During her residency in Košice, Katarzyna Kamecka will conduct a movement-based, performative research related to the topic of listening and her project will involve a workshop group of ten participants. Kamecka would like to reflect how this human ability is nowadays present in our functioning – especially in the context of urban lifestyle affected by new technologies. The material will be collected in the space of the city – during a few workshop sessions, participants will create a map of a soundscape in particular chosen part of Košice. "Free Listening" events will be organised too as a part of Kamecka’s residency.

Contemporary social habits such as multi-tasking and communication by different channels at once are changing our understanding of how to listen and make us forget why it is so important factor in creating a healthy community. This, additionally supported by noise pollution and overflow of non-filtered information, decreases the possibility to hear ourselves (the ability of interception) and as a result of that, losing connections with the outside – surroundings and the people we interact with.  Artist presumes that it is one of the reasons why alienation and defragmentation of social networks based on human contact are recent problems we face in our urban societies.

The goal is to create within the group a platform for verbal and non-verbal practice and reflection on listening which will result with movement performative structure. During the workshops and activities of the residency, the participants will get to know with various techniques of body-work and performing which will increase their self-awareness and artistic competence. Participants will be able to open and express their individual potential and learn how to cooperate with the group. Afterwards, they will be able to use the tools and approach experienced during the residency to apply it in their own everyday life and in any kind of their professional activities.

Katarzyna Kamecka – a graduate of Cultural Studies at the University of Wrocław, works with the local community and theatre at the Policealne Studium Animatorów Kultury „SKiBA” in Wrocław, and at the Academy of New Dance and Contact Improvisation led by Milan and Zuna Kozánek. The main fields of her work are physical theatre, dance and interconnecting of artistic and social spheres.