Queer stuff going on in Liverpool!

I popped over to Liverpool for the Launch of Homotopia, it was so much fun!

 Liverpool is always so welcoming and friendly, everyone is so open and approachable which is really lovely and makes every trip even more special. The opening night was a frankic little tour across the city, it started in FACT, moved on to Liverpool Art Gallery and ended in Royal Standard and ended with an after party. There is so much to enjoy across the city though beyond just these three. The Walker gallery has Coming Out and Tate Liverpool has a pieces which link to queer themes as well. If you have not checked out Homotopia's full programme, I really recommend that you do Unity theatre is hosting a lot of performances across the next few weeks.

Below is a selection of pictures from the different venues I went to for full details of the exhibitions please select the links to their website and go check them out!

Royal Standard- Notes on Queerness

 Liverpool Museum -Tales from the city

Walker Gallery- Coming Out

 Tate Liverpool- Constellations 

Ugly Spirit, DaDA Festival

The Ugly Spirit is another Unlimited commission by Fittings Multimedia Arts a disability led national organisation which fuse different styles of storytelling. I didn’t know what to expect with this piece but I knew it was going to be an immersive experience.  The work is difficult to describe and I also don’t want to reveal anything within the story! I attended not knowing a thing and left feeling haunted and bewildered. David Hoyle offered strawberries to the audience before the performance began, something with has left a sweet and bitter aftertaste which lingers even now in my mind. Read no further if you plan to see it I don’t want to spoil anything!

The piece was Directed by Garry Robson and written by Russell Barr creating a beautiful monster which was inspired by the original conjoined twins Chang and Eng Bunker. 

 There is clear influence by Punch Drunk,  Robson quoted them in the QA after the performance ‘reward those who are curious’. The story is told in two parts, like passengers waiting for a train we stood waiting, everyone was then divided into groups ‘without rhyme or reason’ and ushered to areas of the Bluecoats performance space and behind the scenes; derailed from any clear laid out track. We explored slowly, presented by shocking fragmented treasures which appeared random and unsettling.

To give you a flavour it was like walking through a blend of Sophie’s choice, Girl Interrupted, The Cell, Freaks and Suckerpunch. There were small models which noted to different moments within the story much like the work of Microworlds and Hell. 

These snippets offered snapshots to the second half of the performance performed between twins Jessie ( Gareth Kieran Jones), Bessie (Rachel Drazek) what appeared at first as babbling, tortured ramblings of two insane twins slowly revealed a horrific past. This was mirrored by spellbinding performances from Lady Schwarzkoft ( Opera singer Denise Leigh) and accordion player Stefan Andrusyschyn. There was a play with duality between the characters Jessie and Bessie complex shades of innocence and malice whilst the accordion and aria acted as a guiding golden thread through the play. David Hoyle’s provided a menacing authoritative figure of mother and murder. The ugly spirit plans to continue touring and I highly recommend a going only if you are willing to be taken on a confusing, obscure journey which is challenging and unnerving. This is not for those looking for light hearted entertainment; this is for the enquiring adventurer .

images sources:

http://www.dadafest.co.uk/the-festival/event/the-ugly-spirit/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chang_and_Eng_Bunker

http://www.scene-stealers.com/columns/1-year-100-movies-91-sophies-choice-1982/

http://www.zastavki.com/eng/Movies/Films_G/wallpaper-9918-1.htm

http://movies.sulekha.com/english/the-cell/pictures/1.htm

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0022913/

http://screenrant.com/movie-images-the-thor-sucker-punch-underworld-4-pauly-105612/all/1/

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1856697878/?tag=hydra0b-21&hvadid=9557926269&ref=asc_df_1856697878

Liverpool: Ugly spirit workshop

This was my second trip over to Liverpool to consume more diverse art and DaDA Festival totally delivered.

I started the afternoon at the Bluecoat for a workshop between Fittings Multimedia Arts and performer David Hoyle which framed the evening performance of the Ugly Spirit.

The workshop was led by Tanya Baabe from Fittings Multimedia Arts, she was warm and inviting and led me to sit around a small table with other audience members. You can also see more of her work here I saw David Hoyle last year at the Lowry, he’s an inspiration and I am a fan. When he speaks across an audience it’s like he picks you up by the throat and his icy cold blue eyes penetrate you whilst demanding your full undivided attention. On this day however he was a less aggressive persona, a softer more open gentleman with blonde sweeping hair a picture of innocence, wearing a tight fitted red jumper the only visible warning.

The workshop focused on circus side show acts, who were these individuals, how did we perceive them from their posters. There was a mixture of acts

 

conjoined twins

 Tom Thumb

  Elephant man 

real people using their physical appearance as an ‘act’. There were also less believable acts like the three legged man 

which divided those I perceived as proud performer and those who were deceitful con artists. The workshop led to the creation of our own side show characters, with our limited props I created Pixel Boy- The boy who played too many computer games and became pixelated- you can see me perform here (oh dear!).