Isolated//Together is a multidisciplinary project documenting the COVID-19 experience in New Brunswick through dance, film, music, spoken word, photography and visual arts.
Led by Atlantic Ballet Atlantique Canada in collaboration with Harrison Burton of Brainworks Creative, Isolated//Together is a multidisciplinary project documenting the COVID-19 experience In New Brunswick through dance, film, music, spoken word, photography and visual arts. Partners include the Beaverbrook Gallery and 14 visual artists from across the province, Theatre New Brunswick, photographer Denis Duquette, composer/musician Elephant Skeletons and 14 dancers from Atlantic Ballet, Connection Dance Works (Saint John) and Solo Chicken Productions (Fredericton) as well as Wolastoq performance artist Nipahtuwet Naka Wespahtuwet Possesom.
Below, four project participants explain their role in the ongoing development of Isolated//Together:
From Atlantic Ballet: The creative imagination of Artistic Director Igor Dobrovolskiy will be creating nine of the 14 dance solos for the dancers of Atlantic Ballet. In collaboration with other choreographers and dancers from Connection Dance Works, Solo Chicken Productions and Possesom Paul, Atlantic Ballet, along with videographer Harrison Burton and with a soundscape created by Saint John multi-instrumentalist Clifford J. Doucette aka Elephant Skeleton, will be joining forces at the Capitol Theatre to create a unique visual experience for the audience to watch in the future.
From the Beaverbrook Art Gallery: Masks will be part of our culture for the foreseeable future. In this new project, we invited artists to submit designs for a wearable facemask that commemorates the masks we are wearing and their related social constraints, as we navigate the challenges of a pandemic. Fourteen artists were chosen to create masks using any medium that will be exhibited in a virtual showcase, three gallery exhibitions, and will be worn by dancers for post pandemic performances.
The list of visual artists who created masks for this project include Vicky Lentz, Brigitte Clavette, Katrina Slade, Emma Hassencahl-Perley, Kyana Kingbird, Luc Charette, Trish Hirschkorn, Jennifer Adam, Sheryl Crowley, Alevtina Sharapova, Amanda Trizna, Jasmine Cull, Ralph Simpson and Alisa Arseneault.
From Theatre New Brunswick: We will gather the stories of New Brunswickers in isolation and staying at home about how isolation makes them feel via Zoom or Skype. This could be good or bad experiences. These stories will represent our entire community and include stories of newcomers in their own language. We will work through the Multi-cultural associations across NB to gather names. Stories will be gathered and curated into audio that can be sorted by language. The audio can be overlaid and listened to while watching the dance films or simply stand alone as the stories of New Brunswickers during the pandemic.
From Brainworks: Living in this historic period of time, we’re able to relate to these performers and what they’re going through. Our ultimate goal is to one day revisit these locations when they’re bustling with life so the dancers can perform again. We want to take the public on a journey throughout New Brunswick while you experience isolation through dance.
Watch for updates on this project as it develops.
