Hunting Joy

Performance videos “Hunting Joy” and “Hunting Joy II”

Where are you joy?

I seek you in every corner.

I find you sometimes, but I can not get you to stay.

It is another feeling occupying your space.

“Hunting Joy” and “Hunting Joy II” is two video performances. The performances is about answers from an anonymous questionnaire. The questions was about joy during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Thank you to everyone who answered and for your honesty. 

Idea: Sarah Kaurin Jonassen
Performer: Sarah Kaurin Jonassen
Cinematographer: Rasmus Ottesen Stride
Voiceover: Lisa Ullrich

I started the process with improvising movements, dancing, singing and drawing. My enthusiasm and concentration was short. I was more focused on making myself feel joy, then thinking about what to create. 


It made me reflect how my relationship with joy was in the period of Covid-19 and questioning how it was for others. This process took me further to create a questionnaire and invite audience to be part of the project. This was a way for me to interact with audience when I was far from others. Asking questions for audience to reflect, is already an interactive act. The answers informed the next layer of interaction. I wanted to create a video as a gift that I could share with the audience whom answered my questionnaire. I was curious how I could make the audience feel they were part of the performance by using their own answers.

What have given you joy during this period?

“It might be the necessity of being alone or might be the necessity of feeling in peace while the world is fighting this pandemic. I am surrounded by corn fields, nature and just a few other neighbors. I feel I am in a safe place and this is giving me joy, but at the same time I feel uncomfortable feeling this because not everybody has the privileged to feel like this right now. ”
-Anonymous

“In the last four weeks being isolated can be energy draining and sucky, but reuniting with family has reinvigorated my spirits discovering joy which others would guilt trip.”
-Anonymous

“Making myself daily routines that I follow more strictly than normal, like taking a walk everyday for 30 minutes in nature. Seeing birds and insects going about with their life as normal has made me extra happy. Bringing coffee on a thermo can and taking a walk to an area I like to sit and observe nature on sunny days has given me joy. And continuing working on my projects from home. Doing clean up projects in the apartment that I normally don't find time for has also been something that gave me joy and meaning.”
-Anonymous

Overall: Nature, friends, family, listening, silence, lazy mornings, TV shows.

What have you done to feel joyful during this period, that you normally don't do?

“Made more of an effort to put love into my cooking.”
-Anonymous

“I have really just done the same things I normally do that brings me joy, but more of them! Like trying to take a walk every single day. I think this could be the start of a good habit :) I've gotten more aware of how important exercise and fresh air is for mental and physical health.”
-Anonymous

“Embracing things and habits that otherwise would stress me out or bring me shame.”
-Anonymous

“I’ve spent way more time being outside than normal. I’ve been biking, hiking, swimming. Things I usually only do during summer.”
-Anonymous

Overall: More nature, outside, walking, talking to friends, tv.

Has it been difficult for you to feel joy during this period?

YES: 11111 11111 11111 1

NO: 11111 11

SOMETIMES: 11111 11111

I could not include all answers, because the video would be too long. Instead I collected answers that was the most similar. I also chose sentences that was not like other answers. I chose these answers because of their vulnerability and honesty. They were relatable. I did not change the sentence that much so the audience could recognise their own words.

The answers pointed out that for many people it was a harder to feel joy than normal. I wanted to illustrate this with doing several of the activities as a hunt for feeling joy. This way I also brought in how the project started, with me hunting for the feeling of joy.

Many answered that it was harder to feel joyful during the pandemic. Everyone also answered what made them feel joyful during the pandemic. This I wanted to use as the dramaturgy and I changed the order on the questions. This way I could end the performance with the feeling of joy. As a way of saying:” that even though it is harder to feel joyful, we always get glimpses of joy.” 

Do you believe in life after love?

I can feel something inside me say

I really don’t think you’re strong enough, no


Well, I know that I'll get through this

'Cause I know that I am strong

I don't need you anymore

Oh, I don't need you anymore

I don't need you anymore

No, I don't need you anymore

During the process I sang everyday Cher “I believe” as a joyhunt and I wanted to end the performance with the song. The poetic meaning of the text in this context, is that we are strong enough and after this we will feel joyful again.

The movement score became created from an assignment with the facilitator Valentina Bordenave. The assignment was to add layers of rhythm in groups of two, and still keep the focus and awareness. I collaborated with Elizabeth Bacon.


Video of movement score with Elizabeth Bacon.

Inviting audience to answer questions can create an intimate experience, because of participation. For audience that has not answered the questions, it is less intimate. The feeling of recognition can create intimacy for audience that has not answered. Especially since the situation of the pandemic is a new experience.

The situation has taught me alternative tools of interaction. I would not have used the same tools if the situation had been different. Incorporating audiences reflection is a tool I want to  continue using in the future. 

A taste of joy.
How does joy taste like?

Taste is the only sense I have not worked with in interaction with audience. Bobby Baker is a multi-disciplinary artist and she is most known for working with food. In her piece “An Edible Family in a Mobile Home (1976), Brown created an edible family for audience to eat. The danish performance group Sisters Hope had immersive dinners as part of the “Sisters Academy # 6 The Boarding School”. I would like to integrate working with food and taste as an experience for audience in future work.