'Bodily': Conjunction and Fermentation

Abstract

'This cult of thinness has burrowed its way into my body. Into our bodies. It’s a way of life. The head knows we shouldn’t, but the heart has no choice . . . This is our contradiction'. This paper looks at the “before, during and after” of my 2006 Ph.D. performance 'Bodily', which explores the multiplicity of attitudes towards female beauty and body image in contemporary society. It traces the development of the performance, the experience during the show, and a discussion and evaluation of the receptions to the performance and its research outcomes. The focus of this paper is on how the theory and practice components of my project complement each other, emphasising the line of development from research and construction to performance and evaluation. It therefore investigates how I am integrating the experience of 'Bodily' with my theoretical research.