Event overview
The Performance Research Forum hosts a range of events, talks and presentations by established and early-career researchers and practitioners in theatre and performance.
Maria Oshodi, CEO and Artistic Director of Extant, presents the shape of her transition out of the company that she founded in 1997: how she is archiving legacy, and how she is taking what she has learnt from innovative accessible performance into her future creative practice.
Extant is the first performing arts organisation in the UK managed for and by visually impaired professional arts practitioners. Maria has directed and produced ground-breaking touring theatre productions, such as Resistance (2005), Obscurity (2009), Sheer (2012), The Chairs (2014/16), and Flight Paths (2019/20). She also instigated the research, development and production of site specific experimental innovative haptic performance exploring access, navigation, and technology in The Question (2010) and Flatland (2015). As a writer, her plays have been produced by national touring companies such as Talawa and Graeae. http://www.extant.org.uk
Maria will be joined by Holly Thomas: dance artist and choreographer creating inclusive choreography and embodied audio-description for dance. Drawing upon her lived experience of visual impairment, Holly’s work de-centres the visual and invites performers and audience to engage with dance as a felt, sonic and imagined experience.
Holly’s talk will reflect upon the methods developed and material created by Holly and her collaborators during her research and development project Half Light. Working with textural sound design, proximal and sensory choreographies and audio descriptive narratives, Half Light takes audiences on a journey through the shifting sensory landscapes of twilight, absolute night and sonic sunrise.
Image descriptions:
In the image on the left, Maria stands in a room with projected code on the walls. She is in profile, with her hand held at shoulder height. On the right, Holly is pictured kneeling in front of a large stained glass window wearing a green and white striped sweatshirt. Her hands are held in front of her in an expressive gesture, thumb and forefinger of one hand touching as she describes something fine or delicate.
Dates & times
| Date | Time | Add to calendar |
|---|---|---|
| 28 Nov 2023 | 6:00pm - 8:00pm |
Accessibility
If you are attending an event and need the College to help with any mobility requirements you may have, please contact the event organiser in advance to ensure we can accommodate your needs.
