Reel Bollywood (costume design)

Costume Design and production for an educational research project exploring cultural difference with young people, inspiring creation of original choreography, music and film narratives. The work evaluated the pedagogic worth of cross-cultural arts interventions and significantly hands-on trialled ground-breaking technology (Transana) to analyse movement, body language, speech and evaluate learning.

My research entailed ethnographic observation of street-cultures in East Ham and Southall; review of ethnic magazines, clothing markets and Bollywood film costume regarding challenges, attitudes and perceptions of personal identification relevant to contemporary British society and youth. Furthering my research into representation of clothing, gesture, dance and animated avatars I devised 24 outfits for a non-hierarchical cast; filming on the Bourne and Holborn Estates at a highly sensitive time following the London bombings of July 2005.

During fast collaborative fieldwork, designs were sketched then uniquely, created and presented digitally in 3D software Poser 5 for approval with the film team and performers, who contributed critically. Throughout filming I used their dances to animate and add ambience to the digital costume and make-up designs. Use of the lap-top in the field encouraged oral pedagogic dialogue and feedback. Back-stage interaction was as vital to capture and analyse as the central dance drama.

Subsequent interviews with the casts and with schools and parents found that the program was welcomed across Britain; the students benefited from a 'safe space', where they discussed problematic cultural differences, dress and race and expressed 'more confidence and less embarrassment' in communicating. Hands-on access to technology encouraged applications for further arts education.

In collaboraton with Germination Films and Big Yellow Feet Films