Team Blog Post – Irene Leung for Swallowing Clouds

Irene Leung is a Chinese-Canadian dancer, performer, and educator whose artistic practice bridges cultures and disciplines. She holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance from York University and trained at the prestigious Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, cultivating a unique perspective that informs both her creative and pedagogical work. Specializing in choreography, performance, and music education, Irene is fascinated by how multidisciplinary art forms intertwine to create new modes of expression. This passion extends to her role as an apprentice facilitator with the Swallowing Clouds Program, where she nurtures the next generation of artists through innovative, embodied approaches to creation and self-expression.

Blog #1

I was fascinated by the concept of “creative process facilitation.” Trained as a dancer and working as a dance educator, I am accustomed to giving choreography and passing on knowledge to students. “Creative process” is a terminology I learned during my years at university studying dance, when I began choreographing my own works and participating in fellow artists’ creative processes.

During my first training session with the team, we brainstormed our facilitator code of conduct. That was when I really started to think about the difference between teaching and facilitating. As a creative arts facilitator, there should always be space for freedom of expression. There is no right or wrong; instead, the focus is on encouraging self-expression in any form.

As a dance teacher, I have to pre-plan all my classes. These include creating exercises, focusing on specific skill sets for each session, and preparing materials that students should remember. However, in Swallowing Clouds, we plan how to create a space that allows creativity to sprout and bloom. There are plans and exercises we intend to execute, but facilitators need to stay open and flexible, ready to morph and shift plans as children may have exploration interests different from what was initially expected.

Blog #2

An acrostic poem about what I’ve learned, observed, or noticed in Swallowing Clouds sessions.

Simple ideas can transform into important learnings

Welcoming ideas, conversations, and offerings

Accessibility of the arts to children is crucial
Language is never a barrier to human connections
Letting the flow and ideas guide the evolution of the process

Optimistic mindset and positive encouragement go a long way
Wait patiently for children to feel safe to share
Involve yourself in creative exploration while facilitating
New ideas are scary yet interesting and fun
Grateful for the trust and openness of everyone

Check-in is an important warm-up for social interaction
Lead, listen, and learn
Observation is a part of listening
Utilise the environment around you for exploration
Dare to daydream
Sensing all needs 

Photo 2: My first SC session at Eastview, participants gifted me their artworks.