We are really chuffed to welcome Bristol-based artist Ria Hartley into the STUN Studio on the 25th June, to present our FIRST EVER programmed show, Matilda and Me.
Ria describes herself as an interdisciplinary solo performance artist; blurring the boundaries of art form, Matilda and Me weaves together spoken word, live art and dub poetry to take us on the journey her grandma took from Jamaica to England in 1962. The show offers both Matilda and Ria's political viewpoint on their lived experiences of migration, colonialism and racism, as well as the current perception of British cultural identity.
We’re also really looking forward to THE CITY IS OUR PLAYGROUND - the site-based workshop Ria is bringing for us!
See below for more details :-)
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Word of Warning, Divergency and Sustained Theatre Up North present Ria Hartley - Matilda and Me
Thursday 25 June 2015, 7.30pm
STUN Studio at Z-Arts, 335 Stretford Road, Manchester, M15 5ZA Price: £5/3 Book here or call 0161 232 6089 More information: www.wordofwarning.org/current/2015-springsummer/hartley/ “Matilda is my Grandma.
She migrated from Jamaica to England in 1962.
Now all of her memories have faded.
I need to remember for her, for me, for us…”
Weaving together storytelling, spoken word, dubpoetry, live art, autobiography, and reggae music, this colourful and challenging performance offers a political viewpoint surrounding the lived experience of migration, colonialism, racism, and the current perception of British cultural identity. Performed solo, the piece is presented as a biographical mythology of Ria’s lived experiences, reflecting poetically on the story of her and her Grandma, and the 2 islands they are from. An interdisciplinary performance artist, Ria works within the mediums of devised theatre, performance, live art, video installation, photography, spoken word, site-specific + durational performance; often autobiographical, her work is concerned with memory, identity, communication and human relationships. She has been an associate lecturer at Falmouth University since 2010. Age advisory: 14+, the show lasts approximately 1 hour with no interval. For specific age and access information please email afreena@habarts.org or call 0161 232 6086. Artists' Workshop: THE CITY IS OUR PLAYGROUND
Friday 26 June 2015, 1 - 5pm
Around Manchester city centre - starting point - The Yard (41 Old Birley Street, Manchester, M15 5RF) Free to professional artists with show ticket - limited capacity first come first served. Book here or call 0161 232 6086 "What does freedom mean to you? Walking in your own shoes, are there places you don't go? Have you found yourself in places you’re forced to feel you don't belong? Places you have no reason to go? Do you ever question why? Have you ever stood still in a busy shopping centre, just to experience the movement of others, like a shoal of fish? Have you ever occupied the invisible spaces, cut-offs and leftovers? What is the highest point in the city we can reach? Have you ever broken through the invisible boundaries dividing social class, gender, race, age and ability? Have you ever considered that your body, identity and voice are powerful revolutionary tools? That your body is always performing and making meaning in the world?"
This site-based workshop is an invitation to professional artists to explore the city with our senses; spend time to interrogate its functions and how that impacts upon our bodies, and how our bodies impact on it. Together we will explore the city in new ways, peeling back layers to reveal more about our bodies in relation to site. We will play with structures, break invisible rules and perform for accidental audiences. This workshop invites artists to creatively and critically explore how their bodies relate to the wider context of the city, and how this knowledge can be applied to creative making processes for both site and studio-based practices. N.B. Please wear Manchester-weatherproof clothing, and comfortable footwear as we will be outdoors for most of the workshop. www.riahartley.com | @RiaJadeHartley For more information please email afreena@habarts.org or call 0161 232 6086. |