F E S T I VA L F E AT U R E S | You Are Here
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(Purposeless Movements << an adaptation of poet Jackie Kay’s autobiography Red Dust Road), the critically acclaimed from activist and provocative theatre maker Robert Softley Gale, Tim Crouch pondering belief and control in Total Immediate Collective Imminent Terrestrial Salvation), Scottish artists and artists who have not previously appeared in Scotland. The their diverse styles generates less an homogenous programme but a series of potential interactions.
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The questions raised by the performances cover some of the most pressing contemporary issues: class, environmental danger, the role of faith both spiritually and politically. ‘[The aim is] to actually have conversations and not just consume performance: to use that moment of internationalism and see what conversations might happen,’ says McGrath. ‘And expand the experience of theatre so that the audience have more opportunities for deeper engagement – to talk with other people, to meet artists, maybe make connections across different pieces in the programme.’
The Departure Lounge aims to take the audience deeper into these topics. In the daily Morning Manifesto, hosted by Greig and playwright Sara Shaarawi, audiences are asked to respond to a series of manifestos from artists, including Javaad Alipoor, who has Rich Kids running at the Traverse throughout the Fringe, War Horse author Michael Morpurgo, theatremaker Maya Zbib, academic and TV presenter Emma Dabiri and Palestinian lawyer Raja Shehadeh. ‘It is about recognising that a festival has within it the possibility of creating something bigger than the sum of its parts,’ notes McGrath, who explains that at the end of the three weeks of the festival, a collectively authored manifesto will be produced. The project has been inspired by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948, which was created collectively by people from all over the world. Another strand within the Departure Lounge is Breaking Bread, an opportunity to sit down and eat at an artist-led meal. From the always witty and bold Scottee, through teaching artist Sarah Rose Graber to British bharatanatyam artist Seeta Patel and Australian choreographer Lina Limosani, the artists kick off with a short provocation, leaving the guests to follow and lead their own conversations. The conviviality of the theatre becomes transformed into the
34 THE LIST FESTIVAL 31 Jul–7 Aug 2019
intimate and immersive experience of sharing food. The weaving of the four strands is certainly a move away from the more passive notions of performance: while ‘raising awareness’ still sits at the heart of the programme, the community and artist development events demonstrate a willingness to risk a closer conversation and a refusal of the traditional belief that a play or gig can be an end in themselves. ‘Both David and Fergus are interested in what kind of city Edinburgh is, what kind of world we are living in, and I think connecting these local questions about community with the way that we are internationally known is really of interest to the EIF and the Lyceum and Fuel,’ adds McGrath.
The emphasis on artists from around the world not only challenges the Euro-centric bias of much theatre – the Fringe struggles with inclusion – but introduces forms and perspectives that are less familiar. Hear Word! examines the experiences of Nigeria’s women, through a cast of ten of the nations’ famous fi lm, theatre and television performers; La Reprise Histoire(s) du theatre (I) from the International Institute of Political Murder delves into a murder that shocked Belgium but opens up a refl ection on the nature of tragedy. Kiinalik sees two Canadian artists – one a musician, the other performing a Greenlandic mask dance – consider colonial legacies and climate change. McGrath affi rms her belief in the potential of performance. ‘I think everyone can make a difference: the arts culture in many ways punches above its weight. We understand ourselves in the world through stories and images. That’s nothing new but the question of what stories are being told, what does that tell us about who we are and what we value, and how we relate to each other?’
By overturning traditional boundaries and encouraging audiences to grapple with the politics of performance, You Are Here marks a welcome and adventurous approach to the possibilities of the Festival: while remaining within familiar programming, it seeks to expand the experience and points towards new formats and blurred boundaries between art and society.
You Are Here, part of Edinburgh International Festival, various venues, 2–26 Aug, eif.co.uk/whats-on/you-are- here
PHOTO: MIHAELA BODLOVIC Clockwise from left: Total Immediate Collective Imminent Terrestrial Salvation, La Reprise Histoire(s) du theatre (I), Purposeless Movements