Abstract
This workshop invites participants to explore the knottiness of hospitality, belonging and gathering through personal life stories. Drawing on autobiographical reflections and the lyrics of Bleachers’ Alfie’s Song (Not So Typical Love Song), I will guide participants in examining how the acts of welcoming and gathering have shaped their experiences of belonging and exclusion. Using songs, films and other artistic forms as prompts, participants will engage in mnemonic exercises to revisit significant moments in their lives where the notions of hospitality (whether offered or withheld) played a role. The concept of hospitality, often seen as an invitation into spaces of connection and care, can also carry hidden power dynamics, burdens and expectations. In relationships, for example, the song lyrics—‘how I love those days we didn’t get out of bed / left your taste in my mouth, your strange voice in my head’—serve as a metaphor for the emotional intimacy of gathering together but also highlight the tension between reciprocity/vulnerability. Participants will explore how their own ‘welcoming’ experiences (such as being invited into family homes or communities) might have also carried unspoken expectations of gratitude, loyalty or obligation. Through artistic and reflective exercises, we will interrogate these dynamics, considering the influence of social, political and emotional currencies in personal interactions. By engaging with these creative prompts, participants will go into new interpretations of the spaces (both physical and metaphorical) where hospitality and belonging have shaped their lives, while critiquing the often unseen reciprocity in these encounters.
Presenters
Lance PengResearch Associate, Centre for Blended Realities, Falmouth University, Cornwall, United Kingdom
Details
Presentation Type
Theme
2025 Special Focus—The Art of Hospitality
KEYWORDS
Memory, Music, Personal narratives, Soundscapes, Belonging, Reflection, Artistic prompts
