If you could dance for HOPE, what would you dance for…?
11.–13.04.2024, 8.30 pm, Tojo Theatre, Bern – World Premiere
«Futuristic Folktales» tells the momentous story of the first womb – an environment where life and death intimately coexist. Humbly attempting to unify humanity through the infinite narrative of birth, the show experiments with contemporary, breaking, and Scottish Highland dance to probe questions of tradition, preservation, myth, and identity.
The performers share their unique perspectives, as Orrow and Astro intimately birth and unbirth each other. Inviting audiences to feel resistance as the performance imitates the hostile, terse environment of the womb, the show seeks to further dance as a form of political protest – otherwise, why dance?
Co-created by an exciting multi-disciplinary creative team, «Futuristic Folktales» is a collaboration-driven show that aims to disrupt and refresh expected formats of performance through radical and emotive explorations of reproductive justice and injustice, body politics, bodily autonomy, and identity.
Although every human is inherently different, the profound connection we all share is our origin from the womb. In «Futuristic Folktales», we boldly reimagine the creation narrative, casting the resilient womb as the hero – journeying with it through realms of birth, unbirth, death, rebirth, portals to another world then back into the future, with hope and togetherness.»
Director Charlotte Mclean
Produced by Helen McIntosh (Farah Saleh, Solene Weinachter, Shotput) and written by Nelly Kelly (68 Months in Waiting; The Dogwood; Untitled 2009), Malin Lewis (Malin Makes Music) will create a futuristic womb-like world using experimental bagpipes, synths and voice for the performance, with performers Astro Scheidegger (Colour Jam Crew; Acapa Tilburg), and Orrow Bell (TOMBO(Y)LA; Splayed; Fuel/Travis Alabanza; Hussein Chayalan & Damien Jalet) bringing Charlotte Mclean’s (And; BADBODYCHAOSCODE) concept direction to life; and industry icons Alison Brown, Emma Jones, Lynn Wiseman, and Rob Evans leading Costume, Lighting, Technical Management and Dramaturgy.
At the heart of «Futuristic Folktales» lies collaboration, with over 30 artists involved across the project, each with unique and varied perspectives on politics, identity, culture, sexuality, and artistic practice. Together, we’ve woven a modern folktale for the future, exploring what reproductive justice should and could be, with hope at its core.»
Producer Helen McIntosh
«Futuristic Folktales» has been supported by Creative Scotland, Stadt Bern, Kanton Bern, ProHelvetia, The Place, Schweizerische Interpretenstiftung SIS, Burgergemeinde Bern, Ursula Wirz Foundation, Tojo Theatre, The Space Dundee and Angus College, Dance Base, Dampfzentrale, Dansomètre, Sadlers Wells, Vakuum Bewegungsraum.
Touring internationally to The Space (Dundee – 5 April), Tojo Theatre (Bern, Switzerland – 11, 12, & 13 April – World Premiere), The Place (London – 18 April – UK Premiere), and Tramway (Glasgow – 26 & 27 April – Scottish Premiere), «Futuristic Folktales» will then continue on to the 2024 Edinburgh Festival Fringe – performing as part of Made in Scotland at Dance Base (13 – 18 August).
Creative Team:
Concept and Director: Charlotte Mclean (she/her)
Creative Producer: Helen McIntosh (she/her)
Writer: Nelly Kelly (they/them)
Composer: Malin Lewis (they/them)
Lighting Designer & Production Manager: Emma Jones (she/her)
Costume Designer: Alison Brown (she/her)
Dramaturg: Rob Evans (he/him)
Performer: Astro Scheidegger (he/him)
Performer: Orrow Bell (they/them)
Technical Manager: Lynn Wiseman (she/her)
PR (UK): Storytelling PR
PR (Switzerland): Camille Jamet (she/her)
International Consultant: Nadja Dias (she/her)
Project Collaborators: Annable Cooper (she/her), Amarnah C Osajivbe-Amuldun (she/her), Chanai Bradley Fofanah (she/her), Domenico Angarano (he/him), Gina Lorenzen (she/her), Ichai Carre (he/him), Irodriel Costello (they/them), Jac Reichel (they/them), Kate Hall (she/her), Kirsty Nicolson (they/them), Lucy Suggate (she/her), Molly Scott Danter (they/them), Neil Dewar (he/him), Rebekka Hoelzle (she/her), Rhys Dennis (he/him), Sunniva Moen Rørvik (they/them)
Image: Amy Sinead Photography | Design: Gallusness
