Meet the Artist: Saffy Setohy
Remembering Together: Stirling have appointed their artist to co-create memorials with communities. Meet Saffy Setohy.
Saffy is a socially engaged dance artist living in Glasgow, with 15 years of experience working in different contexts across choreography, interdisciplinary performance, participatory practices, movement direction, facilitation, community and network building, activism, research, mentoring, and amplification of other creative voices. She believes deeply in the ability of art to invite personal and social transformation. At the heart of her work is an ethos of listening, collaboration and experimentation. Her practice is tactile, place-responsive, and draws together influences from sensory and somatic (mind-body connection) work, improvisation, walking, writing, visual media, sound art and recently, gardening. Her artistic interests circle around exploring ecological practices, our connection to our environment and each other, and increasingly notions of regeneration and care.
Image credit: Saffy Setohy
Saffy says: “ Covid has amplified existing inequalities in Scotland. There is a strong correlation between people disproportionately affected by the pandemic, and those who are regularly marginalised. I am interested in people whose voices are often less heard.
Connection with nature has been proven to improve wellbeing and creativity exponentially, with this being highlighted during the pandemic. For this project, I will co-facilitate, along with a Stirling based artist (to be confirmed), a series of creative conversations indoors and outdoors- engaging with Stirling’s specific natural environments and bringing a sense of that indoors for those who cannot access it easily.”
“I would be delighted to help cultivate a care-ful and joyful process where people can be facilitated to connect, imagine and co-create together. Where people have a chance to sense and express (not just verbally) what matters to them. I am sure that the communities of Stirling will imagine radical, meaningful and beautiful memorial ideas which reflect the multiplicity of people, lived experiences and places of Stirling. I am excited at the prospect of helping breathe life into these possibilities which will help us all mark this very particular time in our histories.”