We Are the Monsters - A Children's Performance Series

Transcription

1 WE ARE THE MONSTERS Colette Sadler

2 CONCEPT We are the monsters is an ongoing performance project for and with children. A still unfinished work it has been developing since Dec 2011 through a number of residencies and performance invitations (see background). The project consists of a 25 minute performance followed by a hour participatory workshop aimed at children from the ages of 4-8 years old. My first choreographic work for a child audience, it picks up and develops themes from a previous work The making of doubt (2008). We are the monsters represents a microcosm of society where different creatures inhabit a shared space. This space is a landscape constructed out of cardboard boxes, in contrast to the figures, these objects suggest the homemade and an experience of everyday life. My interest in monstrous form and transformation stems from an attempt to reach beyond the limitations of human form to create new bodily images, physical logics and ways of moving. Monstrous figures created when the human body is turned up-side down, back to front, distorted, extended and dissolved by devices such as extra limbs and costuming. These new representations opening up an imaginary field and an experience of perceptual shift for the viewer. We are the monsters is a humerous dance performance and workshop for children that seeks to portray and discover the monster hiding in all of us!

3 BACKGROUND I had been looking at society and thinking about politics in relation to my work as a choreographer. Who was I making my work for? Who are the audience? Who might need or benefit from what I was doing in dance? Could I use my work in dance and performance as a response? These questions did not concern making the content of my work more easy or entertaining but rather involved thinking about the context in which it existed and the possibility of showing it to people who would not normally know about or even be interested in it. The spaces of theatre and gallery potentially alienating with ticket prices out of reach for some. In my wish to democratize access and participation in art and dance, I turned my attention to children as both spectators and participants, seeing them as a potential force for change. Since starting this project in 2011 I have worked both in and outside of theatre spaces including schools, inparticular those schools in marginal or difficult urban areas, alongside presentation/ workshops as part of Tanz Nacht Berlin 2012, Pavillion Dance Bournemouth and at TRAMWAY Glasgow. We are the monsters initial creation phase was supported by Tanz Haus NRW and Takeoff:junger tanz in the frame of new steps residency programme. Cast Choreography and concept - Colette Sadler Performance - Maxwell McCarthy, Yohei Yamada and Flora Wellesley Wesley Music - Noid / Fritz Welch

4 EDUCATIONAL AIMS The aim of the workshop is to work with the children using movement, live music, images and props to explore the Idea of what makes bodies different or monster like creating a link with what they have just seen in the performance. With this workshop we hope to open up the childrens imagination and creativity to new ideas about movement and form. We will look at ways of embodying monsters working with E.G the figure of the Monopod a one footed monster that hops and rolls on his back in order to use his foot to shade his face from the sun, as well as working with their own extra prop and invisible limb. The Monopod Other general educational outcomes of our workshop associated with working with movement and sound are listening, musicality concentration, physical challenges and co-ordination.

5 TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS Space and light When played in a theatre there should be a general lighting enough to see the stage and room. When played in a studio, gym hall or other community space we can work with daylight. Sound PA system with subwoofers (position: upstage) 1 line signal (we bring a small stage mixer) One piano bench or a good solid chair for the cello player and A small piece of (dance-) carpet to protect the floor from the cello end-pin Props We require approximately cardboard boxes of different sizes to build a wall 2.50 metres high x 6 metres long. See picture below right. In addition we require 4-5 big cardboard boxes E.G fridge or washing machine packaging. These big boxes should be big enough that a performer can fit inside see above right box in picture. For the We are the monster workshop we require 25 coloured pens and a roll of white paper at least 5 metres long and 1 metre wide.

6 FURTHER IMAGES

7 CURRICULUM VITAE - COLETTE SADLER Dance Education Born Glasgow 1974 she began initial studies in dance in In 1987 she began intensive studies in Classical ballet with Cecilia Barrett at The Scottish Ballet continuing in London until She later completed a BA (Hons) in dance theatre at the Laban Centre, London. Since 2000 she has continued her education by undertaking workshops in Martial Arts (Kalaripayattu), Yoga, Feldenkrais, Voice, and workshops with The Forsythe company dancers in Frankfurt, Berlin and Vienna. Professional Experience as a dancer From 1994 until 2002 Sadler worked as a dancer and performer. She was a member of Transitions Dance Company London 95 working with, amongst others, choreographers Amanda miller and Sung Soo Ahn. Since 95 she has worked as a performer for choreographers including Liz Aggiss and Billie Cowie, Jeremy James, Wayne MacGregor, Gary Stevens, Ted Stoffer, Bebeto de Cidra and was a member of Cia Vicente Saez Spain ( ) in the International touring productions Regina Mater, Carmen, Lilah and Fenix. (Touring including Joyce Theatre New York, Biennale de la Danse de Lyon, FIND Montreal Canada and Turning World Festival London.) Choreographic trajectory A founding member of New Moves International Choreographic Core, she received a British Council award in 96 to study in New York and at Le Groupe de La Place Royale in Ottawa, Canada, under the mentorship of Peter Boneham. Performing her first short solo study Minotaur at the New Moves Festival 1997.In 2002 she initiated her own dance production company stammer productions. In 2003 she was awarded a Scottish Arts Council Creative Scotland Award and was selected to take part in the interdisciplinary research workshop MUGAXTOAN at Arteleku San Sebastian Spain / Serralves Foundation Porto. In the same year she was granted a residency at Le Cite Internationale Des Arts Paris. In 2004 she received a commission from the National Review of Live art/ New Terretories festival to create the piece Corresponding. In 2007 she presented her solo work ddumy another myself co-produced by TRAMWAY Glasgow at the British dance Edition 07. In 2008 on the invitation of Dance 4 she represented the UK with three other young British choreographers at Spring Dance Festival Utrecht 2008.

8 Since 2006 Sadler s work has been shown in leading contexts for dance and performance including at Performatik09 Kaai theatre Brussels, ImpulsTanz Vienna, Nott Dance, Made in Scotland Edinburgh fringe 2010, IETM meeting Glasgow 2010, Les Plateaux Biennale de Val de Marne Creteil France, Tanz Nacht Berlin, Something Raw festival Amsterdam and alongside the British Art Show amongst others. In 2008/9 Sadler was selected to be International associate artist in residency at Dance Ireland in Dublin. In 2009 she was awarded co-production support from NPN (joint adventures) Munich for Musical Sadler s work I not I 2011 was co-produced by South Bank Centre London/Jardin D Europe network. In 2011 Sadler was selected by Take off Junger Tanz Deutschland to develop a choreographic work entitled we are the monsters for a young audience. In 2012/13 her latest work Variations One (on order and anarchy ) is funded by HauptStadtKultur Fonds Berlin, Arts Council of England and co-produced by Nottdance festival 2013 amongst others. In Autumn 2013 Colette Sadler will be guest artist at Critical Path Sydney Australia. List of choreographic works Minotaur (1997) supported by Le Groupe de la Place Royale Ottawa Canada and New Moves International festival Glasgow Body Document (2002) A TRAMWAY dark lights commission Corresponding (2004) An NRLA Commission (The National Review of Live art / New Territories Festival) supported by Rosas/P.A.R.T.S Summer studios and L animal en Esquena Girona, Spain. Reasons to Go On (2004) with choreographer Joclesio Azevedo supported by Centre for Contemporary Art Glasgow and Ze dos Bois Gallery Lisbon DdumY another myself (2006) A TRAMWAY co-production Object Scores (2006) and Behind Speech (2008) with visual artist Kirsty Stansfield as part of an Art in hospitals project and the exhibition Communication Suite curated by visual artist Christine Borland. The making of Doubt (2008) A TRAMWAY co-production supported by Fabrik Potsdam, PACT Zollverein Essen Germany and WPZimmer Antwerp Belgium. Musical (2009) Produced by Stammer productions with support from Scottish Arts Council and an NPN /joint adventures Munich co-production grant Created in residency at Dance Ireland Dublin, PACT Zollverein Essen, Vooruit Ghent Belgium and WPZimmer Antwerp Belgium. I not I (2011) Produced by Stammer productions with support from Creative Scotland Vital Sparks, Tanz Tendenz Munich and co-produced by South Bank Centre London/Jardin D Europe network We are the monsters (2011/12) co-produced NRW Dusseldorf Take-off Junger Tanz Variations One (On Order and Anarchy) (2012/13) co-produced Nottdance festival 2013 Other activities Since 1995 alongside her performance and choreographic work she has worked both as a free - lance technique teacher and in giving choreographic workshops at institutions such as for Laban Centre London, UDK Berlin BA Dept, AREA studios Barcelona and Dance Ireland Dublin. She has been invited to speak on various panels and forums, including the Beck s New Futures 2005

9 award for contemporary art and the Scottish Cultural Commission artist s charter. She has held a number of post-performance talks about her work at events such as at Dance4 Nottingham, Spring Dance Festival, Fabrik Potsdam and Tanz Nacht Berlin. She has mentored young choreographers at the invitation of Dance4 in Nottingham and in 2009 an essay written by Sadler was published in Cairon 12 journal of dance studies concerning the relationship between architecture and performance. Awards and Grants British Council award 1997 Scottish Arts Council project grant 2002 Creative Scotland award 2003 Cite Internationale Des Arts studio Paris 2003 Scottish Arts Council project grant 2006 Glasgow City Council project award 2007 Stammer Productions received status of flexibly funded organization from the Scottish Arts Council & Vital Sparks Award 2011 Creative Scotland Goethe Institute touring support to perform as part of Performatik 09 Kaai Theatre Brussels and at Tramway Glasgow in NPN co-production grant 2009 (National performance network with funding provided by the German federal cultural foundation as part of its project Tanz plan Germany) Jardin D Europe/ South Bank Centre London co-production award 2011 Haupt Stadt Kultur Fonds Germany award for Variations One (on order and anarchy) Arts Council of England Grants for the arts for Variations One ( On order and anarchy)