18th – 21st April 2017
In partnership with Funky Llama, Extraordinary Bodies held a 4 day Creative Exploration residency at Theatre Royal Plymouth.
Participants came from two local community programmes associated with Theatre Royal Plymouth, Funky Llama and Our Space. Funky Llama creates innovative events and provides creative support for adults with disabilities, and Our Space is a theatre programme for adults who have faced challenges involving homelessness, mental health issues, substance misuse or re-offending, or other forms of exclusion.
Extraordinary Bodies artists Karina Jones, David Ellington and writer Hattie Naylor worked with the participants to share ideas and experiment with aerial circus skills, drama games and writing workshops, and explored the question ‘What am I Worth?’.
“We’ve been working in Theatre Royal Plymouth’s beautiful rehearsal space, TR2- it’s a huge space with a lot of light and great acoustics. Perfect, in short. We’re working with a big group, about 20, and by the end of the first day it feels like a community. Mainly-in my opinion- because we make everyone do a Soul Train. Nothing unifies a group like a Soul Train. We’ve brought an aerial rig and a tight wire, and the participants are flying and spinning and balancing like pros. At the end of the week, friends, family, the tech team and EBYA- who have been working next door- join us for maybe our biggest ever dance off as a company. It’s a fitting end to a joyful week.”
Elana, Assistant Producer, Extraordinary Bodies
“Funky Llama is thrilled to be working in partnership with Extraordinary Bodies as part of Creative Explorations. At the Theatre Royal Plymouth we have a passion and commitment to diversity and ensuring engagement in the arts is made more accessible and open to all. Through this collaboration we are bringing together people from all walks of life to share stories, build new social networks and further develop creative skills and aspirations in an integrated environment. The wider aim of all of this work is to further develop the provision of integrated arts within the city and strengthen pathways for artists from marginalised communities.”
Funky Llama
“At the Theatre Royal Plymouth, in a room full of circus equipment Derek tries aerial hoop for the first time. He’s good – really good. He moves into upside down formations in silks at some height. Derek is 65 and a recovering alcoholic. He lived with alcoholism for over 40 years and now he’s discovering his talent for aerial work.”
Claire Hodgson, Co-Artistic Director, Extraordinary Bodies
