Plus Commission Artists

In Autumn 2020 we put a call out for new ideas artists identifying as LGBTQ+ wanted support to explore. The commission aimed to address the underrepresentation of those identifying as LGBTQ+ in the dance sector as demonstrated in Arts Council England’s most recent Equality and Diversity report and also champions our commitment to being part of the change. The first commission is supported by Move South East funding. With reserves generated through the success of our 2020 Digital Programme, we decided to support not, only one, but two artists alongside the original funding we received.

Meet The Commissioned Artists

Fragments

About Callum:

Callum is a Brighton-based contemporary dance artist and screendance director, working across live and digital performance. As a dance artist, his practice is heavily influenced by video and digital technology, and the development of digital mediated dance performance. He has recently been working on bringing technology into a live performance space, finding a link between his desire to make dance accessible to a wider community through the production of screendance works, and giving dance communities the opportunity to experiment with video technology. This also speaks to his practice of archiving dance, and the myraid ways to bring dance to people that might not usually have the chance to experience it.

Callum is a graudate of the University of Chichester, having completed his BA (Hons) Dance, as well as MA in Dance Performance as a member of mapdance 2016/2017. He is also a current member of the 2020/2021 cohort of the New Adventures CPD programme, Overture. Callum has performance and choreographed for physical theatre and 360º sound performances, performance-art events and music videos, alongside more traditional theatre settings.

About the work: 

“Combining recorded spoken word and movement, fragments is a screendance collage, a snapshot of experiences. Starting from interviews with a variety of people who identify across the LGBTQ+ acronym, this work fragments both the spoken word and the screen, to invite a different way of watching. 

This work takes inspiration from the the photo-collages of David Hockney, and the way he uses collage to expand the frame and view of the camera.” 

Up front and Personal – (working title)

About Keil:

Keil has studied Contemporary and Hip Hop for many years, working alongside renowned B Boy and B Girls in Competitions and touring work with Contemporary Choreographers such as Inaki Azpillaga and Arthur Pita. He has a hand in market research for Humanhood dance company and supported their diverse artistic vision in the midlands. Whilst in the midlands he has also worked in the research and development phases for ACE dance, developing martial arts and African dance practices. He has also fronted many adverts for Flashmobs. He has lectured recently for a few years at East Sussex College. Now, but albeit slightly on pause he is focussing on his practice in the local area and studying communication and language needs, hoping to provide a holistic approach to his work. He is also developing his community outreach work with local schools, and using his nurturing abilities to fine tune the need for restoration in the wellbeing of young people.

About the work: 

“This work surrounds the idea of a shared intimacy with your subject and will interrogate the idea of how might you achieve closeness to a subject in these uncharted times we are in. I have framed the work around the characteristics and gestures of each movement around my own idea of my ‘tribe.’

The main featured artist in the work is Nan Goldin, who photographs LGBTQ+ people and her friends, all for intimacy, as way not to detach from her subjects but rather as she puts it ‘to caress.’ Goldin (1991). Goldin wanted to show others their own depths of their own soul, and to cherish the relationships she held dear through picking up a camera. Her next venture would be to shower the drag queens with her love and respect. I hope I can capture those tender moments through this piece also, and reflect the community as it should stand today.” 

Plus Commission Artists’ Sharing

We’re delighted to invite you to an online sharing of both of these works! See below for booking details.

When? Saturday 30th January @ 19:00 – 20:00
Where? Zoom.
Who for? Everyone!
How much? £1.50 (75p of your ticket will be donated to the LGBTQ Switchboard).

To book your place please email info@sussexdancenetwork.co.uk and payment details will be sent to you.