Paola Catizone

Workshops

For the Peatlands Project exhibition at Castletown House, Paola Catizone facilitated two movement workshops, aimed at exploring the parallels between the human body and the body of the planet.

Through experiential anatomy, breathwork, movement games, meditation and discussion, Paola supported participants in gaining awareness of the fluid systems in the body in relation to the complex inter-connectedness of all physical systems.There was an emphasis on interconnectedness as the underlying principle in the living world.

Installation

Catizone also built a shadow installation in Castletown House's stables, using lights, found and organic objects and pre-crafted recycled plastic.

She invited members of the public to draw and cut out their images which were then added to the shadow installation in response to the Peatlands project. The workshops and shadow play animated the space and fomented public engagement and discussion.

Performance

For IMMAs’ Earth Rising Festival 2023, Catizone developed the two movement workshops to include extra time for the crafting of a performance. Catizone invited five artists to participate in the performance and held a number of online discussions with them in order to give information on the peatlands and on the performance concept.

The discussions also invited participants to contribute their images and ideas. Catizone ‘s work includes relational Art processes, where discussion and co-creation are encouraged.

With minimal time available for performance practice (which only took place at the end of the two workshops and online) Catizone invited performers to improvise and to bring their area of specialisation to the fore.

The performance, titled Bodyscapes,  became a ritual of healing for the Irish Peatlands and it included poetry readings, drawing, chanting, movement and dance.

Bodyscapes was filmed in full and the resulting video will be screened at the opening of The Peatlands Project at Birr Castle on the 9th of November of 2023.