Three new outdoor arts commissions by Wales based artists will be created and presented this year, supported by Articulture, and a various Welsh arts partners –
Wales outdoor arts commissioning consortium
Articulture, in collaboration with a consortium are commissioning two pieces of work for presentation at six tour dates across Wales in Summer 2015.
The consortium includes –
- The Riverfront, Newport – Big Splash Festival, 30th May
- Taliesin Arts Centre, Swansea – Dance Days, 18-19th July
- Pontio, Bangor – Gwledd SYRCAS Feast, 24- 25th July
- Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff- Blysh Festival, 25th July – 1st August
- Aberystwyth Arts Centre – outdoor arts event, 15th – 16th August
- LLAWN03 Llandudno Arts Weekend #3 18 – 20th September
The commissioned work –
‘Babs and Stella’s intergalactic spectacular!’ – Kitsch & Sync Collective
Kitsch & Sync (above) present a comedy dance theatre performance inspired by the 60’s sci-fi film genre. Two conjoined space twins from planet Kitsch get attacked with a laser gun by the evil Dr (Deirdre) Dreadful. The lasers separate the twins and turn one twin evil, who is then coerced into becoming the Dr’s (slightly less evil) side-kick. but which twin is which?!
As well as exploring performance possibilities of ‘conjoined’ costumes and choreography, space boppers, 60’s style space scooters and space sound-scapes, the team will be engaging fight choreography, taking inspiration from various martial arts genres and contemporary contact work.
Kitsch & Sync are an experienced outdoor arts company performing at festivals with small/mid-scale outdoor work, performing to thousands of people. They enjoy making work that is engaging, accessible and wonderfully absurd, often working to audiences who are new to dance theatre.
‘Beic’ – Gwilym Morus-Baird
A bi-lingual musical performance using sounds created live with bicycles and voices, manipulated with music technology.
Beic is a pedal-powered performance piece using music technology to play two bicycles like musical instruments, striking different parts of the frames, bells, spokes or sprockets. Their wheels, chains and gears can also be spun, braked and changed. Digitally manipulated by performers to generate different tones and textures, as well as use of the human voice, multi-timbral pieces are created, with lyrics exploring themes such as travel, Welsh roads and bike routes.
Gwilym is an experienced musician and composer performing mainly through the medium of Welsh. He has also fulfilled composition commissions for theatre, television and arts installations. This is his first time creating outdoor music specifically, but he has performed music in the outdoors many times, including in forests, on beaches and lakes. Gwilym is also an academic and tutor, and has provided courses on Welsh literature and history.
Articulture/ Pontio Outdoor Art Commission
Articulture, in collaboration with Pontio, is commissioning a new work for presentation at Pontio’s new Circus festival ‘Gwledd Syrcas / Circus Feast’ on 17th July 2015 in Bangor.
‘Kaboom’ – Cia Huma (Hugo Oliveira)
A clown amongst his elements recreates dusty circus magic with an edge. Without a tent, the danger and poetry of circus is brought to a circular red carpet with a powerful act that draws on the essence of vaudeville greats such as Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton, mixing old time circus and a contemporary approach.
Through juggling, handstands, cartwheels and somersaults we follow the clown – his failures, achievements, fragilities, the public taking a key role in the unfolding of the energetic performance.
Hugo Oliveira graduated from Lispa (London International School of Performing Arts).
He attended Circomedia and become a member of the ACDC program at the Circus Space. In his extra curricular pursuits Hugo studied clowning with several renowned international performers. He has performed all over the world, including Australia, Brazil, Egypt, Europe, Mexico and the United Arab Emirates.
Most recently he has been performing for NoFit State in their multi award winning show Bianco. He now resides in Wales.
Photo Credit ©Richard Davenport for No Fit State
