DDF News — 26 Aug 2020
Catherine Young Dance on creating work within confinement
As our movement and interactions continue to be restricted, how can artists find ways to stay connected and continue to create work?
Originally programmed as part of the DDF2020 Edition, Catherine Young's new work Floating on a Dead Sea aimed to explore the lives of ordinary Palestinians - lives lived amidst conflict and within confinement.
Unable to go ahead with the live performance as planned due to Covid-19, the artists involved in this work took the opportunity to examine their work from a new perspective and asked, 'What can we learn from Palestinian artists who have been working within confinement for years?', 'How do we adapt to this new normal?' and 'How do we continue to work together?'
Presented as part of the DDF Digital Capsule, the creative team from Floating on a Dead Sea met up for a Zoom panel discussion to share their insights into the process of creating this new work.
Catherine Young (choreographer), Luca Truffarelli (filmmaker), Salma Ataya (dancer/ Sareyyet Ramallah Dance Company) and Vanessa Guevarra (dancer) share their experience of being in Palestine, how this has shaped the work and with current restrictions, how the work will evolve from here. They are also joined by Palestinian choreographer Amir Sabra from Stereo 48 Dance Company who shares his own insights in creating work in Palestine under occupation.
The discussion is led by dramaturg Hanna Slattne and features film footage of Palestine by Luca Truffarelli.
Find out more about the DDF Digital Capsule that took place 29 May - 7 June 2020.