Kinaesthetic Stories is a 5-hour interdisciplinary workshop led by artists Esther Sabetpour and Vanio Papadelli, working at the intersection of arts and wellbeing across studio, community, and public spaces.

The session offers a space to reimagine identity and memory through guided somatic movement, witnessing scores, free writing, and partner-curated self-portraits. Together, you’ll explore past and present stories rooted in the body and a felt sense of place.

Guided movement explorations will help you attune to the body’s impulses for interacting with light, framing, and instant composition. We will gradually build trust for focused touch and eye contact as a preparation for witnessing and documenting movement with a partner. Free writing will serve as a connective tissue between movement and photography, helping define the photographic theme.

Approaching the body kinaesthetically, we’ll treat ‘seeing’ not only as a visual act but as an embodied experience where light, body, and camera move in dialogue. This process softens boundaries between observer and observed, nurturing a way of seeing that’s felt through the skin rather than only through the eyes. You’ll receive technical guidance for assisted self-portraiture and we’ll provide materials (such as large fabrics) to play with concealing and revealing the body.

The workshop invites a reimagining of personal story through quiet or more expansive expression. Expect a relaxed, welcoming atmosphere with generous breaks, group discussions, and opportunities for reflection. We will close by sharing selected photographic work, both in-person and online.

No prior experience in dance, writing, or photography is required—only openness, curiosity, and a willingness to have a go!

This will be a hybrid session, taking place in person and online. If you would prefer to attend this workshop via Zoom, please click here for further information and to book.

Before booking this session, we kindly ask you to complete our Health & Access form. This is so we can best support your participation and look to arrange any necessary support.

Part of Sadler’s Wells Artist Development Programme: Artist-Led Sessions. Find out more about the selection process for this programme.

Header image © Esther Sabetpour & Vanio Papadelli

Header image description: A split image: on the left, a person kneels on a rocky beach with pastel fabric billowing in the wind; on the right, a person is fully wrapped in pale fabric, forming a cocoon-like shape in a corner, with a small printed image on the covering.