Report 6: Presentation

Presentation

I recently presented my current ideas to the class via a powerpoint presentation, in which I explained my proposal for my performance. I explained that I am interested in looking at the relationship between identity and landscape, and then gave a brief overview of the tales of Tyno Helig and Bala Lake, which I am inspired by. I feel as though the presentation went well, although I sadly did not get to explain the stories in as much detail as I would have liked.

We were also recently visited by a theatre company called SigndanceCollective, who gave us a brief preview of their performance, Carthage, which "explores the political, human and cultural impact of language" (Bower). The company is very culturally diverse, and aims to promote inclusive theatre, making theatre more accessible for the disabled. This is something I have not properly encountered before, and I found it inspiring to know that there are people trying to make theatre more inclusive for everyone. I was especially interested by their use of sign-language throughout their performance.

I have also been reading this essay about the relationship between performance and cultural identity, which especially looks at the ways that folklore and mythology are adapted for stage.

· Signdance Collective, https://www.signdancecollectiveinternational.com/

· David Bower, "David Bower: About Carthage, David Bower, Artistic Director at the Signdance Collective", http://www.asiw.co.uk/reviews/david-bower-cathage-david-bower-artistic-director-signdance-collective

· Steve Evans, "Drowned Towns and Sunken Cities: The Legend of Lake Bala, Wales", http://folklorethursday.com/regional-folklore/welsh-folklore-legend-drowned-town-beneath-lake-bala/

· W. O. Beeman, “The Anthropology of Theatre and Spectacle” http://mysite.du.edu/~lavita/ExpCult/_Docs/beeman_anthro_theater_spectacle%20copy.pdf