12-14 JULY 2024

The Constant Storm 

By Jen Kelly

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The Constant Storm is a hybrid of visual theatre, physical theatre, comedy, and contemporary performance; A stylised multimedia piece, working closely with aesthetics, composition, and production to create an immersive experience of a professional standard. 

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It takes the form of a performative exhibition in which three women wearing deconstructed period wear are on display, poised, holding a pose inspired by a typical painting of the 1800s.  Throughout the duration of the piece, the audience interferes with the exhibition, prompting performative moments throughout, and bursts of pop culture reference in the form of a dynamic soundtrack. This performance will make you laugh, it might make you cry, it might make you angry …ultimately it should bring to your attention the overbearing pressures placed on women at the hands of a patriarchal society. 

This piece of work is unique due to its interactive and impulsive energy, as each performance will be different from the next depending on the audience interaction and the performers reactions. Audience members are prompted to approach the mic and request something of the performers at various points throughout the piece when instructed to do so over the PA system.

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As this work is in the early stages of development this residency would allow me to experiment with new ideas of what puts pressure on women in society and how to convey this successfully through performance. This residency would also give time to introduce a fourth performer who will act as a mediator between the audience and other performers, this will provide opportunity for a more dynamic performance journey. This additional performer will be a woman in drag who will provoke the other performers and audience at points throughout the piece, which will push the social commentary of the work further.

 

What Am I Looking For?

- Four emerging performers who identify as women.

 

- Confident performers who can take direction and participation in an experimental rehearsal process and collaborate well with others.

 

- The rehearsal process is physically demanding, involving a lot of movement and explores content of a sensitive nature. You will be requested to dance/move in a sensual way and interact with audience members. However, this can be comedic and experimented with based on your own personality.

 

- The process explores content relating to mental health, sexual assault, eating disorders, body hatred, motherhood, pregnancy, childbirth, and loss including abortion and miscarriage, sexism, and misogyny.

- Although the above sounds intense, this is a fun process that is handled with care. As women we can be empowered through performance to attack the issues explored in this work head on.

 

- Performers to perform a sharing to a small, invited audience and to provide an account of their experience during the process.

 

- Please send a portfolio/CV/any documentation that hello@jenkellyartist.com

 

What is Included in this Opportunity?

-  £200 fee for performers. (This is in line with the living wage of £10.90 per hour).

-  3-day residency at Surge Scotland.

-  Collaboration with Performance Artist and Creative Director Jen Kelly to develop/devise a performance titled The Constant Storm.

- Opportunity to perform in a sharing of the work for an invited audience.

-  Headshots/Creative Photoshoot.

-  Access to the documentation of the process for your own portfolio/CV.

Application Process

- Please send a portfolio/CV/documentation of your work that gives me a rounded idea of your practice and experience as a performance artist. (This can be a PDF, word, One Drive link, YouTube link, Vimeo). Please send no more than four files.

- Please include a short covering email telling me a little bit about your experience as an artist and why you would like to be involved in this project (this can be a short paragraph).

- Please title the subject of your email The Constant Storm: Insert your name here. 

- Please send your application to hello@jenkellyartist.com by 10th October at 5pm.

- I will select performers based on the material that they have shared and will conduct a short zoom interview with the successful applicants to have a conversation and make sure the performance role fits. I will contact applicants about the decision via email.

Surge Residency- Basic Schedule 

Tuesday 17th October 2023 

11:00 – 17:30

 

Thursday 19th October 2023

11:00 –17:30

 

Friday 20th October 2023

11:00 - 17:30

 

*Director and other members of the creative team will be on residency Monday 16th and Wednesday 18th October 2023, no performers will be required on those days.