About the Project:
“Sometimes, I feel like a foreigner in my own body.”
Foreigner In My Body is an exciting new project from Sara Hartel that marries physical theatre, circus and accessibility to explore the constraints language puts on individuals. Based on their experience as both a transgender artist and immigrant to the UK. FIMB courageously explores the parallels of these experiences particularly the ways society imposes restrictions around our freedoms to explore both the landscapes of the world and our own bodies.
Partnering with No Fit State Circus and Torch Theatre, this is an R&D to create a show that blends circus, physical theatre and autobiographical storytelling with malicious audio description forcing the performer into gendered movement. A show that empowers queer audiences by depicting authentic trans joy and struggle while also allowing non-LGBTQ+ audiences to access what it feels like to be a foreigner within your own body by exploring the trans journey through the metaphor of crossing borders, entwining it with my own immigrant status.
This project is funded by Arts Council Wales.
About Me:
I'm Sara Hartel, a trans theatre-maker and immigrant based in Wales. I create experimental work that crosses boundaries of form and genre. If you had to pin me down I’d say my primary influences are interactive and immersive work alongside physical theatre. I make work that enables audiences to explore new experiences whether that’s finding the courage to strike against a brutal capitalist regime or telling stories in new ways through the way we connect to our bodies or creatively using access as a tool for storytelling.
I have been lead artist on various projects spanning different art forms and stretching the boundaries of theatre, for example the development of an alternative reality game for the well-being of health and social care workers for Cultural Cwtsh, or my latest project developing a piece for Elysium Gallery's "Queer Space Exhibition" where I collaborated with GUNK illustrations to create a choose your own adventure art installation. I also wrote and performed "Strike Ltd." at Volcano Theatre – an interactive one person show that incites the audience to riot. Adding aerial silks to my professional practice offers me new, exciting avenues to explore within my working methodology that already blends different art forms to create theatre experiences that push beyond traditional concepts of theatre
About the roll:
You will:
-
Be present in the room during the R&D process making responsive composition to the movement sequences being created by the wider team. As opposed to choreographing to tracks provided in advance, the composition/sound design and choreography should work in concert to create work where each side dynamically informs the other.
-
Compose a score that enhances the movement choreography. I’m interested in exploring what forms audio description can take and if sound design can work in tandem with AD to provide “musical audio description”. You will also need to have capacity to not just compose but record your compositions and provide said recordings to be used during the R&D.
-
In addition to providing musical composition you will provide sound effects & ambient soundscapes.
-
Support the recording of the audio description.
-
You will have access to a recording space to be used during the project to record voice over material. If not your own space then knowledge on spaces that can be booked and used for the project will be useful.
Desired:
-
Lived experience of being trans and/or living as a foreigner in the UK. You do not have to disclose any more of this experience than you wish to or feel is appropriate. For example it would be acceptable to say “I have lived experience that meets the desired criteria.”
Logistics AKA THE FACTS:
-
Be available to work in Cardiff at No Fit State Circus 13/01/25 – 07/02/25. The process will involve 3 weeks of in room collaboration with the wider team, 1 week of composition/AD recording with me outside of the rehearsal space. There is a sharing at the Torch Theatre in Milford Haven which you are welcome to attend, but attendance is not mandatory or covered by the fee.
-
The Fee: £2400 broken down as £600/week for 4 weeks.
To apply:
Send your CV to Sara-S-Hartel@live.de along with a response to the below by 30/09/24 at 23.59. Responses can be in English or Welsh and written, audio or video.
-
Tell me about yourself, your practice, your influences and your experience as a composer/sound designer
-
What is your connection the themes of this project?
-
Samples of previous work / a link to your portfolio
-
Relevant previous experience
The recommended word count is 500 words or up to 3 minutes of recording however I recognise such limits can be an access barrier so try to fit within these constraints and if you can’t all I ask is you don’t take the piss.
The nature of this role is incredibly fluid and I’m excited for it to be flexible in response to the selected candidate. If you feel you might in any way be able to meet the brief then you are strongly urged to apply!
If you have any questions prior to applying please don’t hesitate to get in contact and ask.
