A festival of performance from the Conservatoire

March 22, 2021 | Culture

It’s bold, brave and it’s back … four days of contemporary performance from some of the most exciting new artists in Scotland.

Into the New returns to the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland (RCS) from March 25 with a powerful line-up of creative and thought-provoking live art, films and performances.

Graduating students of the Contemporary Performance Practice programme explore, question and challenge a range of themes including gender stereotypes and family dynamics, explorations of identity and issues of mental health, as well as the relationship between art and artist, alongside durational performance and work on digital platform Twitch in this acclaimed annual festival of original work.

Into the New also features artist talks, a symposium with practitioners from across the UK that examines how and why artists use personas, alter egos and multiple identities in their work, and a late-night performance party – all live on Zoom.

The majority of performances have been performed and filmed on the stage of the New Athenaeum Theatre at RCS – following Covid-19 guidelines – and are shared on digital platforms. All have optional subtitles, alongside select works that feature BSL interpretation and integrated performance. Tickets are free but must be booked in advance.

Mothers’s Milk by Sally Charlton (Photo: Robert McFadzean)

Explore the programme and watch online from March 25 to 2 HERE.

Dr Laura Bissell, interim head of the BA (Hons) Contemporary Performance Practice at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, said: ‘I want to commend the artists presenting their degree show work at this festival for developing this material under some of the most challenging circumstances that students (and artists) have faced in our lifetimes.

‘This graduating cohort has worked incredibly hard to not only get through this pandemic but to devise a range of exciting and diverse new artworks. I want to say thank you to our students, the artists of the future, for their resilience and for inspiring me every day.

‘The way in which they have responded to this moment in a creative, curious and committed way has been extraordinary and I am amazed by what they have achieved. These artists have not stopped making, they have found new ways of creating, collaborating and bringing us together and that gives me hope as we navigate these times.’

Under My Duvet (until further notice) (Photo: Jassy Earl)

Into the New includes:

Till I Die, 25 March, 6.30pm

Indra Wilson explores gender stereotypes of the slasher genre. In the performance, Indra asks what our fascination is with killers, why we enjoy watching them and what it means to be a victim.

Under My Duvet (until further notice), 27 March, 3pm

Performed by Forest Wolfe with Ciaran Stewart (a graduate of the BA Performance in British Sign Language and English degree) is a playful exploration of Forest’s relationship with their duvet, and how they use sleep as a means of escape from the world. They explore their personal experience with depression and intrusive thoughts through text, music and movement. This is BSL-integrated.

Mother’s Milk, 28 March, 8.30pm

Performed by Sally Charlton, BSL interpretation and subtitles in English are available for this work. In a space cluttered with discarded costumes and glasses of milk, a single female body dresses, undresses, drinks and dances again and again in a choreographic attempt to embody the lineage of women that brought her into being.

As Real As Reality by Maria Monteiro (Photo: Jassy Earl)Shapeshifting symposium, 27 March, 11am

Performance can be a process of shapeshifting, with artists able to reinvent themselves and create new worlds. Into the New 2021 is delighted to welcome renowned performers George Chakravarthi, Le Gateau Chocolat and Jess Thom to an interactive symposium hosted by fashion scholar and performer Sequoia Barnes, exploring how and why artists use personas, alter egos and multiple identities in their work.

The BA (Hons) Contemporary Performance Practice degree at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland – recently named one of the world’s top three destinations to study the performing arts – is a four-year, interdisciplinary performance-making course focused on the generation of new and original performances that sit outside of traditional theatre.

It brings together performance-makers, educators, advocates and active citizens who challenge norms, break down barriers and aspire to transform the world around them. It’s for the curious and creative, who want to become collaborative and socially engaged artists. At the core of Contemporary Performance Practice is a commitment to the sustainability and social function of performance and how it can be ‘an act of community’.

Students are equipped with multiple skills, not only in performance making but also in facilitation and working in communities, to create powerful performances everywhere from hospices, prisons and schools to swimming pools, beaches and building sites.

All works in the festival are free but tickets must be booked in advance at rcs.ac.uk/festivals.

Till I Die by Indra Wilson – (Photo: Robert McFadzean)

Once you book a ticket, you will receive a link via email to view the works as the time and date listed for that event. It is recommend that you click on the link five minutes before the start time to be ready to view the work on time. You will have four days to watch the works after the launch viewing date and time.

The artist talks, Shapeshifting symposium and the Into the Night performance party will take place on Zoom. The RCS recommend that you download Zoom if you do not have it downloaded or download the latest version if you do already have it.

The artist talks and Shapeshifting will be recorded. You do not need to turn on your camera or microphone. The performance party will not be recorded and you are encouraged to (optionally) turn on your camera.

All works will have subtitles in English that can be turned on and off. BSL interpretation will be provided for Mother’s Milk by Sally Charlton and We’re Not Really Strangers by Rachel Mclean. Audiences can choose to watch the work with or without interpretation. Under My Duvet (until further notice) by Forest Wolfe is a BSL-integrated performance.