Exploring collaboration and its influence on artistic creativity through an investigation of literature, personal interviews, and the creation of a non-hierarchical collaborative process in dance, music, and painting

Abstract

This thesis explores collaboration and its influence on artistic creativity through an investigation of literature, personal interviews, and an autoethnographic case study of a non-hierarchical collaboration that began in August 2021 and culminated with a fully staged performance piece in January 2022. The purpose of the case study was to investigate how the collaborative process informed and inspired the creativity of each participating artist toward the goal of developing a fully staged presentation. The non-hierarchical component was defined as collaboration whereby each artist contributed, reacted, and participated without dictating concept or design. The primary team of collaborators consisted of a choreographer, a composer, and a visual artist. Each had been classically trained in their respective fields and were inherently interested in collaboration. Documentation of the collaborative process is presented through a chronological narrative from inspiration, concept design, and various experiments that led to a presentation of music, dance, and visual art. The final result was a ballet in eight movements that traveled between a reality space and a memory space and was supported by eight original music scores and six original projected paintings. This thesis offers insight into the collaborative process and its influence on each collaborator, participating dancers, projection artist, and lighting designer. It discusses the characteristics and elements that are integral for successful collaboration and sheds light on the creative potential and possibilities that collaboration can provide in the educational and professional studio setting. Analysis of the case study and of the information gleaned from interviews as well as the review of literature support the premise that collaboration influences creative output. This thesis is intended to strengthen the reader’s understanding of successful collaborative creativity while aiming to inspire and enhance future research.