What is Cultivate?
Introducing the performers
Connor Allen
SINS OF THE FATHER
The early seeds of the idea and exploration for Connors next autobiographical show in which he aims to explore the lines between father and son.
Who am I?
Am I my fathers son? Am I my mothers child?
Connor aims to explore the effects that his fathers absence has had on him and unpick the effects that generational trauma and transatlantic slavery have had in present day.
The effects that still have engrained impact on him and his family tree.
Mackenzie
My name is Mackenzie Steed. I am a 20 year old University Student from South Wales. I love making a fool out of myself on karaoke, pretending I’m clever during pub quizzes, and eating bread rolls from the Harvester salad bar. It’s from the salad bar, so it's healthy!
Actually. Who cares whether it's healthy? That’s just it, isn’t it? We’re made to feel bad for any slightly unhealthy thing that we eat! ‘’The diet starts tomorrow?’’ then you wake up the next morning craving a chocolate Éclair, feeling bad for going back on your words about the diet? Because I felt that. At 14!
And it’s what my performance is all about. ‘That’s My Win!’ Sees the main character Louise falling for the false reality of beauty standards and attempting to “diet”. This spiral just makes her even more miserable and even more in love with the food that it brings to her life! But it doesn’t look very good in her Weight Changers food diary. So what will she say when Claire, her food consultant, asks ‘’What’s been your win this week?’’.
Despite ‘That’s My Win!’ being told from an adolescent's perspective, I hope Louise’s story will resonate with anyone of any age. Finishing my day with, ‘And That’s My Win!’ has become a daily ritual of mine. I’ve even got it tattooed on my rib! So, I hope the show goes well now!
Jodi
I’m a mixed-race: British/Afro Caribbean dance and visual artist based in South Wales. Training in contemporary dance at TrinityLaban and Fine Art in Cardiff School of Art and Design my work plays with multiple disciplines.
When looking at my practice through a focused lens the work is about understanding the impact of adoption and being mixed-race had on my identity, including my sense of belonging; when looking at my practice through a wide lens, the work is about community, home and belonging.
Dear, Love From… is project I am exploring how movement, dance, objects, letters come together in the forms of delivered text and immersive performance to tell an autobiographical story about grief, connection and identity. I am seeking to amplify the often unheard voice’s of adoptees, connecting them to the more widely explored stories of absent parents or complex family relationships.
After a couple of years of writing, imagining and playing with parts of this piece, bringing it to you in these earlier stages I hope to see how an audience connects to the story.
Unfortunately Jeremy will no longer be appearing due to Covid. We wish him well and hope to see him performing in Autumn's Cultivate event.
How to book?
Book now for Cultivate on Monday 18 July by calling 01633 656679 or visit Newport Live | Events.
