Feminism has no Borders - F H N B

This project is an outreach and an offering. The conversation, the words and their accompanying videos represent creative partnership and friendship. Each artist seeking to support the other, connect with each other and intimately share something of themselves. It has been a wonderful gift to work with these remarkable women in a time of isolation, distancing and solo practice. We look forward to when we can meet face to face and create work together once again.
 
What began as a shared online dialogue with leading independent dancer/choreographers from across the globe, evolved into an ongoing discussion and an exploration of how COVID-19 affected us as women artists and creators. Each artist in dialogue with their partner created in their own space a short response to their partner's provocation and their shared exploration. They recorded this material and sent it to each other.  Emma Fishwick (filmmaker) and Director Sally Richardson then shaped and edited this solo material into a combined duo digital online outcome.
 
Why? 
We sought to continue working and collaborating with our international partners, friends and colleagues during this time of COVID-19 lockdown and enforced social distancing. This experience opened us up to a new form of online digital dialogue about our practice, informing how we work and what we want to express as women artists. It is an exploration of our spaces, places and ways of being. To experience each other and share this time in our lives, our artistry and our practice in new ways. An opportunity to enrich our personal and professional connections while also exploring the medium of online choreographic creation (digital dance on film) in a uniquely fresh approach. 


Editing the duo works together was a 'new' process, adding another dynamic and creative expression as Emma and Sally collaborated supported by dramaturg Pilar Mata Dupont. Here we see how choreography is further defined and shaped through a combined dramaturgy and editing process.  Perhaps this would normally happen with the artists on the floor, in a studio, face to face and in conversation. Generating in this way, in an online conversation with each other, provided the team with fresh insight into the possibilities of form and how we might present our ideas in new and unexpected ways as we embrace our future. 
 
There is the immediate capacity to connect and share our creative outcomes in diverse contexts. Each work representing the continuing desire we have to reach out to each other from our isolation and connect in friendship, in process and practice. Perhaps, we might later develop the works into a live performance (with the video content re-configured as part of a combined work) - the possibilities will open up for us as we explore and experience creating...alone and together.

This is a friendship of joy and deep listening, of the elements, poetry and unspoken knowing. I love dancing with Aki. I suspect we'll be friends for a very long time (Daisy Sanders)

In contact with these elements, we discover together the natural beauty of our small fragile minds and our strong and sometimes unreliable bodies. (Aki Iwamoto)

This work and collaboration is the story of passion and beliefs, as female artists, searching for purity and transformation. One day we found ourselves walking together back from training and some-time later, 'The Slow Dance of Walking' had a particle from which this work was born.. (Sam Chester/Isabel Sanchez)

We encourage one another unapologetically to unveil our soft vulnerable heart and our soaring fleshy fist, our beauty and our wildness. To me Nat is a true kindred spirit, even though thousands of miles separates between us, we are always connected, she is my soul sista. (Keren Rosenberg)

As soon as we started moving, I couldn’t believe my eyes. It was like I had teleported into her body, that her and I were the same soul in two different expressions. Two different bodies, heritage and life experiences but a deep connection that was timeless, knowing and like meeting an ancient dear friend once again. (Natalie Allen)

At a time where it felt as if all I wanted to do was connect with everyone but at the same time felt completely overwhelmed at the idea being trapped in lock down, I feel completely grateful for this project and onscreen reunion with Hsiao-Tzu. (Yilin Kong)

Since the first time we met, we were so connected just like sisters. No matter how far between us. This work for me is reacting the situation of 2020. We are all like an isolated island and at the same moment we are seeking for something to get close to...(Hsiao-Tzu Tien)

Combined work - 20 Minutes duration single loop - available on request

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