funding.
What were you aiming to do for your Clwstwr project?
I wanted to explore how the screen industry shares stories of ethnic minority people. I felt that it was often the case that ethnic minority people are seen as a group, rather than individuals with their own personal stories, experiences, observations and knowledge. From researching this area, I hoped to gain insight into how the screen industry could enhance the experience for interviewees, interviewers and audiences of the content to better represent individuals from ethnic minorities.
Describe the process you went through.
First, I connected with my relevant academic support and some of Clwstwr's contacts to introduce them to the idea of my research. With my team, I began to research how the screen industry shares stories of ethnic minority people, drawing from public knowledge through surveys and focus groups.
What were the outcomes of your research?
Following the research period, I gathered all of the data to evaluate the findings. My research proved what I suspected from the start, that the screen industries often fall into telling stories of ethnic minority people as though they are a group, rather than individuals with their own personal stories. With this insight, I know the importance of putting the stories of individuals at the forefront of my work going forward and can encourage others to do so too; ethnic minority groups are not just one identity but a whole host of individuals whose stories should be told and heard individually.
Where do you think you’ll go next, having carried out the R&D?
The legacy of my Clwstwr-funded R&D is how it has and will continue to impact my work. I now see my practice from a new perspective, and I'm able to see how new contexts can support me to learn more and develop things in my own practice. I'm consistently ensuring to present the identities of others as individuals and not collectives, as well as sharing this learning and exploration through all of my work as a performer, creative and practitioner.
Even though I don't have plans to do any further R&D in this area, the research has stayed with me. Through creating work that takes the findings into account, I am able to continue to explore and discover new elements of this initial research and demonstrate better practice. I've actually been nominated for an arts award following the research, which will help me with this next phase of my professional practice.