AUSTRALIA X SCOTLAND INTERNATIONAL EXCHANGE PILOT

In May 2021 Feral collaborated on a pilot online residency and exchange project between independent Scottish and Australian artists working across visual theatre, dance and circus.

A partnership between Feral Arts (Glasgow, Scotland) and Erin Fowler Movement (Adelaide, Australia) – the project aimed to offer a context for multi-disciplinary artists and creative producers to collectively think about radical solutions to sustainably collaborate, make and tour work across borders.

The genesis of the collaboration stemmed from an interest in re-imagining how work is created and toured in the context of the climate emergency and more recently speculating how the lasting effects of COVID 19 will impact international mobility. The intention was to create a context for artists to experiment with alternate modes of sharing practice and performance, exploring and testing frameworks for international exchange in a satisfying way without physical travel.

The first stage of the Australian part of the project was given COVID-19 Arts Grant Support through Arts South Australia with Australian artists selected to take part including Jascha Boyce and Joren Dawson (Gravity and Other Myths/Pulsing Heart, circus artists); Thomas E. Kelly and Taree Sainsbury (dance artists); Jo Stone and Paulo Castro (Stone Castro, visual theatre makers); Lewis Major (Lewis Major Projects, dance artist); Zoe Gay (dance artist) and Kiah Gossner (composer).

The second stage of the project brought artists from Scotland together with some of the Australian team to undergo a creative process of exchange across continents exploring notions of concept touring. Can performances, installations or provocations be ‘sent’ and ‘taught’ which international artists can replicate in their home city as an alternative and more sustainable solution to traditional touring.

Collaborators for the exchange include an amazing cohort of artists including Erin Fowler, Pulsing Heart (Jascha Boyce and Joren Dawson), MHz (Dav Bernard and Bex Anson), Lewis Major Projects, Sita Iona Pieraccini and Jack Webb.

Supported by Creative Scotland and Creative Endeavour Arts South Australia.