Aurora Borealis: an exploration in form

Aurora Borealis is a text initially developed through zoom readings and VR prior to the first face to face R&D held at Yr Egin (University Wales Trinity St Davids) in January 2023. The text, at the time, was a weave of four monologues interieur: those of an Icelandic man, a gay Zimbabwean, a Welsh widow and a Norwegian dancer. Following the success of that process, the project received British Council, Wales backing to hold a second R&D at University Cape Town (March / April 2024) where a fifth, South African strand (written by Tiisetso Mashifane) will be woven into the text thus broadening the trans-cultural exchange inherent within it.

The aims of the project are twofold. (i) Creatively - to develop a third way of performance a performative form that is neither dramatic nor postdramatic (for both forms, as Jaques Ranciere notes, are pedagogic) and to explore a re-negotiation of the spectator / performer contract. (ii) Academically - to document process: to offer critical insight on this ‘third way’ of performance and the spectator/performer contract and in so doing initiate dialogue between two academic institutions

The specific creative objective of the R&D process is to develop a 'rehearsal ready' text and seek means, through networking etc. to stage and tour full production.

Outputs: (i) Creatively, as per above and (ii) to develop a dialogue between academic institutions that, it is hoped, could lead to future collaborative research projects and academic exchange.