As part of the Sharing Experiences course conducted within the Modern Dance Department at Arkin University of Creative Arts and Design (ARUCAD), academic, choreographer, and researcher Lucille Toth was hosted as a guest speaker. The webinar, held online within the scope of the CDNC 307 course, focused on Toth’s interdisciplinary work on community-based dance practices and activism through art. The event was moderated by Sen. Ins. Yıldız Güventürk.
Trained in contemporary dance in France and working at the intersection of dance, literature, medical humanities, gender studies, and migration studies, Toth centered her talk on long-term projects developed with migrant and vulnerable communities. Emphasizing that art is not solely an aesthetic field of production but also a space for social witnessing, empowerment, and solidarity, she shared examples illustrating how dance can become a powerful tool for expression and transformation in this context.
During the webinar, projects carried out under On Borders, founded and artistically directed by Toth, were examined in detail. These projects, developed with migrant women and men from different countries, demonstrate how participants’ embodied storytelling can evolve into a collective creative process. Highlighting the importance of ethical artistic practice, Toth drew attention to the distinction between “working with communities” and “working on communities,” addressing issues of trust, consent, co-creation, and representation through concrete examples.
In the later part of the webinar, students took part in an interactive discussion exploring how to design an ethically sensitive movement/dance session. Participants were encouraged to reassess classes they had previously taught or experienced from this perspective. Progressing through questions and contributions, the webinar offered an in-depth discussion on Toth’s approach to sustaining academic and artistic production together.
Those who wish to revisit the webinar can access the broadcast via the link below:
