Poetry, music, art and dance will combine in ‘Weaving Threads’, a new show from arts and disability charity Open Arts which will be performed at the Crescent Arts Centre on Sunday 9 October as part of the Bounce Festival.
The multi-artform performance brings together dancer Cinzia Savonitti, musician and dancer Mary Lou McCord and poet Andrew Ward, who have all been awarded funding from University of Atypical to produce their own work.
Featuring group, individual and duet sections, ‘Weaving Threads’ gives each of the participants space to share different aspects of their stories. Cinzia explores her journey as she moves from dancing with her crutches to dancing with her power chair. Her dance is set to a song in her native Italian language of Friulano. The song speaks of dreams, having the freedom to move to another country and finding out what you want to do in life.
Andrew’s poetry and illustrations enable him to creatively express, explore and reflect on his Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD), which he was diagnosed with at the age of 56.
Mary Lou’s self-composed music and dance showcases her growing confidence as an artist, as she works with Drake Music NI using sound beam technology to compose her work.
Looking forward to the performance, Eileen Branagh, Chief Executive of Open Arts said:
“This work in progress explores the individual practice of Cinzia, Mary Lou and Andrew and the threads connecting the performers and their art forms. In this, the 30th anniversary of Open Arts and the 10th Anniversary of Bounce, the performance celebrates the connection between Open Arts participatory programme and individual development supported through the fantastic team at University of Atypical.
Tickets for ‘Weaving Threads’ on Sunday 9 October, 2pm-4pm, are £3 and can be booked online now at www.universityofatypical.org/bounce/
Open Arts is principally funded by the Arts Council of Northern Ireland and receives Core Multi-Annual Funding from Belfast City Council's Tourism Culture & Arts Unit.