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Psyche

Evolution of Storytelling...

London Research

Online Lock-down

Stavanger -reasearch

Online Performance

2019

London

A seed has been planted

Submitting my PhD re-energised a wish: to find a creative way to formulate some of my research funding and explorations into A performance project.

In my thesis’ introduction I write about the Myth of Psyche, a mortal woman on a journey of self-knowledge, with references to Carl Jung’s psychoanalytic perspectives. Psyche’s journey can be seen as a journey into consciousness; a journey in which she discovers the feminine aspect of her personality. I write about it as a metaphor for my own journey during the years of my PhD research.

 

The feminine aspect of Psyche’s personality (as a prototype for people in general) involves selectivity, patience, vitality, support, productivity, generosity, forgiveness, beauty and the possibility of saying no. Above all, her acceptance of failure is a key factor. It is the most basic element of being a human being.

 

Without the feminine, Psyche cannot reach her potential as a conscious woman. In other words, it is the development of her femininity that enables Psyche to become aware of herself and of others, that allows her to know herself as an emotional and thinking woman. And it is this awareness that then enables Psyche to love.

In my new project, I wished to explore, and to give an academic and scientific contextualization, methodology and terminology to the ‘feminine’. Additionally and inevitably I questioned how and on what ground feminism and the ‘feminine’ can co-exist and inter-relate.

 

The myth of Psyche, as Jung understands it, is a complex story about qualities of life and human nature; it is not necessarily about gender. What he attributes to Psyche and her journey, are feminine qualities that enable self-awareness. They generate a deep understanding of oneself and are not what might be the cultural understanding of femininity.

 

These qualities are those that make one work hard, they are about failure, vulnerability, fragility and seeing all these as strengths rather than weaknesses. They are based on dependency, on community, on seeing and listening and sharing a space.

 

I therefore invited people from all cross of life, to join me in a two-day workshop where I introduced some of these elements. 

2020 

Pandemic

It is March 2020, and we are all closed in our homes, protecting ourselves from a worldwide pandemic. How can one defeat loneliness, anxiety and fear…?

 

I decided to offer a creative project to people from all around the globe. Sharing on social media some creative tasks that people, whomever they are and wherever they are, can try, test, enjoy and experiment with.

For five Sunday mornings my long-term collaborator Inbar Jeffery, and I, invited people to join us for a Zoom storytelling and discussion, inspiration and tasks. Each week we revealed more of Psyches' journey and sent the participants to respond to a task as it is understood by them.

These were the tasks

Through the period of lockdown and after receiving so many beautiful moments, reflections, and responses by way of video, poetry and photography from participants, Hagit and her longtime collaborator Inbar Jeffery, started the collate the material into a short film.

This video is a video composition, which incorporates for us the spirit and essence of Psyche's tale, and reflects the aesthetics of this project as it develops.

Psyche Expressions Impressions

2022

Supported by Norsk Kulturfond, Stavanger Kommune and Universitetet I Stavanger, Hagit and collaborators are revisiting the myth of Psyche, to discuss the ‘feminine’. A process which culminates in a work-in-progress sharing.

It is a glimpse, a taste, a suggestion.

A flavour we hope we are bringing.

 

Walking through a continuum of habits; always a need, not a will, to be patient.

Wanting. Waiting. Weight. Wait.