Movement Is My Medicine Festival

The Mill, Point A and Soul Strong Society have come together to present the Movement Is My Medicine (MIMM) Festival, starting this Thursday, April 3. A joint venture with Beyond Blue and National Youth Week, the festival aims to highlight our ancient and modern understanding of the link between movement, the brain, the body and wellbeing. To celebrate this, a host of events, workshops and exhibitions will run for three days, wrapping up with a street party on Saturday, April 5.

“My background is as a contemporary dancer, but through my recent travels and study of Kung Fu and Tai Chi in China, I am finding a greater appreciation for the health and wellbeing benefits of movement practices alongside the physical benefits.” Fowler returns to Australia after a six-week educational pilgrimage to China last June. While overseas, she studied Chinese martial arts at the Guigu Culture School on Wudang Mountain in Wudangshan, followed by three weeks in Beijing taking classes at the TAO Dance Theatre and the Beijing Contemporary Dance LDTX. Supported by the Helpmann Academy, the Adelaide College of the Arts graduate undertook the travel after experiencing a four-week training course at Wudang Taoist Kung Fu Academy in 2012. The result of these multidisciplinary and multicultural experiences was a change in the way Fowler understood and approached movement. The MIMM program has been developed to reflect some of this learning. TJ from parkour and freerunning group Point A seconds the importance of diversity of movement. “The diverse program is really interesting – unlike anything assembled in Adelaide before. I think it will bring a lot of energy and excitement to everyone involved while also sharing some excellent ideas and messages alongside.” Presenters during the festival include UniSA’s Professor of Neuroscience Susan Hillier, Restless Dance Theatre’s Artistic Director Michelle Ryan and Elder Uncle Moogy from the Ngarrindjeri nation. With other representatives from the realms of circus and youth work, the program is rich with insightful research and informed individuals. As part of the festival, art collective The Mill will be hosting a fundraising exhibition from Saturday, April 5 – Wednesday, April 16, featuring photographs such as the above by Chris Herzfeld. For further information and booking details, head to the festival website: movementismymedicinefestival.com Images by Chris Herzfeld, Camlight Productions. This story originally appeared in Rip It Up magazine.