Adele Keeley

In collaboration with colleague Jenna Hubbard, Adele has been developing methodologies in creative improvisation jamming. Her current research explores the themes of collaboration, play, the digital intermediatory space and how we engage with the digital ‘other’ of ourselves. The research builds on the work of Stark Smith's The Underscore (1987). This long-form dance improvisation structure which she uses to frame the creative journey which takes place within a jam session. ephemeral, and communal play. These sessions have successfully bought together multidisciplinary artists to experiment together in one creative space. During the 2020 Pandemic Adele and Jenna explored how creative collaboration could continue through the digital platform and in Oct 2020 delivered an online creative improvisation jam as part of the International Drawing and Performance: Creating Scenography Conference. They are in the process of writing a chapter in the book to be published soon. The emergent research methods open areas for consent discovery and debate. Since returning to in-person creative improvisation jams a hybrid model is developing where we share both in-person and remote visual dialogue.

Adele is also researching the semiotic representation of geology in costume. By using symbols and codes within the framework of the ‘bodily’ canvas Adele explores how costume can be used to embed subtle references to the chemical and physical elements found in rock. The research explores the creative interpretation of microscopic fragments found in geological strata and re-creating these through visual representations in textiles. Adele’s publication Anthropomorphizing nature through costume design (2019), presents the findings of a research project which explored the representation of the rock formations of the Jurassic Coast, UK and explores the relationship between earth sciences and human connectivity. It used theories from social science that claim if we attribute human characteristics

to natural forms we feel a greater connection towards it. This research is on-going and continues to develop.