The Write to Rave
I started dancing before I could speak - so many of us do. A baby bobbing to the beat. As a child, the dance floor was really the only place my body felt free. But as I hit puberty and my body was sexualised by others around me - when I came out and I was shamed for any part of me that felt sexy - movement became a confrontation.
Raving became radicalism.
I started raving on my own - parties, prides, carnivals all around the world. Every time I chose to take up space and own my sexiness it felt like a defiance and I have made friends and family this way. It transcends language. For so many - it is a pilgrimage.
The ambition with The Write to Rave was to use the best parts of parties, prides, carnivals and raves to take people on a narrative immersive journey. First and foremost, it is a rave where you can move as much as you want or need to safely and freely.
We started this journey in Autumn 2019 and completed the R&D in August 2022 (COVID causing a big pause in the middle!). Starting at the most recent, here you can read about all of the amazing residencies and collaborations that took place during that time and all of the wonderful people I’ve worked with along the way.
This project is funded by Arts Council England and Produced by Johanna Taylor.
The Write to Rave is an ongoing exploration of raving as radicalism all over the world, I have run workshops, delivered participatory scripts, co-created shows and am currently working on a PhD proposal on the topic. If you would like to be involved in The Write to Rave’s journey or commission your own show, party or project with me please email here .
Aug 22’ | Liberty: Halton, Corby, Leicester
Artreach commissioned me to work with a queer youth group called GLOW based in Halton to co-create a performance to be presented at three festivals in Halton (18.09.21), Corby (19.02.22) and Leicester (14.08.22).
Working with DJ / music producer Gabriel May and drummer Chloe Rianna, we created a series of songs with a narrative arch that were performed as a live gig. You can watch some extracts from the Corby performance here.
Creative Collaborators: Gabriel May (@GabrielHeatwave), Chloe Rianna (@ChloeRiannadrum)
Photo Credits: Jessie Morgan (@jessiemorgan)
Nov 21’ | Wonder Fools
Commissioned by Wonder Fools and Traverse Theatre, I wrote a participatory script of the first story called Step Pon for the play for Wonder Fools’ Positive Stories for Negative Times.
Video Credit: Wonder Fools
Oct 21’ | Warwick Arts Centre
After a series of explorative residencies, this was the first time that we worked from a script. I spent two weeks in residency at Warwick Arts Centre with a creative team and two incredible performers to create a 50-minute long work-in-progress performance for the public. We worked with a group of four University of Warwick students to participate as ‘ravers’ during the performance with the purpose to activate the audience and supporting the performers.
Artistic Collaborators: Kemi Awoderu – performer; Abena Essah – performer; Gabriel May – sound designer; Katharine Heath - set and costume designer; Miranda Cromwell – director; Elodie Wilson - assistant director.
Stage Managers: Ella Corcoran & Emily Davies
Ravers: Alison Porter, Jerome Scott, Tanya Cheung, Jelka Demter
Photo Credits: Jessie Morgan and Mandip Seehra
Film Credit: James Canavan
Jul 21’ | ARC Stockton
I spent a week playing with site specific space, movement, light and visuals at ARC Stockton. We had hoped to end the residency with a curated party with local queer collective, Bordello but sadly couldn’t due to COVID restrictions. However we were able to explore some really beautiful and unique components of The Write to Rave which fed into the performances later in 2021 and 2022.
Creative collaborators: Andy Newcombe and Liz Collier
Photo Credit: Oli Knight
Jun 21’ | Hackney Empire
We spent an intense two weeks developing The Write to Rave further at Hackney Empire. This is when I began writing and building the first of the stories to be included. Based on a true event that I experienced with my friend Kyma the DJ , the story followed a queer group of humans trying their best to rave whilst the world tries its best to stop them.
The residency culminated in two industry sharings and a short film about the process which you can watch here.
Creative Collaborators: Koko Brown (devisor/performer); Lady Shaka (deviser/performer); Gabriel May (sound designer); Hannah Silva (dramaturg); Catja Hamilton (lighting designer); Aaron Sillis (movement mentor); Suba Das (directing mentor)
Stage Manager: Kayleigh Atkinson
Photo Credit: Romany Francesca
Film Credit: Husky and Saba Kia
Ravers: Abena Essah, Hannah Tarrington, Emilia Nurmukhametova, Arden Fitzroy, Stanley Iyanu, Rachel Burbridge, Phoebe Wagner
Apr 21’ | Leicester CURVE
Covid hit. Needless to say - this show is not conducive to social distancing. Everything was paused for over a year - however this did shine a light on just how essential these spaces are too so many. So, we picked the activity back up with a week at Curve Theatre where I worked alone in the studio to remind myself of the amazing work we had done in 2019 – and took some time to reconnect with my body and movement..
Film Credit: Debris Stevenson
Dec 19’ | Dance 4
I spent a week in residency at Dance4 developing the ideas and work that had come out of the two weeks with Dizraeli and Amy in London and Warwick. I led a group workshop with young dancers from JME Dance Company to explore working with groups of bodies.
Film Credit: Debris Stevenson
Nov 19’ | London Jazz Festival, Southbank Centre
The first residency took place in November 2019 with two weeks at Bernie Grant Centre . We invited in movement artists to lead workshops and worked with musician to create a work-in-progress show that was performed at From the Source Festival, Warwick Arts Centre and London Jazz Festival , Southbank Centre (Serious Records Commission). It gave me the utmost joy to bring 30 ravers with me on stage in the Purcell Room and see the audience get up to Palance with us at the end of that show!
Artistic collaborators: Amy Fitz Doyley and Dizraeli
Photo Credit: Romany Francesca
Film Credit: Edmund Renew
Ravers: Sarah-Nell, Clarrie, Poppy, Terrel, Taymah Mingo, Chrisann Burrell, Sidonie Carey-Green, Tommy Stewart, Ariana Herbert, Jean-Marc Thomas-Jones, Alex Campbell, Koko Brown, Zara, Charlotte, Solomon OB, Fran Bretke, Celeste Cameron George, Jasmyn Fisher-Ryner, Eleanor Mason