The artists on our Occupied associate artist scheme have been researching, devising and developing their projects over the last 6 months and they are all in the thick of it! Here’s a run down of what is occupying them…
Paul is working to create a dance film exploring his own life experiences; growing up and feeling different. His main inspiration has been the 1980s documentary “Paris is Burning” about the New York trans community and his dance work draws on the Japanese practice of Butoh, using slow hyper-controlled motion. Paul wants to use these subtle movements to play with sadness, beauty and vulnerability, revealing the impact that feeling different has had on his psyche and body over time.
We are facilitating feedback sessions in the New Yearpfo and Paul will be meeting Ros Cheshers via Skype to help him to make progress and give the film more definition.
We have been supporting Louise to translate her vision into a successful Arts Council application. Louise hopes to tour her creation “Miss Baines” and if successful, will take her to care homes for the elderly across North Lancashire and South Cumbria. Primary School children will attend the care homes with Miss Baines, aiming to tackle isolation and promote positive health and wellbeing benefits through intergenerational interactions.
Beth is drawing on her own experiences of being a carer to create her work. Beth is in the process of creative research and writing; exploring poetry and reflecting on metaphors to understand how they create images and then how these images can be communicated. Beth will be in our Studio later this month to choreograph movement and develop the soundscape.
Following performances at MDI’s LEAP Festival Aline has been reassessing her piece “Streets of Apples” and her approach to her own practice. Originally a female solo, Aline has been challenging herself and the ideas within her piece, to make progress and develop her work. She choreographed a male duet to add another dimension to the piece which led her to work through concepts of what it is to be a woman; the many roles, guises, expectations and ultimate emancipation. Aline is now in the final draft stages of “Plead Woman”, engaging with how the work will reach out to people and particularly teenagers and young women considering who they are and who they want to be.
This is a critical process in developing any work and performance and we are proud to afford all the artists on our Occupied associate artist scheme the time, space and mentoring to work through this creative practice to produce new, directional and thought provoking work.
