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'Dance of darkness' sheds light on
Anglo-Japanese heritage
Project Godie
Newcastle All Saints' Church
Friday 12th
and Saturday 13th August 2016
A new project is drawing on
global influences to bring to life the shared industrial, military and cultural
heritage of the North East and Japan.
 |
| Nicole Vivien Watson |
Project Godie is a multi platform heritage programme that will take audiences on
a journey through Anglo-Japanese history, celebrating the North East's strong
links with Japan through
dance, music, film and literature.
The programme will launch in Newcastle on
Friday 12 August with a performance that places the dark Japanese art of butoh
at its heart - which is why producers went straight to the heart of butoh to
inform their work.
 |
| Vangeline |
Commissioning
critically-acclaimed butoh artist, Vangeline ("Captivating" New York Times), and having had the
opportunity to spend time with late butoh co-founder, Kazuo Ohno, Nicole Vivien
Watson, Creative Director of Newcastle-based Surface Area Dance Theatre Company
(SADTC) has prepared a solid training ground for her company's first butoh
performance.
Alongside co-producer Adam Denton
(who will also be providing the audio aspect through sonic performance duo Trans/Human),
Nicole is giving focus to the political dimension of butoh. Originally inspired
by the Hiroshima tragedy
that made the 'unimaginable imaginable', butoh will now be used as a vehicle to
delve into a forgotten chapter of industrial history on Tyneside and its
contribution to international military action.
Nicole said: "It is widely
acknowledged that the region has experienced cultural and commercial exchanges
with Japan, the
beginnings of which can be found geographically on the banks of the River Tyne
in Elswick through its shipbuilding heritage. And the legacy we see today is
the region's strong business relations with Japan".
In fact, as Nicole and Adam
discovered, the Japanese legacy is also captured in stone - as the graves of
five Japanese nationals still lie today in St
John's cemetery in Newcastle.
Nicole continued: "Through
our research, we also discovered that it wasn't just those working in the
shipbuilding industry who experienced life in the region during that time. Tannaker's
Japanese was an acrobatic troupe who brought their version of Japanese culture
to the North East in the 1870s - so these cultural, industrial and military
exchanges were happening simultaneously, which is why we wanted to bring that
history to life through performance."
Tannaker's Japanese and their
tour of the North East was in fact the inspiration for the project's name. 'Little
Godie', the baby son of two of the performers who sadly passed away aged just
15 months, is buried just over ten miles away from the five Newcastle graves in
neighbouring Sunderland."
Adam said: "The fact that
there was so much cultural exchange taking place is something we want to share
with audiences today, investigating a heritage that is relevant but sadly
long-forgotten."
Little exists about Tannaker's
Japanese and their tour of the region. Adam added: "We feel there is so
much more to discover and our research activities will continue beyond the
project's launch and into the autumn, culminating with a presence within The
Discovery Museum's permanent exhibition space in Newcastle."
Funded by Heritage Lottery Fund, Project Godie will take a
multi-disciplinary approach, opening with a butoh performance, improv sonic
performance, archive exhibits, writing and an interactive website to encourage
community engagement. Additionally, community groups Search and St James
Culture and Heritage Centre in the Elswick area of Newcastle will also
take part in a range of events including writing and movement workshops, and
activities at the local Scotswood Natural Community Garden.
Tickets:
The performances will take place
on Friday 12th and Saturday 13th August at All Saints'
Church on Lower Pilgrim Street in Newcastle. Tickets
cost £8 (full) and £6 (concession). For further information and
details of how to book, visit http://projectgodie.eventbrite.co.uk
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