Dances with Food Waste: Lessons learned from a creative KTT experiment

“Wasted?” was a research-based performance event that took place in March 2017. It was the result of a collaborative KTT experiment with researchers in U of G’s Department of Geography, the Community Engaged Scholarship Institute’s Practitioner-in-Residence, City of Guelph Waste Management Staff and The Seed Community Food Hub. 

Combining social science research on food waste with creative performance practices including film, dance, theatre, and comedy, audience members were treated to a different way of engaging with research results. This presentation will briefly describe the process of how this event was created, including methods used in the studio, as well as lessons learned that can be applied in KTT practice (whether or not dancing is involved). Questions and discussion will be prioritized.

Georgia Simms, MA

Georgia is a dancer, educator and facilitator. She has been part of the U of G community since 2000, most recently as the inaugural Practitioner in Residence at CESI. She is currently a business owner and freelance consultant working with a variety of teams, including Knowledge to Action Consulting and Art Not Shame. While Georgia enjoys a good, critical discussion of research methodology, she finds the most joy in teaching dance technique and improvisation to adults in downtown Guelph.