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 role:
I’m looking for different movement artists to come into the process for one day each. You’ll be helping create a specific sequence based around your practice as part of the r&d. This sequence may become part of the larger piece but will also serve as a skills exchange as I learn about your practice and you mine. You may be a dancer, a physical theatre practitioner, a drag queen, a circus artist or some other creative person who uses their body within their work.
You Will:
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Provide an introductory workshop on your practice and creative process
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Collaborate on devising a specific section within the work inspired by the intersection of your practice and mine.
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Be an active collaborator and practitioner of co-creation.
Logistics AKA THE FACTS:
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Be available to work in Cardiff at No Fit State Circus for one day during w/c 13/01/25 or w/c 20/01/25. There is a sharing at the Torch Theatre in Milford Haven which you are welcome to attend, but attendance is neither mandatory or covered by the fee.
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The Fee: £200 for 1 day.
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.
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Tell me about yourself, your practice, your influences and your experience as a movement artist.
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Your experience in sharing your practice with others.
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Your connection to the themes of the project whether that’s your body, gender identity or feelings of being “foreign”. Or all three!
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A short video demonstrating your practice - a showreel, trailer, act or anything you have showing you in action.
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.
