Bodiess: hands like wings.
Creative Development, Stage 2.
Adhocracy, Vitalstatistix, The Harts Mill.
July 2023
The Creative Team participated in Adhocracy, Vitalstatistix in July - taking the work through its second stage of development and showcasing the work to new audiences.
Kirsty Martinsen on the creative rationale for the project:
"I’ve been a painter for 45 years. I am an observer. My studio practice has always been solitary. But for this project I’ll be working with others in the same space, building relationships and utilising transferable knowledge and skills to create a new work. The transition to performance is a natural one as I endeavour to find the most powerful form, other than painting and drawing, to express my ideas. Like drawing trees on a piece of wood with charcoal, I believe theatre is the best form to communicate my ideas about our shared humanity. It’s also important to see a disabled body pushing against limiting expectations and stereotypes.
In 2016 I approached Internationally respected Educator, Director and Theatre Maker, Erwin Maas, to help me build a performance about my relationship to my own increasingly disabled body. I respected him and his inclusive collaborative methods.
We began with a line from a Rumi poem “limited surrender is the human mire/we’re sodden in bodiness…” and mined my journals and drawings for material to build a performance around, including ink drawings I did during initial intravenous treatment. In this sense Bodiness: hands like wings is a durational piece.
Each time I revisit it is an opportunity to dig deeper and refine what it means to me. Erwin and I have not stopped talking about it and the amount of material I’ve already accrued ever since.
I’m aware of the calibre Erwin brings to this collaboration. He knows my backstory from when we were studying in New York. He has a clear picture of what the next steps I need to take to bring Bodiness to fruition. Working with Erwin is the most efficient usage of the small time we have available."
Bodiness: hands like wings Creative Development Stages 1, 2 & 3 with Kirsty Martinsen, Erwin Maas, James Dodd, Will Spartalis, Sue Grey-Gardner and Sam Roberts, supported by Arts SA, began in June 2023 and included a Free-range Residency at The Mill (June), Adhocracy, Vitalstatistix (July) and an Work-in-progress performance at POP Gallery (September).
