Prof. Houston will explore the significance of soft skills in the context of dance artists working in community settings, providing a comprehensive guide to enhance their practice. Soft skills, which encompass patterns of thought, behaviours, and communication, are essential for fostering individual and personal approaches to working relations and social encounters. Prof. Houston will shed light on the growing recognition of soft skills, such as taking care, negotiation, resilience, and empathy, as crucial attributes for dance artists engaging with diverse communities. 

Drawing on her extensive research and practical experience, Prof. Houston will share valuable insights and practical strategies for dance artists to articulate and further develop their existing soft skills within their practice. She will also discuss how these skills can be effectively applied in collaboration with the people they work with. This dialogue is a valuable opportunity for dance artists, educators, and community practitioners seeking to deepen their understanding and enhance their abilities in working effectively within community settings.

Speaker:
Prof. Sara Houston
Professor of Dance and Community Engagement of the School of Arts, University of Roehampton

Moderator:
Prof. Anna CY Chan, Dean of the School of Dance, The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts

About Prof. Sara Houston
Sara Houston is Professor of Dance and Community Engagement of the School of Arts at University of Roehampton. Her pioneering research into the experience of dancing with Parkinson's won her the BUPA Foundation Prize in 2011. She was Finalist in the National Public Engagement Awards for her work in engaging the general public with the research and has collaborated extensively with Parkinson's dance programmes and artists around the world. Prof Houston's book, Dancing with Parkinson's, was published in 2019 by Intellect Books.

Registration: https://forms.gle/iiWCbY7Ktcbpr9t96