Interview for Buzzcut Festival

How 'typical' is this work compared to other pieces that you have made? Did the process follow a familiar or new pattern?

For me/us this work has blended working both in and out of my comfort zone through the creation process in a balanced way. With “OUT” being collaboration between me and Rachael, it has been a full 360 degree process as we lend ourselves to each other’s practice. I believe sometimes as artists and we go through that initial devising and creation process, questioning one’s self on the honesty of the work is vital to the delivery of the audience’s experience. However it is even more vital to ourselves as makers and creators as we are constantly considering the work or subject matter in hand whilst being conscious of the authenticity of what it is we were striving to develop.

Can you tell me a little bit about the work that you are bringing to Buzzcut?

“OUT” is collaboration between Rachael Young a theatre maker and writer and Dwayne Antony a choreographer and dance artist. Two creative souls of colour from Jamaican heritage joined in the space recalling and examining our own experiences of the works tittle. We examine and challenge the ideas that have been conditioned and indoctrinated into us as people through our heritage, through our Jamaica, through high heel, lots of sweat and at times even tears.

“Males and females are put into boxes of expectation when we are born. As we grow we start to realize the damages that those expectations cause to our spiritual and emotional understanding of ourselves and life”.

Buzzcut is concerned with the idea of 'community'. Does community have a special meaning for you, and what relationship do you feel your work has within wider communities?

The phrase community, honestly at times can feel like an affectionate hug to a mighty bitch slap at the same time. Loving and understanding with a huge sense of camaraderie and kinship. However my friend in order to have that everlasting feeling one must, toe the line, act right and remember not to bring shame to the family door. I remember during the creation process myself and Racheal discussing a topic very similar, we called it the “Black Mantra”. A mantra of long-lasting words and phrases we both recall hearing growing up. I guess the question we have to ask ourselves is, how much of the black mantra was/is good for shaping us into good well-mannered people? That played that vital part in shaping us through childhood into adulthood? And how much of that mantra we grew to hear so much, stopped us in our tracks of feeling free to know truly who we are and most importantly become who we are?

What are you hoping that the audience will experience?

I hope the audience come with an open heart and mind, and experience the notion of questioning and recalling which we bring to the space. Now we are not here to, as  the saying goes “burn our bra’s”, as you will see I don’t where a bra, however you will see two stories running simultaneously in space exploring what the word “OUT” means to us.