Following on from an open call out to artists to submit proposals for the development of new artistic outdoor pieces in March this year, Without Walls were inundated with applications from companies hoping to secure an investment into their work. With grants of between £2,000 and £5,000 available, the Without Walls consortium carefully selected 12 artists from across a broad spectrum of outdoor arts to benefit from our support; the aim being that those chosen will develop work which will be ready for performance in 2013.
We are delighted to announce that the 2012 winners of the Research and Development Awards 2012 are:
Bad Taste Cru
Hailing from the North East of England, Bad Taste Cru are a four man multi-faceted dance company that combine B-Boying with contemporary dance and physical theatre. Their partnership with The World Famous, a company of creative pyrotechnicians, promises to make their newly developed production of ‘Faust’ one to watch, pairing Bad Taste Cru’s world-renowned explosive dance moves with similarly explosive special effects.
Balbir Singh Dance Company
Working from the stimulus of the ancient game of hopscotch and drawing upon the storytelling, rhythmic and counting aspects which are central to the classical Indian dance form of Kathak, the Balbir Singh Dance Company invite audience participation in their fast-paced, lively, playful and immersive performance of ‘Hopscotch’.
Breaking Cycles
‘Dung Beetle’, the latest offering from physical theatre company Breaking Cycles, highlights the shallowness of modern consumer culture and the damage it does to the environment. Written and directed by Benji Reid, this one woman promenade piece addresses contemporary concerns about the environment and challenges those audience members immersed within the production to do the same.
Cooper Films
“The story begins as a little girl comes to life when a molten spark from a magical volcano drifts through the darkness to land upon the bud of a blossoming tree…” Cooper Films latest production venture combines the storytelling style of Hans Christian-Anderson, the animation techniques of Disney’s Fantasia, the lyrical expression of contemporary dance movement and the visceral pounding heart of classic and electronic music. Come to a world where live action aerialists and animated worlds collide….
Gandini Juggling
Within the production of ‘Clowns and Queens’, a cross over between Performance Art, Dance and Circus and a tribute to the golden ages of Soviet three-ring circus, Gandini Juggling aims to explore the theme of “Juggling the Body”. Dark and humorous ‘Clowns and Queens’ will continue to tread the fine line between comedy and violence that London-based Gandini’s most recent show ‘Smashed’ established.
Inspector Sands
‘A High Street Odyssey’, newly developed piece from the internationally renowned creative company Inspector Sands, is part lecture tour, part urban nature trail, part campaign that stares deep into the soul of the Great British High Street. This immersive project will be playful, poetic, witty, intimate, surprising and increasingly theatrical as it takes it’s audience on a guided journey into the human stories that make their street unique.
Inztant
‘The Magnificent Magnifier’, Inztant’s huge sculptural microscope, will give audience members a close-up, inventive look at life’s wonder, beauty and absurdity through it’s combination of images from a real digital microscope and pre-made animated film sequences. This unusual and interesting mix of art, science and technology will be suitable for all ages but beware! – volunteers may be strapped to the microscope slide to reveal their tiniest details!
OCM (Oxford Contemporary Music)
‘Audible Forces’, OCM’s latest sound project, aims to transform urban or parkland locations into fascinating new sonic and sculptural environments by creating significant kinetic, sonic and musical installations that use only wind and water to activate them. The project is inspired by sound artist Max Eastley’s exploration into Aeolian instruments, from their mythology and curious history, to explanation of their realization by contemporary artists.
Rag and Bone
‘Boneyard Tales’ is an experiment in improvised mythmaking, an exploration of the aesthetic potentials of waste and scrap, and a playground for communal imagination. Inspired by the W.B. Yeats poem ‘The Circus Animal’s Desertion’ and Ted Hughes’ book of poems ‘Crow’, ‘Boneyard Tales’ combines making, sound, story telling, performance and participation and is built on surprise, improvisation and transformation.
Ramshacklicious
Ramshacklicious’ latest offering ‘Punch’ is the story of an old Punch and Judy Professor forced to leave his cosy old puppet booth and lead a new life of grind and grime as a mobile burger van man. This two-part event, consisting of both installation and performance, follows the trials and tribulations of a family intent on survival in harsh times – a real life, modern day soap opera.
Strangelings
London-based company ‘Strangelings’ bring to life their newest work ‘The Rocket’ through the tradition of travelling fairground spectacle shows, presented in the round. ‘The Rocket’ will draw upon clown and character led performances to present seemingly dangerous and death-defying tricks in a comedic and poetic way. Inspired by familiar archetypes and with an aim to make their audience laugh, ‘Strangelings’ here present a show to be enjoyed by all ages.
Thor McIntyre & Aswarm
Inspired by the way blind author John Hull describes his awareness of people around him “…they only exist as voices”, ‘Boiling Point’ provides a transformation of public space lead from an art installation and sound perspective rather than performance. Thor McIntyre, Artist, Sound Engineer and Creative Director of Aswarm, here fuses his experiences, channeling recordings of people reading Tweets through a constellation of sculptural forms, suspended in flocks around towns and cities.
