From Our Artistic Director: What's a Bolero and Why's it so Famous?

Our show this Saturday is Bolero.  It’s performed by a fabulous Spanish dance duo led by Jesus Rubio Gamo.  The music is from the French composer Ravel’s famous Bolero – which most people will probably recognise.  But what is a bolero – and why is it so famous?

Jesus Rubio Gamo

Jesus is a dancer and choreographer from Madrid. His shows have been presented at festivals across Spain and Europe, as well as in places like museums and, of course, outdoors.

He studied contemporary dance in Spain and then won an award to pursue advanced studies in a foreign country. He chose to come here to the UK and studied at the London Contemporary Dance School. He is now based back in Madrid but happy to be coming back for a visit to London!

One of his most successful shows is Bolero.

So what’s a Bolero?

The Bolero is a traditional Spanish dance dating back to the late 1700s. It is all about love and romance and is quite slow and sensuous. The dancers, individually or together, produce brilliant and intricate movements to the rhythmic accompaniment of their castanets.

The dance also has influences from Spanish bull-fighting and the lead dancer often mimics the movements of the toreador in the bullfight; whilst the other dancer’s movements often suggest the matador's cape or even sometimes the bull! And like a bullfight, the bolero dance has a certain grace and athleticism but is also teeming with dramatic tension!

Why is the Bolero so famous?

The most famous Bolero music ever composed is by Maurice Ravel, a French composer working in the early 1900s. Ravel’s Bolero is built on a single repeated rhythm played on a snare drum – Ta, Tatata Ta, TatataTatatatatata Ta.

The melody that goes with this rhythm starts incredibly quietly and is repeated, over and over, getting louder and louder, until the whole orchestra is playing by the very end – ‘fortissimo possible’ or as loudly as possible!

If you don’t recognise it from this description, I’m sure you will know it immediately when you hear it! According to FranceMusique.com, Ravel’s Bolero is one of the most frequently-played pieces of classical music and every 15 minutes, somewhere in the world, a performance begins. Given that the piece lasts 17 minutes, this music is being played constantly, somewhere in the world!

As well as in concerts and live performances, Ravel’s Bolero often appears as the background music in TV programmes and in films. Memorably, it was used by the British ice skaters, Torvill and Dean, for their gold medal-winning performance at the Sarajevo Olympics in 1984, watched by a television audience of 24 million people. And because of this, it has become the music for the final remaining competitors on each series of Dancing on Ice.

Surprisingly, despite this being one of the most popular pieces of music ever written, the composer, Ravel, really hated it! He thought it was basic, that it was one of his least important pieces and that any competent music student could have written it.

But everyone else loves it! The structure and build through the piece is mesmerising. And it works so well for the show we will see on Saturday.

Jesus Rubio Gamo’s Bolero

Jesus says his work has a pattern which ‘combines mathematical structures with sensorial intensity’. He tries to create ‘formal architectures of the body that allow emotion to burst out’.

You will see on Saturday that the piece has an extraordinary intensity and like Ravel’s music, builds and builds throughout. There is increasingly a fine line between pleasure and exhaustion. By the end, the dancers are at the limits of their endurance, at the point of breaking – like the orchestra playing as loudly as it possibly can! But there is a determination - almost a desperation - to keep going!

Come and see Jesus Rubio Gamo’s Bolero on Saturday, 17 August 2019. It is on at 1.00 pm and again at 3.00 pm.

Let us know what you think using the hashtag #bellsquareldn

You can find out more at the artist’s website, www.jesusrubiogamo.com

And follow him on Facebook and Instagram @jesusrubiogamo

From Our Artistic Director: Extreme Dance at Bell Square

Ofir Yudilevitch is one of the rising stars in Israel’s dance scene.  As a freelance dancer, he has toured the world with leading companies and has recently started to turn his focus to choreography.  His first major dance piece is Gravitas which comes to Bell Square on Saturday 3 August.

 Ofir Yudilevitch

Unusually, Ofir did not study dance from a young age.  Instead, at 15, he started Capoeira, a martial artform developed by African slaves in Brazil which combines self-defence, acrobatics, dance, music and song.  He studied it extensively for 10 years, first in Israel and then in Brazil.  In his early 20’s, he was an instructor of both Capoeira and acrobatics.   

Then, when he was 24, he started studying contemporary dance back in Israel at the Professional Dance School in Haifa.  After graduating, he quickly established himself as a professional dancer, working with some of Israel’s top dance companies and on international projects in Europe and the US.

In his early 30’s, like many successful dancers, the lure of creating his own dance works took hold and he started early forays into choreography alongside his regular performance.  He worked on several small dance shows for different festivals, before creating his first large scale performance in 2015.  This was Gravitas - which has toured internationally ever since and which we will see at Bell Square on 3 August.

Gravitas

In his own dance pieces, Ofir incorporates extreme physicality and it is easy to see that much of this comes from his background in Capoeira and acrobatics.  He stretches himself and his fellow performers physically to the limit, yet still connects with the audience on an emotional and human level. 

Ofir also stretches the boundaries of what some people may think of as dance.   It has a style that is very acrobatic, very strong, physical and powerful. 

In his first substantial piece, Gravitas, he focuses on gravity, one of the most basic and powerful forces in nature.  Gravity acts upon each and every one of us, and upon every physical object, in exactly the same way.  It doesn’t care if we land or crash, it will remain the same.  And Ofir’s piece explores how far the 2 performers can push their bodies, how far they can push the force of gravity.

They compete with each other, pushing each other, as they test their speed, balance and strength.  And they do this on a giant, air-filled mattress which brings a whole extra dimension to their movement.  Falling, crashing and jumping take centre stage as the 2 men hurtle through the air and rebound spectacularly off the mat.  Mischief often pervades the display, however, as they knock each other out of headstands, jostle for the best spot on the mat, and compete for the audience’s love as each tries to do the best back flip!

Underneath it all, the show is about male relationships.  Two men challenging each other, reminiscent of boisterous, boyish play and still driven by a competitive spirit as they test the limits of trust, danger, risk and masculinity – and ultimately their friendship.     

Come and see Gravitas on Saturday 3 August at Bell Square.  It’s on at 3.00pm and again at 5.00pm. 

And let us know what you think, using #BellSquareLDN 

You have also told us previously that you would like to be able to look up more information about the artists and follow them on social media:

You can follow Ofir on Facebook @Ofir-Yudilevitch-Dance-Artist

From our Artistic Director: What are the Hippos Saying?

Zum Zum Teatre are one of Spain’s leading theatre companies and, after 25 years, have just made their first outdoor show.  Hippos comes to Hounslow on 20 July.  Three dancing blue hippos will be at Bell Square. Yes, that’s right.  Three.  Dancing.  Blue.  Hippos.  So I talked to Zum Zum about their work and their experience of making an outdoor show for the first time.

Zum Zum Teatre is based in Lleida, in Catalunya, in Northern Spain.  The company was set up by Ramon Molins in 1994 and he still leads the company to this day.  My first experience of Zum Zum’s work was seeing Hippos last autumn, so I was interested to find out about their previous work in indoor theatres and how it had led to these dancing hippos!

Ramon told me ‘The company’s slogan is that we make theatre for adults aged 4 years and up.  The shows introduce different levels of issues so people understand them in different ways, depending on their age and background.  But children and young people are very intelligent!  They understand the shows and we believe that the youngest amongst us have the right to enjoy high quality theatre, too!’

We also like our shows to raise more questions than answers.  Hopefully they excite people so they go home and talk about what they’ve seen.’

We also talked about their new outdoor show, Hippos.  Zum Zum’s descripton of the show is:  ‘In a world where animals and people live together, we encounter hippopotamuses that choose a middle path.  Are they humans disguised as the animal they wear?  Or are they hippos that are searching for themselves inside of the individual that inhabits their body?’

When they were first starting to create the show, they also wrote a short poem which defined what they wanted the character of the hippos to be:

                To be a hippo is to understand that we are dangerous animals if someone wants to take on           what we are.

                To be a hippo is to demand that you not be taken by surprise.

                To be a hippo is to go wild.

                To be a hippo is to be multiple.

                To go on being.

                To be a hippo is to reevaluate loneliness in company.

                To be a hippo implies letting be.

 Has this has raised more questions than answers for you?  Yes, me too!  

 I asked Ramon what they want the audience to take away from the show?

 He says ‘Hippos is an idea, not a story.  You can enjoy it with your own imagination – you don’t have to ‘understand’ a story.  So people will bring their own different interpretations to it.  Many people interpret it as being about the threat of extinction to hippos.  But some have thought it’s about bullying, and others have had completely different ideas.’

The hippos’ statement at the end of the show is, ‘I will survive if you let me be’.  Whatever the show has meant to you personally, I think this is probably a quite poignant moment. 

As Hippos is Zum Zum’s first outdoor show, after 25 years of working indoors, I was also interested to know what the company’s experience of going out into the street has been.

According to Ramon, ‘It’s been totally different!  Indoors, our shows are not at all colourful, they have quite a ‘brown style’!  But it’s completely the opposite outside – the hippos are bright blue!  We wanted a completely different style on the street.

 The audience is totally different, too – outside it is much more spontaneous.  This is also our first show with no text and our first show with dance in it.  So it’s a real adventure for us – we’re having great fun with it! We’re getting to really love the hippos.  We would like to develop the characters of them, so        people can just find them, behaving like a person.  Maybe sitting on a balcony, drinking a coffee?’

Who knows what a hippo might do next!

Come and see the Hippos on Saturday 20 July at Bell Square.  They’ll be dancing at 1.00pm and 3.00pm.   

And let us know what you think, using #BellSquareLDN

You have also told us previously that you would like to be able to look up more information about the artists and follow them on social media:

Zum Zum Teatre can be found at https://zumzumteatre.com/en/

And you can follow them on Twitter @zumzumteatr

Joli Vyann tell us about their next show at Bell Square

Joli Vyann have been in rehearsal at Watermans where they’ve been rehearsing the outdoor version of their new show Anima, which will be at Bell Square on Saturday 6 July. In this 5-minute video they tell us how they met, what’s special about the dance style they’ve developed, and you’ll get a taster of what to expect on the day. Enjoy!

A VIEW FROM OUR ARTISTIC DIRECTOR : ONE OF BRITAIN’S OLDEST STREET THEATRE COMPANIES COMES TO BELL SQUARE

Introduction              

Bash Street Theatre Company rolls into town on Saturday 22 June with their new show, Bellevue Hotel.  Set up 28 years ago by partners Simon Pullum and JoJo Pickering, this is one of Britain’s oldest street theatre companies.  Now performing with their 2 sons, Lochlann and Finbar, and niece, Kesha, this is a traditional family-run company that tours all over the world.

Street theatre

Bash Street perform fast-moving, silent-comedy, street theatre shows with live musical accompaniment. 

Their shows draw on a long tradition of street theatre that stretches back many hundreds of years.  It’s often claimed that street theatre is the oldest form of theatre – and even that as long as society has existed, people have created theatre.  Outdoor theatre in ancient Greece and Rome goes back over 2000 years but, on the streets, there are records dating back to the 4th century of the Church in England putting on plays to convert people to their religious beliefs.  Since the 1100s, Midsummer Watches celebrated the summer solstice, with similar Christmas Eve Watches in the winter.  And from the 1400s, the Mystery Plays, telling stories from the Bible, were performed in English cathedral cities, most notably York and Chester.

From the 1500s, more secular theatrical events such as royal pageants and the Lord Mayor’s Show became common.  At the same time, the early performances of Shakespeare’s plays, often criticising the monarchy, became very popular outdoor entertainment!

Much modern street theatre, though, has its roots directly in the English tradition of ‘strolling players’ who travelled around the country at this same time performing in the inns and taverns.  They performed shows that challenged the aristocracy and a particular favourite was Robin Hood, the famous story of stealing from the rich to give to the poor.  They were not popular with the government of the day and, sadly, in the late 1500s, the strolling players were banned when the government claimed they were spreading disease, especially the Black Death, around the country!  Popular theatre then increasingly had to find its audience on the streets. 

Street theatre today ranges from lone buskers, like those in Covent Garden, to organised theatre companies like Bash Street that tour the world.  The practicalities of performing on the street, traditionally with little technical support or amplification of sound, meant that street theatre has often used dance, mime and slapstick rather than complex, spoken narratives.  The performances have always needed to be very visual, loud and simple to enable a large, assembled crowd to follow what was going on.

Why street theatre?

Street theatre is often used to make social comment.  The companies often choose to perform on the street as they are able to engage people of all ages and backgrounds, taking their stories to local communities far and wide.  These shows aim to make people think, to talk about the social issues of their time.  Street theatre is often funny and entertaining, giving it power to reach large crowds of people and raise awareness of the issues in the show.     

Bellevue Hotel

Bash Street’s new show, Bellevue Hotel, is set around a small, run-down hotel.  It tells the story of the hotel landlady and her battle with the gangster boss of the ice cream factory next door who is determined to buy her property.  But the landlady will not give up without a fight!  She and her hotel guests do battle with the nasty neighbour – and even with the demolition men when they arrive to knock down her hotel.

The show has live piano music, silent comedy, magic and some hair-raising action!  It is performed in the silent-film, comedy style that Bash Street has become famous for.  In a very entertaining way, it talks about one of the social issues of our day.  It looks at the challenges that many people face when a developer moves into their neighbourhood, and the fight they have on their hands to stay in their property.

So, this modern-day street theatre is really no different to the outdoor London performances of Shakespeare 400 years ago.  What a tradition!

Come and see Bash Street Theatre on Saturday 22 June at Bell Square.  The show starts at 3pm.

And let us know what you think, using #BellSquareLDN

You have told us previously that you would like to be able to look up more information about the artists and follow them on social media.

Bash Street Theatre can be found at www.bashstreet.co.uk

And you can follow them on Twitter @bashstreet and on Facebook @bashstreetco

A View from our Artistic Director: The Story of Icarus brought to the Street

Southpaw Dance Company present their stunning show, Icarus, at Bell Square on Saturday 8 June. The show brings the ancient Greek myth of Icarus to a contemporary audience on the street.

Southpaw is a well established dance company based in Newcastle in the North East of England. It is led by choreographer Robby Graham, who has developed a strong style of contemporary dance which has the spirit of hip-hop at its heart.

Robby works with Southpaw and other companies, making dance shows for both indoor theatres and outdoor spaces. In 2017, he was the Movement Director for the National Theatre's production of Angels in America - and it was during this time that he had the idea of making a show about Icarus. The National Theatre made a remarkable set of angel's wings for their show and Robby spent much of the rehearsal time helping the actor to move gracefully with these enormous wings! Having done this, he was inspired to make another show using these fabulous wings - and what better a story than Icarus to do that!

The story of Icarus

The story is set on the Greek Island of Crete which, in Greek mythology, is ruled by King Minos.

Icarus is the son of Daedalus, a much admired craftsman and inventor who works for King Minos. The king asks Daedalus to build him a huge labyrinth where he can secretly keep the Minotaur, a huge half-man half-bull creature. It is a secret because most of the islanders do not know about the Minotaur.

Once the labyrinth is built, the King imprisons Daedalus and his family in a tower at the palace so that they cannot tell anyone about the King's secret.

Daedalus is determined to escape and flee the island. However, he knows that the King's army guard the shores of the island so he would not be able to leave by sea. The only possible way to escape would be by air.

Daedalus, being a brilliant inventor, created some gigantic wings - made with tree branches, stuck together with wax, and covered with birds' feathers.

He taught his son, Icarus, how to fly. Before they set off, Daedalus told him not to fly too low as his wings would get wet with sea water, and not to fly too high as the heat of the sun would melt the wax in his wings.

When the day came, Daedalus and Icarus managed to fly up into the air and escape the island. But although he had been warned by his father, the young Icarus was so excited by the thrill of flying that he soared higher and higher into the sky. As his father had told him, the heat of the sun melted the wax and his wings fell apart - and Icarus fell into the sea and drowned.

The story of Icarus has fascinated audiences for centuries, especially perhaps the desire to go beyond human limits and the tragic consequences that brought.

Southpaw's telling of the story

The show starts with Icarus trying on his wings and trying to fly. When he is ready to attempt the flight to escape the island, he and his accomplices embark on a ritual as if trying to invoke the gods to help him.

Finally, he is lifted into the air and flies. As he goes higher, giddy with the euphoria of flying, he barely notices the appearance of the golden sun goddess. As Icarus comes into the full heat of the sun, his wings fall apart, and he falls amid clouds of smoke, to his death.

Come and see this stunning, theatrical telling of the story of Icarus on Saturday 8 June at Bell Square. The show starts at 9.00 pm as dusk falls.

From our Artistic Director: Stories of the World at Bell Square

If you read this blog regularly, you will know that, for me, the shows at Bell Square are about the stories that affect us all. As the UK struggles with Brexit and how in future we will connect with the wider world, culture can help bring us together, build a shared identity in our community, and help us stay connected with the perspectives of others in our increasingly globalised world.

So, the Bell Square shows this year come from across the UK but from many other countries, too.

Teatr Biuro Podrozy: Carmen Funebre (31 Aug 2019)

In the spring and summer season, we have artists from Newcastle in the far north of England to Penzance in the far south. We have dance from the Midlands - from Birmingham – and we have a show made here in Hounslow. We also welcome artists from Spain and Catalunya, and from Poland and Israel.

All these artists will share their stories with us. Different ideas, perspectives, cultures. Maybe they’ll make us question what we think we know - possibly make us look at our world a little differently. When we have a wonderful mixed community like we have in Hounslow, and we share these experiences together in our public space, I believe it brings us together and helps us understand each other better. Wherever I am in the world, absorbed in a great outdoor performance, I always feel more connected to the people I’m there with.

We will see many artists and companies coming to Bell Square for the first time in 2019 – and we’ll welcome back others who have brought us memorable experiences before.

I hope you will join us at Bell Square this year. We start on Saturday 25 May and will be there every other Saturday through to December. Here’s a taste of what’s to come in the spring and summer.

May

The new season starts on 25 May with a visit from Birmingham-based dance company, Humanhood, with their latest outdoor show, Orbis. Orbis is about our relationship with the moon and the mystical place it holds in the history of human culture. This is beautiful, contemporary, ritualistic dance.

June

Southpaw: Icarus (Sat 8 June 2019)

In June, we welcome back Southpaw Dance Company with Icarus, a dramatic and powerful performance of the famous Greek myth in which the young Icarus is obsessed with the desire to fly. As he flies too close to the sun, his soaring ambition leads ultimately to his tragic, untimely death.

Later in June, Bash Street Theatre bring their new show, Bellevue Hotel, to Bell Square. Bash Street is one of the oldest touring street theatre companies in the UK. Whilst their traditional style with live piano accompaniment is enchanting, their show unpicks an everyday battle of our modern world when a developer tries to destroy a much-loved community asset for their own profit.

July

Joli Vyann at Bell Square in 2017

On 6 July, Bell Square hosts the very first performance of a brand new show by Joli Vyann. You may remember their thrilling show, Lance Moi en l’Air, in July 2017.

The company will be in residence at Watermans making their new show, Anima, in the weeks leading up to this performance. ‘Anima’ is Latin for breath, life and soul. Joli Vyann’s new show is about the simple act of breathing and how it connects us all. The show will feature their beautifully integrated dance and acrobatic style and for the first time, include a live musician.

Later in July, London will celebrate becoming the world’s first National Park City. National Park Cities celebrate nature, the environment and outdoor living. As part of this London-wide celebration, we will have our own National Park City Weekender in Hounslow on 20 & 21 July. On the Saturday, Zum Zum Teatre from Catalunya will perform Hippos at Bell Square. Looking at the relationship between humans and animals and making the point that ‘they will survive if we let them be’, this is nevertheless one very unusual show. Three blue hippos will be dancing at Bell Square. Believe me. Then on the Sunday, our friends at Creative People & Places will host one of their great TW3 Creative events with lots of fun and opportunities for participation.

August

In August, we have 3 events and go completely international!

Ofir Yuilevitch: Gravitas (Sat 3 Aug 2019)

First, we welcome acclaimed Israeli choreographer, Ofir Yudilevitch, with his first London performance of Gravitas. The show uses extreme physicality, capoeira and acrobatics on an enormous inflated mattress, with the performers crashing and hurtling through the air, testing the notion of gravity.

Next we have Jesus Rubio Gamo and his Madrid-based company with a contemporary Spanish take on Ravel’s famous Bolero. This is strong, gripping dance set to the remorseless, throbbing beat of the Bolero.

And our final summer performance on 31 August is by stunning Polish theatre company, Teatr Biuro Podrozy. Their previous shows at Bell Square – Silence in 2017 and Winter’s Tale in 2018 – have been highlights for audiences, and for me, too. Their shows are honest – and uncompromising about the things that go wrong in our world. In 2019, they return with Carmen Funebre – or Funeral Song – which looks at the impact of war on civilians. This show is possibly the most legendary piece of outdoor theatre ever made. Created over 30 years ago, it has toured continually, throughout the world, ever since. It has not been seen in London for nearly 10 years.

So we have age-old stories about the moon, and fables about over-ambition, which are as fresh and relevant today as they were hundreds or thousands of years ago. And we have stories of our contemporary world – of war and migration, of animal conservation, on a global scale - and determined resistance to the threat of development on a small local community.

I look forward to seeing these performances with you – and thinking and talking about the stories they tell.

Come and see us at Bell Square on Saturday 25 May - we can’t wait to be back with you!

And in the meantime, huge thanks to Arts Council England and the Mayor of London for their funding of these events!

From Our Artistic Director: Magical Moments from 2018

After the last event of the season and as we look forward to the new year, it is always tempting to think back to our favourite moments of the last year.  Here are our 10 Magic Moments of 2018!

1         The season opened with Akademi’s classic, Sufi Zen – beautiful, reflective mix of Bharatnatyam and contemporary dance

 2         Fillage – amazing new circus and live music from young Belgian company, Sur Mesure

3         Strong hip-hop dance on a cage from Cie Dyptik from Marseilles

4         Powerful and political retelling of the events that sparked the Arab Spring by trailblazing Catalan company, Insectotropics 

5         Gorgeous aerial circus and live music at dusk by young French company, Cirque Rouages

6         The night the moon fell out of the sky (according to one young audience member)

7         Dramatic, affecting dance about what happens when mental illness takes hold of someone close – from Manchester-based Company Chameleon

8         Man and machine.  Dancers and a digger.  Unforgettable.

9             The annual Winter Lights parade when Hounslow comes together to light up the dark nights

10          Dinosaurs – prehistoric beasts on Hounslow High Street.  Magic.

Huge thanks to our wonderful resident photographer, Vipul Sangoi, for most of these images.

Also to John Montgomerie for the photo of Witness This by Company Chameleon

And an even bigger thank you to our incredible stewards and tech team who brave rain, shine, wind, hail and everything in between to bring great outdoor arts to Hounslow.

Over and out and see you next year!

#BellSquareLDN

From Our Artistic Director: Return of the Saurus

The last time giant prehistoric beasts walked the earth?  Not sure.  The last time they walked on Hounslow High Street, though, I do know – August 2012.  It was a blazing hot day during the London 2012 Games.

Those who were around that summer will remember that, alongside the Olympic and Paralympic sport, there was a London-wide cultural festival that was just as impressive.  For me, one of the highlights of that programme was Showtime, a festival of outdoor arts that visited every borough in London.

Suarus was one of the acts that came to Hounslow.  These 5 metre high dinosaurs, manoeuvred by invisible puppeteers on stilts, put on a stunning display with their thunderous roars and long sweeping tails.  Even though I knew what was coming, I was still overawed by the sight of these giant creatures running wild in our High Street!

The life-size silver beasts are obviously starving and storm noisily along the street looking for food.  Once they have eaten, though, they become playful and sociable before, eventually, a magical song calms their wild forays.

Saurus, by Close-Act, is one of the finest walkabout shows in Europe.  The company was set up in Tilburg in the Netherlands 27 years ago by a group of actors, dancers, choreographers, designers and musicians.  They are famous for their unique style of ‘visual creations’ and the way that they perform in, between and above the public.  They aim to ‘move, draw and carry you into the world they create’.  Close-Act have toured with many shows across Europe, North and South America, Asia and the Middle East, but Saurus has been a firm favourite with audiences wherever it goes.

And they were certainly a hit when they came to Hounslow in 2012!  Saurus was one of the shows that created such a buzz in the town centre that summer.  Although it’s the opposite side of London to the Olympic Park, we had music gigs, amazing Japanese drummers, the Torch Relay, circus, theatre, and a Big Dance event when 10,000 people danced in Hounslow High Street!  2012 was a truly fantastic summer!

And then a few months later when plans started to be made for a major revamp of the town centre, the popularity of the outdoor arts programme that summer inspired everyone involved to include a permanent space for outdoor arts.  And so, Bell Square was born!

These wonderful, giant Sauruses won everyone’s hearts that summer and surely played a part in making Bell Square a possibility.  So I, for one, welcome them back with a warm heart and open arms.  Even if they can be a bit naughty and eat the treetops, or forage in people’s bags sometimes...

This is the last event of the year on Saturday 15 December.  There are 2 performances – the first at 1.00pm which will be great, and the second at 4.00pm, when it will be dusk and perhaps even more exciting!

Let us know what you think about Saurus, and all the other shows this year, using the #BellSquareLDN hashtag.  You will surely have some amazing photos to share!

To find out more about Close-Act, have a look at https://closeact.nl

And follow them on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @CloseAct

From our Artistic Director: Come and be tickled pink!

The next Bell Square show is a little bit different.  A group of pink aliens will be beamed down into Hounslow town centre – and they are very curious and sociable and will want to get to know you.  However, these immigrants who arrive on our High Street have some quite different codes and conventions in how they relate to others - so you have been warned!

Who is Ljud?

Ljud is a collective of performers and artists from all over Europe who are based in Ljubljana in Slovenia.  They say that they are a group of idealists who came together in 2006 to change the world.  Their work focuses on different ways of interacting with their audiences, and especially on direct interaction with people in public places.  Most of all, they like to engage people to become part of the performance - rather than just watching it.  So, their shows are like games, rituals or a social event.

What is The Invasion?

Ljud’s show, The Invasion, comes to Hounslow town centre on 1 December.  It is certainly not a typical theatre show.  I would probably call it an ‘interactive theatre experience’.  A group of aliens - strange creatures, painted head to toe in pink – crash land in the High Street.  They are seeing humans for the first time and they want to get to know us, and our planet, better.

Their arrival provokes shock and disbelief at first – but it soon turns out that their mission is a positive one.  They just want to get to know our world and customs and, in return, they offer to share their habits and rituals!

Every alien in the group has their own story, their own way of communicating, and each one challenges the public in different ways.  Their presence and actions generate some really quite ‘electric’ interactions with the public.  And every individual reacts and responds to them differently. 

The performers love it when people react spontaneously and play with them.  Whilst they may not conform to our sense of ‘normal’ interaction, they are pink – so hopefully no-one will take them too seriously!

What’s it really about?

This is a very funny show - but it also gently questions how we live in a multicultural society like London.  It looks at the conventions of behaviour in public places amongst different communities.  And in doing so, it questions our attitudes to others, especially to minority groups.   Although the performers are pink and playful, the show challenges us about how we welcome new people into our community.   Underneath it all, it looks at issues of communication and acceptance of diversity in our towns and cities.

It makes me think about how we all use the High Street.  Some people just come to do shopping and pass through quickly.  Others meet, sit on the benches and chat for hours.  Others meet friends at the coffee shops and use it predominantly as a social space.  The various groups and communities use it in very varied ways.  I love this about Hounslow High Street as you get to meet so many different people that you might not otherwise get to know.

It also makes me think about how we all react to different people in our community – not to mention what new people think of us!  I often wonder what people from other places must think on the train in the mornings, when everyone sits there in absolute silence.  This feels like such a London thing.  Or when they hear the tinkly music of an ice-cream van in the summer – I’m sure this is a (completely bonkers) British thing – where else would you get this?  I also remember when I lived in the US and found it almost unbearable that people didn’t queue (properly!) in shops.

So what will our pink visitors be like?  I’m sure they will open up very unpredictable exchanges with people on the High Street.  Just imagine their fascination with what you are buying at the market!  And those big red things going along Bell Road.  And…. none of us are pink.

A review of this unusual street spectacle (in Fiesta Cultura magazine in Spain) described it as ‘Authentic madness’, which I’m inclined to agree with.  But you decide for yourself….

Ljud will be landing in Hounslow High Street on Saturday, 1 December – at 1.00pm and again at 3.00pm.   Let us know what you think, using #BellSquareLDN

Note:  In some recent audience conversations, you told us that you would like to be able to look up more information about the artists and follow them on social media.  So, I am starting to include their information for you.

Ljud can be found at http://www.ljud.si/slo/?lang=en

And you can follow them on Twitter @KudLjud

From our Artistic Director: Dancing With Diggers!

What makes a dance company perform with a JCB?  And how do you turn a giant machine into a graceful dance partner?  Motionhouse dance company do just that in their new show, EXO, at Bell Square this week, and tell us a little more about it below.

Motionhouse

Motionhouse are one of the UK’s most established dance companies, having produced both indoor and outdoor shows for 30 years.  They have an athletic, high impact style and regularly mix dance with circus, physical theatre and music.  

This was the company that brought BLOCK to Bell Square in 2016 - dancers and circus performers leaping off giant Jenga blocks, high in the air, all performed to a pulsating sound track! 

But Motionhouse are probably most famous for their performances with JCBs – dancing with diggers!  They have been making these unique shows since 2004.

Dancing with diggers

Chatting with their Artistic Director, Kevin Finnan, I asked him what had initially attracted him to the idea of bringing a JCB into a dance piece!  He said, ‘I was very interested in where we are going in the future as a species.  I wanted to look at how, in the future, humans will be integrated with machines.  Everybody thinks about the film ‘Minority Report’ or having your body physically augmented, but I was fascinated by how a massive machine and a human could work as one – and I knew it would be exciting to watch: a dancer, a machine (and a driver).’

This combination of ‘man and machine’ has continued to stimulate his imagination ever since.  ‘Just like with a dancer, with a machine, you have to discover its movement language.  With every show we do, we learn more about what dancers and machines can do together.  Every show moves us on in the language and the relationship between the two.  New exciting possibilities every time!’ 

I remember seeing one of these shows back in 2011.  It was called Waiting Game and the JCB acted as the waiter for a couple at a table in a restaurant.  It was an amazing show with playful interactions between the digger and the dancers, and beautiful moments where the dancers were carried in graceful arcs high in the air.  But in the new show, EXO, created this summer, the dancers and the JCB do seem truly connected – dancers and machine as one.

The shows are equally exciting for the dancers and the JCB drivers.  In an article for The Guardian (20 August 2015), JCB driver Kev Burrow talked passionately about the process and possibilities of the collaboration.  ‘As a JCB operator who has worked with machines for most of my professional life on construction and demolition sites, I thought I knew what they were capable of.  But collaborating with the dance company Motionhouse has opened my eyes.  It’s made me truly understand the beauty of dance – and broadened my JCB operating skills.’

‘The contrast of scale between machine and human, as well as the aerial versus ground-based work, is a beautiful combination.  Turning a machine that is often perceived as oversized and ungainly into a graceful dance partner is inspiring – especially when I see that the audience are genuinely moved; from where I sit in the cab, I can see their reactions and emotions.  The machines become gentle giants that extend their mechanical arms to lift and hold the performers.  This tender relationship is what makes it so poignant.’

Making a new ‘digger show’

When Motionhouse look for a new dancer, they want people who are brave, skilful and willing to try things out.  All of their dancers have added to their skills whilst working with the company – whether it be aerial performance, acrobatics or hanging off the bucket of a JCB digger!  Kevin wants his dancers to be part of the creative team, so they can be fellow artists who create and develop the show with him.  Whilst the idea for a new show always comes from Kevin as the choreographer, he then works closely with the team to develop the idea and create the different elements, including the dance, the costumes and the music.

And this collaboration also includes the JCB driver.  Kev Burrow says, ‘I’ve known Kevin Finnan, the Artistic Director of Motionhouse, since 2005 when he first asked me to be involved in a show.  I was impressed by his eye for detail, his creativity, and his ability to see potential in everyone, including me.  He has always treated me as one of the team.  I’m made to feel like an artist and the company’s kindness and support is extremely touching.  It’s like being part of a family; you gain each other’s trust which is so important in this kind of work.’

I talked to Kevin about how, as Artistic Director, he brought the dancers and the digger together in making the latest show, EXO.  He says, ‘I now have experienced dancers and very experienced drivers who have worked together before, so I allowed the performers to experiment together on material, and then I just fashioned it into what I wanted to say.  The machine shows are a lot of fun, we all enjoy them!  They are so pleasing to such a wide audience – from grandparents to grandchildren and everyone in between.  They are a pleasure to make!’

And audiences all over the world have proven that they are also a pleasure to watch!

Come and see EXO by Motionhouse at Bell Square on Saturday, 3 November.   There are 2 performances, at 1.00pm and again at 3.00pm.

And let us know what you think on social media using the #BellSquareLDN hash tag!

From our Artistic Director: Powerful Dance for Mental Health Month

The phrase that underlines much of the programme at Bell Square is ‘stories that affect us all’.  It’s well known that 1 in 4 people will experience a mental health problem at some point in their lives, so it’s clear that almost all of us will have some experience of mental illness, either ourselves or in someone we know.  And we shouldn’t be afraid to talk about it. 

So Witness This, on 20 October, turns the spotlight on mental health in a moving and emotional portrayal of how loved ones cope when mental health problems take hold of someone close.

Witness This is a powerful and very personal dance piece that tells the story of choreographer Kevin Edward Turner following his journey and struggle with Bipolar. 

Kevin founded Manchester-based Company Chameleon in 2007 with his friend Antony Missen.  He believes his own mental health problems started when he was a teenager but he did not recognise it as depression.  Five years ago, he had a crisis and was sectioned in hospital in Manchester.  It took almost a year to recover his mental and physical health and return to the company.  Devising Witness This was part of that recovery process. 

Kevin says, ‘I’d hit my rock bottom and I had to put all the pieces back together.  What helped me most is my family and friends.’  The show looks at the impact of mental health on individuals and relationships along with the crucial role of support and understanding on the road to recovery.  He says, ‘The work embodies what I witnessed, both real and imaginary, in my ill-health, and also what my loved ones witnessed whilst I was ill.’

 The dancers in the piece create a sense of the world around him, as he struggles between the real and the imagined.  Their world is also filled with many emotions – the company describe the piece as touching, sad, funny and absurd.  But overwhelmingly, the piece is about the love that those close have for him. 

Witness This introduces ways of talking about how mental health problems like this can affect us all.  Kevin says, ‘In making this work, I want to contribute towards the debate and understanding of mental health problems, and challenge preconceived notions of what is still, in some ways, a taboo subject.  I would also like people who are still struggling out there to realise that things can change, and it is possible to find happiness and health again; that it can be managed.  If I can get better, so can anyone.’ 

He also says, ‘I hope the work encourages people to share, talk and have a better understanding of their mental health.’ 

After the first performance of Witness This on Saturday, 20 October, there will be an informal workshop called Share This.  It is a session about self-expression through writing.  Kevin, the choreographer and one of the dancers, will talk about his own experience of making the show.  There will then be a response to the performance from local poet, Quddous Ahmed of Poetical Word, and some top writing tips from blogger, Eva Koegan. 

Witness This will be performed twice on Saturday 20 October, at 1pm and 3.30pm at Bell Square.  It lasts 30 minutes.  No booking required – it’s free.  Just turn up! 

Share This runs 1.30 – 2.15 pm (at Bell Square). It’s free and you can just turn up, but it would really help us if you could book your place here in advance.

This event is part of ThriveLDN Culture, a festival developed by the Mental Health Foundation and the Mayor of London, to enable Londoners to share their experiences and perspectives on mental health.

From our Artistic Director: A Stunning Production of The Winter's Tale

The Winter's Tale is the latest show in 30 years of stunning, large scale outdoor performances from Teatr Biuro Podróży.  Their focus on social and political themes flows dramatically into this powerful production about delusional jealousy and its terrible consequences. 

I saw this show in Coventry last October.  It was part of the Festival of Imagineers, an annual showcase of art, design and engineering which includes a focus on the outdoors.  There was a particular buzz in the air at the time, as Coventry made the final preparations in its bid to be UK City of Culture.  A few weeks later, it was announced as the winner for 2021.

 I'd gone to Coventry that day to see a number of shows in the festival.  But the main attraction for me was to see the first performance of Teatr Biuro Podróży’s new show, The Winter's Tale.  The company has collaborated with this festival for 20 years so if it were not to be in their home town of Poznan in western Poland, Coventry was a fitting location for the premiere of this show.

If you saw their previous show, Silence, at Bell Square in September 2017, you will know that Teatr Biuro Podróży has a highly visual, dramatic style.  And The Winter's Tale is no exception - this is big drama!

If you're not familiar with the story of The Winter's Tale, you can read a summary here.  But essentially, the show tells the story of a jealous King who mistakenly suspects his wife of having an affair with his lifelong friend.  Ignoring everyone around him, he insists she is tried for treason and put to death.  (It does lighten up a bit after this - and actually wraps up with a happy ending!) 

The production is stunning to watch.  Teatr Biuro Podróży's huge stilt walkers lead us through the streets with the Queen's coffin.  Their white make-up and long white costumes lend a ghostly presence, with the startling red ties perhaps suggesting spilt blood.  Led by the stilt walkers, we follow and become part of the funeral procession. 

Similarly, when the Queen is found guilty of treason, we are the crowd at the public trial, shouting out - 'guilty' or 'not guilty'.  As a member of the audience, I felt completely 'in' this performance, absolutely a part of it.  This is really immersive theatre, made all the more potent by experiencing it in the streets at night. 

When I saw the show in Coventry, it lashed with rain throughout the entire performance.  The company carried on, and the audience was too hooked to leave.  Somehow, it just added to the drama. 

I remember getting home from Coventry, still drenched, at 2.00 in the morning.  Looking back recently at the notes I made on the train home that night, the last comment I had written was, 'It would be amazing to have this in Hounslow!'

So, I can't wait for 6 October - and I really hope you enjoy this as much as I did when I first saw it last year! 

The Winter's Tale, by Teatr Biuro Podróży, starts at 8.00pm on Saturday 6 October at Bell Square. 

Let us know what you think about it on social media using the #BellSquareLDN hash tag

FROM OUR ARTISTIC DIRECTOR : COME AND SEE THE FAR SIDE OF THE MOON

 One of the most enchanting sights in the night sky is a full moon.  For thousands of years, the moon was vital for ancient cultures in tracking the passing of the months and helping them to decide when to plant and harvest crops.  But the full moon, especially, has also inspired writers, artists and poets for centuries.

Even today, how often are we captivated by the moon?  I, for one, always read the articles about a forthcoming blue moon, or a supermoon, or blood moon, or harvest moon, not to mention of course the eclipses of the moon.  And how often do we tell children stories of ‘the man in the moon’?

The Museum of the Moon

On Saturday, we will have the Museum of the Moon at Bell Square.  The Museum of the Moon is an artwork, an installation, by Luke Jerram.  It is a huge, 7 metre diameter, replica of the moon.  Its surface is based on photographs obtained during NASA space missions, so it really is an exact replica!

The far side of the moon

Wherever we are, in London or New York or Sydney, when we look at the moon, we always see the same features, the same craters and patterns.  We always see the same side of the moon, the side closest to earth – what we might call the ‘near side’ of the moon.  We never see the ‘far side’ of the moon, though, wherever we are in the world.

In 1968, Apollo 8, the second manned spaceflight mission in the United States’ Apollo space programme, was the first space craft to orbit the moon – and the 3 astronauts on that mission were the first humans to see the ‘far side’ of the moon directly for themselves.  Fifty years on, though, most of us will still never see the ‘far side’ of the moon!

So, the Museum of the Moon, hanging over Bell Square, allows us to see not just the near side which we are familiar with – but also the far side.  There will be grass on the Square and you can sit down or lie back and gaze at the moon.

You can also see a performance of Orbis in the afternoon at 3.00 pm or at night at 8.00 pm.  Orbis is a visually stunning dance duet by Humanhood, a company that performed at Bell Square last year with Nomadis.  This new show looks at the relationship between humankind and the moon.  It is like a contemporary ritual, performed in stunning black cloaks, and revisiting the mystical place the moon holds in the history of human culture.  This will surely be a rather special performance with the moon hanging directly above.

Up above in the sky, the (real) moon will be almost full.  This full moon, nearest to the autumnal equinox, is the Harvest Moon.  The Harvest Moon is known for being particularly bright and early to rise.

Come and see the moon at Bell Square.  Our moon will ‘rise’ at 10.00 am and remain until 9.00 pm.  It is fascinating to look at in daylight, but especially beautiful to see it bright and illuminated when it gets dark.  On Saturday, dusk is at 7.00 pm.

FROM OUR ARTISTIC DIRECTOR: LIBERTY UNBOUND FESTIVAL AT BELL SQUARE

The Mayor of London’s Liberty Festival is the UK’s largest annual outdoor arts festival showcasing the work of D/deaf and disabled artists.  On 1 September, it will visit Bell Square for a special event.

Liberty Festival
The Liberty Festival first took place in 2003.  More than 300 D/deaf and disabled artists have presented their work at the festival over its 15-year history.  Events have taken place at Trafalgar Square, then moved to the Southbank, and more recently to the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.

This year, for the first time, the festival has an entirely new format.  Rather than happening in one central location, it will tour over 3 days to 3 different town centres across London.  The showcase will visit Lewisham, Enfield and Hounslow and has a new name – Liberty Unbound!

The programme
The showcase touring to each location includes music, theatre, dance and visual arts from some of the best-known D/deaf and disabled artists working in the UK.  In one afternoon at Bell Square, you will get to experience Graeae theatre company, Candoco Dance Company, Deaf Rave and Jason Wilsher-Mills.

Candoco
Some of you will remember the visit from Candoco last summer.  You and I Know was a lovely show which was very popular with the Bell Square audience.  Some of the feedback that day was really quite profound and many people said they were moved to tears.  On Saturday, we will see Candoco’s new show, Dedicated To…, which is about long lasting friendships between women.  I saw this show earlier in the summer at the Birmingham International Dance Festival and in my opinion it is another great show.  I’m sure you’ll like this one, too!

Graeae
We welcome Graeae (pronounced Grey-Eye) to Bell Square for the first time this weekend.  Graeae has been a force for change in the world of theatre, boldly placing D/deaf and disabled actors centre stage and challenging preconceptions.  The company was set up in 1980 and has been one of the trailblazers in the development of arts, and especially theatre, by D/deaf and disabled artists ever since.

Their Artistic Director, Jenny Sealey, has been with them since 1997 and is well-known for directing shows at prestigious theatres such as Birmingham Rep, Nottingham Playhouse and the Royal Exchange Theatre in Manchester.  She also co-directed the London 2012 Paralympic Games Opening Ceremony.

At Bell Square, Graeae will perform their remarkable show, The Iron Man.  Inspired by the famous story by Ted Hughes, the giant Iron Man puppet is the size of a double-decker bus and will roam the High Street! 

I recently caught up with Jenny and was talking to her about the show.  I asked her what had captured her imagination about this story and made her want to devise a theatre show based on it.

Jenny:  ‘I loved The Iron Man as a child and reading it again as an adult in the context of working with Graeae, I realised The Iron Man is like disabled people – he is ‘other’ and people vilify him.  But I also wanted the challenge of working with a giant puppet!’

As I imagine The Iron Man clattering along Hounslow High Street, I asked her how audiences react when this towering puppet appears!

Jenny:  ‘Audiences are initially a bit scared but then wowed by our Iron Man because of the size - and because he is driven by a wheelchair user, as it is made from power chair electrics.  In the story, the Iron Man tries to communicate so hard with Hogarth – a young boy who is deaf. Hogarth understands that feeling of ‘other’ too, so they become friends.’

I was also interested in what Jenny thinks the story of The Iron Man tells us as a contemporary society.

Jenny:  ‘The story tells us that we are too quick to judge, and we make instant assumptions and put up barriers.  The Iron Man challenges this and works to earn his stripes to be accepted.  We need to embrace diversity and remove barriers.’

Alongside these great performances, we will have 30 minute DJ sets from Deaf Rave – a collective of D/deaf and hearing-impaired DJs who install staff who can sign at each of their events.  

And you will also be able to meet some amazing interactive sculptures by Jason Wilsher-Mills. Audiences can interact physically with these human figures through a tablet or smartphone, triggering augmented reality aspects of the sculpture.

Come and see Bell Square favourites, Candoco, and an afternoon of theatre, art, dance and music.  The showcase runs from 1-5pm so come along at any time.

And, as always, let us know what you think on social media, using the #BellSquareLDN hash tag!
 

From our Artistic Director : Have you had a ‘Belly of the Whale’ experience?

Ockham's Razor has been lauded as one of the most exciting new circus companies in the UK for over 10 years.  But their shows have all been made for indoor theatres - until now.   Belly of the Whale is their new show - their first for outdoors – and it comes to Bell Square on Saturday 8 September. 

Belly of the Whale is set on a giant, semi-circular, see-saw structure.  It is a beautiful wooden sculpture in its own right and the company use it to showcase their signature blend of circus skills, humour and breathtaking moments of risk.

Ockham's Razor

Ockham's Razor describe themselves as an aerial theatre company who combine circus and very visual performance to make shows that are both arresting and entertaining.  Their starting point for making a new show is often the creation of a new piece of equipment - like the beautiful wooden see-saw above.

From that, they devise a story flowing from the experience of the artists using the structure - especially the vulnerability, trust and reliance on each other when performing complex routines, not only in the air, but often at high speed.  But Ockham's Razor are not just a circus company that do impressive tricks.  The characters in their shows reflect experiences and emotions that we can all identify with and relate to. 

Belly of the Whale

And so it is in their new show.  The concept of the 'belly of the whale' is found in mythology from all over the world.  It is, for example, seen in the well-known tale of Jonah and the Whale.  

The story goes that when Jonah was asked to perform a very difficult task, he avoided it and went away in a boat.  A storm came, the boat sank and Jonah, having fallen into the sea, was swallowed by a whale.  Whilst being thrown around inside the whale's belly, scared and isolated, he had time to reflect seriously on his life, and admit to himself that he had avoided taking responsibility.  After several days, he came to the view that he should face up to what had been asked of him.  Eventually, the whale came to the shore, where Jonah had been asked to undertake the task, and coughed him up from its belly.  Jonah then went on to complete the task he had been asked to do. 

This same story is told in many different ways across the world but the message is basically the same.   All involve being swallowed or eaten by some kind of large beast!  The Eskimo of Bering Strait tells of a raven that was also eaten by a whale.  Zulu mythology tells of a mother and children eaten by an elephant.   Even Red Riding Hood, in the folk tale from Germany, was eaten by the wolf!

Essentially, though, a 'belly of the whale' experience involves much soul-searching, in a rather dark place, before finally facing up to a very difficult situation!  In taking on the challenge, though, we transform our character and come out of it a stronger person.  Most of us have probably had a 'belly of the whale' experience at some time in our lives!

Ockham's Razor's show, then, asks us what happens when we confront our fears?  When we come face to face with the power of things we initially feel we can't change? 

The performers, as if themselves on a turbulent sea, ride the giant see-saw, which creaks and groans as it throws them around.  But over time, it gradually changes into a gently rocking cradle, and then a tunnel, and finally a slide. 

Tina Koch from Ockham's Razor and the director of the show, says, 'In this current climate, it can often feel like you are fighting with giants, running against walls, being thrown, faced with challenges and changes seemingly beyond your control.  The show is a reflection of the world how we experience it.  It is about 3 people coming face to face with their biggest challenge and the different ways they deal with it.  It is about daring to jump into the unknown and about perseverance - and ultimately discovering that you can go it alone, but you can go further when you join together.'

Come and see Belly of the Whale at Bell Square on Saturday 8 September at 3.00 pm.  

And we’d love to hear your thoughts on social media using the #BellSquareLDN hash tag!

From our Artistic Director: Let's do a digger dance and walk with dinosaurs! Autumn/Winter Preview

I’m writing this in one of the hottest summers we’ve had in years.  It seems barely imaginable that we’ll soon be heading into the cooler autumn days, with the nights drawing in, and through to the crisp, cold days of winter.  But we have another 8 great shows for you, so winter won’t be so bad!

We have spectacular theatre, stunning installations and more great circus.  We have artists from all over the UK, and from Poland, Slovenia and the Netherlands.  We have shows that will make us think and shows that I hope will get us talking!  How do we face up to challenges?  How do we welcome new people into our community?  What happens when someone we love experiences mental health problems?

And there will be experiences that I also hope will linger in our memories.  What does the moon look like close up?  We can lie on the Square and find out!

September
We start the autumn season on 8 September with one of the UK’s most exciting contemporary circus companies.   Ockham’s Razor bring their first outdoor show, Belly of the Whale, to Bell Square.  It has 3 performers on a beautiful, wooden sculpture, something like a giant see-saw.  The show is based on mythology from around the world which talks of the ‘belly of the whale’ and asks what happens when we confront our fears and come face to face with the power of things we seemingly can’t change.

On 22 September, Bell Square will host Luke Jerram’s Museum of the Moon.  This large-scale installation is 7 metres in diameter and is an exact replica of the surface of the moon, taken from detailed NASA imagery from space.  Lie on grass on the Square and gaze at the moon!  Listen to music and stories inspired by the moon, and see a wonderful performance by Humanhood called Orbis.

October
In my opinion, one of the highlights of the year will be The Winter’s Tale by legendary Polish theatre company, Teatr Biuro Podrozy.  They will present a ‘promenade’ version of The Winter’s Tale – a spectacular of fire, music and stilt-walking.  Processing through Hounslow town centre, this is Shakespeare’s story of a king who murdered his wife, and the guilt and terrible repercussions of jealousy.  6 October - a date for your diary!

On 20 October, we welcome back Company Chameleon from Manchester.  Witness This turns a spotlight on mental health in a moving and emotional portrayal of how loved ones cope when mental health problems take hold of someone close.  Powerful and deeply personal, the piece tells the story of one of Company Chameleon’s founding dancers, following his journey and struggle with bipolar.

November
On 3 November, we have a real treat for you!  Motionhouse dance company come to Bell Square with one of their famous ‘digger shows’.  These are shows with dancers and a JCB.  EXO is their brand new ‘digger show’ for 2018 and explores the relationship between ‘man and machine’ in a breath-taking display of strength, emotion and beauty.

I think many of you know what will happen on 17 November.  Yes, it’s Hounslow’s annual Winter Lights parade!  People from all over the borough will have made lanterns with artists, Same Sky, in the weeks leading up to the event.  On the night, hundreds of people carrying lanterns create a spectacular procession through the town centre, leading to a finale performance at Bell Square.

December
December will be very international!  We start with a visit from Ljud, a company from Slovenia, on 1 December.  On this day, pink aliens from outer space will land in Hounslow.  They are very curious and sociable and they will want to get to know you!  This is a very funny show but also quietly questions how we welcome new people into our community.

And to wrap up the year on 15 December, Close Act from Holland bring us one of their large-scale visual spectacles.  Saurus is magical and hypnotic for an audience that finds itself immersed among life-size dinosaurs!

So, bring on the autumn, and even the winter!  Let’s walk the streets with the Queen’s coffin.  Let’s watch a super cool driver make a digger dance.  And let’s walk with dinosaurs!

Huge thanks to Arts Council England and London Borough of Hounslow for their support of these events. #BellSquareLDN #Community

From our Artistic Director: Come and Create Something Beautiful in Hounslow!

Over the years, we have had many events at Bell Square which have involved local people getting directly involved in the show.  They are always popular, and usually quite special.  On Saturday, I’m looking forward to welcoming Stalker Teatro with their project, Steli.  Everyone who would like to get involved can come and help build some beautiful, coloured structures together on the Square.

Stalker Teatro
The artistic core of Stalker Teatro have worked together since setting up the ‘Political Collective’ in Turin in 1975.  This period was the heyday of Italy’s post-1968 cultural and political uproar.  Like many parts of Europe, and indeed the US, Italy saw major protests and rebellion in 1968.  Working class students mostly drove the movement which aimed to change Italy’s traditional, capitalist and patriarchal society.  Unrest began with a few student protests but by May 1968 all but one of Italy’s universities were occupied.  And in the same month, 100 artists occupied the Palazzo della Triennale, the major cultural institution in Milan.

The context surrounding the start of Stalker Teatro left an enduring mark on the company’s work which is still obvious today.  They are strongly committed to artistic experimentation with communities and especially dedicated to creating cultural events with local people.  They work outside - and are at their best on the streets and on public squares.

Steli
Steli is for everyone.  You are all invited to come and help build a structure out of hundreds of rainbow-coloured sticks.  It is very easy, but very satisfying to see a beautiful creation coming together on the Square.  When it’s finished, it has a really great visual impact.  And everyone can then explore it – walking, crawling, climbing, under and through, this crazy structure.  Or just sitting at the side, quietly admiring their efforts, and listening to the DJ.

Those sitting and watching may start to think about the artists’ ideas when they were developing this project.  The project is about how we live in, or inhabit, architecture in post-industrial cities.  How do we feel about the spaces we live in?  Are they what we want?

In a review for The Herald in Glasgow, Stalker Teatro’s director, Gabriele Boccacini is credited as having ‘achieved what a million town planners have walled-in and made impossible, liberating hearts and minds by giving them space’.  As the review says, in an ideal world, it would always be like this…

Saturday
On Saturday, we will be building a new structure 3 times during the afternoon.  Please come and join us!   It’s on at 12.30 pm, 2.15 pm, and 4.00 pm.

And tell us what you think – did you enjoy it?  Did it make you think differently about what architecture could be?  About the spaces where we live?

Share your thoughts with us on social media using the #BellSquareLDN hash tag!

From our Artistic Director: In Krakow

It’s Sunday night in Krakow.  I’ve been here for a few days now, visiting the Ulica festival.  Ulica means ‘street’ in Polish and this is a festival of theatre on the streets and squares of Krakow.

I'm always looking for the best shows for next year at Bell Square, and I go to festivals to see around 25 shows in 3-4 days.  Festivals, though, are also a great opportunity to meet new artists and talk to other programmers, often from all over the world, and to be inspired by new ideas and new people.

At Bell Square, the underlying theme of much of the programme is shows that tell contemporary stories that affect us all.  Sometimes these are local, but often they are wider – global stories of what is happening in the world.  I am always looking for artists who bring these stories to life, bringing different perspectives to our shared understanding. 

The Ulica Festival

The Ulica festival in Krakow this year has had a theme called ‘Wind from the East’.  Its aim was to present outdoor and street theatre companies from East of Europe, introducing the themes, concepts and trends prevalent in outdoor arts in Asia.  There were many different artists and companies here from Ukraine, Russia, Kyrgyzstan, Georgia, South Korea, Singapore, Israel and Turkey.  I had seen very few of these companies before, so this was a feast of new experiences for me!

The festival also presents new shows each year by some of the most established outdoor theatre companies in Poland, alongside younger companies who have not yet started international touring.  Poland, like much of Eastern Europe, has a deep and rich tradition of powerful, political outdoor theatre which speaks beyond borders with its highly visual language.

The Ulica festival is organised by Teatr KTO, a theatre company based in Krakow, who have toured internationally for many years.  Bell Square audiences may remember their performance of Peregrinus in 2015, which talked of the bland corporate cultures created by global capitalism and the dehumanising effect on its workers.  This show was very popular at Bell Square!

Teatro KTO in Krakow

For me, festivals are usually 3-4 days of watching back-to-back shows – sometimes 12 shows in a day, and rushing from one location to the next to make sure I see as many as possible.

Ulica was not so frenetic, with a little more time between shows to meet, talk and reflect.  It all felt a little more relaxed than usual.  This has been my first time at Ulica – and my first time in Krakow – but I suspect this may reflect a city in which people seem to make time for each other.  A few minutes here, half an hour there, gave me time to catch up with artists and other programmers to chat about their plans and possible future collaborations with Bell Square. 

It is very noticeable in Poland that the artists there work together, share so much, and really support each other.  In fact, one of the actors from Teatr Biuro Podrozy, Jarek Siejkowski, actually helped the Director of Teatr KTO to devise this year’s Ulica festival.  Some of you may also remember Teatr Biuro Podrozy’s show, Silence, last September at Bell Square.  Silence was an obvious example of those big, powerful, political dramas that I was talking about earlier.  Jarek is one of the main actors in this wonderful company.  And as a sneak preview, they will be back at Bell Square on 6 October with an absolutely stunning production of The Winter’s Tale!

A few highlights

The last few days have offered many new shows and I cannot talk about all of them, but I will just mention a few.  Teatr KTO, the company who organise the festival, performed The Fragrance of Time, a production about a young child growing up in Poland in the 1920s/30s.  Twenty seven actors, a giant birdcage, stilts, smoke, fire, a vintage Rolls Royce and more – this was certainly a memorable show!

Very different was an installation by Teatr Wagabunda (or Vagabond Theatre), Old Homestead. This is a collection of beautifully-made, old-fashioned games and household items that would have been in everyday use by earlier generations.  Laid out on the small market square, this was thronged with children and adults alike for hours every day.  There was laughter and play for all – one of my favourite moments was two middle-aged men having a pillow fight!

Another highlight for me was a show called Foam Days by The Engineering Theatre AKHE, a truly amazing group of artists from Russia.  The company produces a mix of circus and visual theatre, with live music and quite a cinematic feel to their performances – it really is quite unique and difficult to define.  Their show, Foam Days, is based on Boris Vian’s book, L’Ecume des Jours’ and has an air of absolute madness from start to finish!

So, will you see any of these shows at Bell Square?  Well, I certainly think so.  I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t!

But right now, it’s time for a little break – and oh, this looks like just the place!

From our Artistic Director: Media Manipulation & the Arab Spring

On 14 July, Catalan artists Insectotropics return to Bell Square with a performance of The Legend of the Burning Man.  This is a searching investigation into how our understanding of world events is manipulated by media.  It follows the story of how a local incident in a small, rural Tunisian town sparked protests and revolutions across an entire region that became known as The Arab Spring. 

Mohamed Bouazizi – the man who triggered the Arab Spring
Mohamed Bouazizi grew up and lived in Sidi Bouzid, a small rural town in Tunisia. In a context of 30% unemployment, he had worked in various jobs since he was 10, and became a full-time street vendor of fruit and vegetables in his late teens. He had abandoned his dream of attending university in order to earn money to support his family. 

The town was stifled by corruption and, according to local people, Bouazizi had been harassed and abused by local police officers for years.  Because he could not afford to bribe the police officers, they regularly confiscated his small wheelbarrow of produce.  With no other way of earning a living, he had no option but to continue his life as a street vendor. 

On the morning of 17 December 2010, Bouazizi went to the fruit market as usual.  Again, the police officers began harassing him, supposedly because he did not have a vendor permit (even though no permit was needed to sell from a cart). 

Many conflicting accounts report that Bouazizi was either slapped, spat at, beaten or insulted.  All agree, however, that he was humiliated by the local official.

Bouazizi went to the governor's office to complain but the governor refused to see him. Incensed, Bouazizi bought a can of paint thinner, returned to the street outside the governor's office, doused his body with the liquid and set himself alight. 

As he caught fire, people around him panicked and tried to help.  People ran inside for a fire extinguisher but it was empty.  They called for the police but nobody came. It took 90 minutes for an ambulance to arrive. Suffering burns over 90% of his body, he was taken to a local hospital and then onto a specialist burn and trauma centre.  Eighteen days later, he died, having remained unconscious until his death.  He was 26.

The Start of the Revolution
Several months later, in March 2011, the Washington Post noted that, 'Revolutions are explosions of frustration and rage that build over time, sometimes over decades. Although their political roots are deep, it is often a single spark that ignites them - an assassination perhaps, or one selfless act of defiance. '

And so it was in Sidi Bouzid.  Outraged by the events that led Mohamed Bouazizi to set himself alight, protests began in Sidi Bouzid within hours, building for more than 2 weeks as Bouazizi lay dying in hospital. Attempts by police to quell the protests served only to inflame the social unrest. 

As Tunisia's unpopular President, Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, visited Bouazizi in hospital with a camera crew, the crowds raged at his hypocrisy. 

In early January,  the police woman who had humiliated Bouazizi was arrested - but it was all too late to appease the wrath of the people.

After Bouazizi's death, more than 5000 people joined the funeral procession in Sidi Bouzid.  Many chanted of revenge. The protests spread, eventually reaching the capital, bringing anger and violence to the streets.  Ten days after Bouazizi's death, President Ben Ali finally fled the country, ending his 23-year rule which over time had become a dictatorship. 

The Role of Social Media
On the day after Bouazizi set himself alight, a small crowd gathered in front of Sidi Bouzid's City Hall to protest at the treatment of the street vendors. A cousin of Bouazizi filmed the protest on his phone and posted the video online.  A blogger in Tunis, who had continually challenged Ben Ali's regime, saw the video and recognised the significance. 

Whilst Ben Ali's officials had censored the Internet for years, they had missed the recent, sudden growth of Facebook in Tunisia. The blogger posted the video on Facebook and news of the protest spread quickly. Protesters in nearby towns took to the streets.  Al-Jazeera broadcast the video repeatedly for days and the protests spread rapidly across Tunisia. 

Over the coming months, this wave of protests spread further afield.  Another anti-government blogger in Egypt similarly used Facebook to organise mass protests.  And still the stories spread further, enveloping Libya in civil war and threatening regimes and monarchies across the region. 

The Legend of the Burning Man
The artists, Insectotropics, say that The Legend of the Burning Man is a performance which revolves around the media and the manipulation of power, reflecting a reality in which we are all part of a web, but that nobody seems to recognise themselves as a spider. 

It is a powerful, quite brutal and explosive spectacle. It is presented as live performance, painting, projection and music, on a large cube of screens, set high above the audience. The audience move freely around the 4 sides of the cube, seeing the show from all angles.  Just like reality itself, or news reporting, if you see something from only one angle, your perspective is incomplete.  In every moment, on every side, there are different things happening, all to be seen from another angle. 

In Tunisia, there are many viewpoints about who Mohamed Bouazizi was.  The flood of social media led to world wide debate. Many in North Africa and the Middle East see Bouazizi as a hero, who inspired the region's young people to revolt against their autocratic governments. Others reflect that he was not interested in politics and just wanted to stand up for his own dignity - and perhaps the dignity of all Tunisians. 

Others believe that the media storm that followed Bouazizi's protest was fuelled by Western political agendas.  One local in Sidi Bouzid told a Western journalist, 'Mohamed Bouazizi is not our hero. He is your hero'. For some Tunisians, he is not really a political hero but a media creation of outsiders who wanted change in the region. 

So The Legend of the Burning Man presents these partial, manipulated and alternative viewpoints.  The images are manipulated, things become icons that are not, public opinion and emotions are manipulated. 

Insectotropics
Insectotropics is a collective of artists, set up in Barcelona in 2011. Made up of painters, musicians, theatre and video artists, they fuse artforms and create a unique language to tell their stories.  Their shows are 'made live' so audiences see the process as well as the finished product on screen.  

Their work is powerful and political.  Some of you may remember their dark retelling of Red Riding Hood at Bell Square in 2015.  In my opinion, this is one of the most interesting shows we have had at Bell Square.  A Spanish blog, Desde El Patio, says, 'If La Caputxeta Galactica (Red Riding Hood) was an acid trip, The Legend of the Burning Man is like crack'.

Come and see for yourself at Bell Square on Saturday 14 July at 9.45pm when it is completely dark. Recommended for age 14+