|
MAP Fest 22– Traces of Transformation
The theme for Melaka Arts and Performance Festival (MAP Fest) is ‘Traces of Transformation’, which speaks in direct correlation of a desire and universal need for performance work that speaks of regeneration through a rekindled past and traditional practice still passed down through generations. Boldly moving forward, capturing the imagination whilst harnessing the potentials offered up by both the collective and the individual. It aims to take each individual thread, to then weave these into a tapestry of knowledge, colour and life. At MAP, artists present individual and collaborative works of art that incorporate the experimental. They produce on-site works and performances that are profound, empowering and transformative to the audiences. The year MAP Fest 22 will take its focus towards the experiences from how we transform out of the pandemic of 2020 & 2021.
MAP Experimentum – Traces of Transformation
MAP EXPERIMENTUM will include three main directives: residential workshops, collaborations, and performances. This year the festival will span throughout the week leading to 26, 27, 28 August weekend.
MAP and the transformative - MAP’s focus draws on the power of art to generate awareness of the power of human sense of meaning in transitory conditions. What has contributed to the positive srtive and what is our capacity to affect what is a global from an individual level?
A model of ‘Poor' Festival - model incorporating less ornamentation
To explore these questions, we are extending MAP’s art festival model to incorporate the philosophy and power of the ‘poor theatre’ (Towards a Poor Theatre, Jerzy Grotowski). Here the use of extravagant props, material and decorative ornamentations will be challenged with nature’s fundamental power of the use of the body, mind and spirit (the psyche) in the creation of art.
The singer’s power is in their vocality; the dancers in their psycho-physicality and the visual artist in their use of available basic materials from both nature and refuse. Innovation is key to the artist’s task to convey their stories and their messages. Grotowski coined the term ‘poor theatre’, defining a performance style that rid itself of the excesses of theatre, such as lavish costumes and detailed sets (hence ‘poor’). ‘Poor Theatre’ centres on the skill of the actor and is often performed with only a handful of props. ‘Poor theatre’ can be performed anywhere in bare spaces and MAP’s connection to this is its site-specificity and proximity to spectators. We experiment with the elasticity within this range and the use of simple and waste materials for expressing the common and deep inner human experience.
17 - 20 Aug: KUALA KUBU BARU
22- 23 Aug: TRANCE RITUAL & PHYSICAL THEATRE WORKSHOPS
26 - 28 Aug: PERFORMANCES
> KUALA KUBU BARU (cost Aud$150)
This three-day pre-MAP residency will take two purposes. One is partly recreational with trips to waterfall, hotsprings and walks, and secondly a workshop with an all-night trance practice. Tony Yap will facilitate this exploration of continuous trance states with Agus Riyanto.
This residency will open the participating artists to a collaborative group for performance in a contemporary ritual.
> Trance & Physical theatre WORKSHOPS
- 2 Day Intensive Workshop, Trance – ‘Main Puteri & Animalising’ – 22-23 Aug, St Paul's Hill (cost: suggesting RM60 to cover basic expenses)
Workshop on contemplative trance and movement aesthetics. This is a contemporary look at trance aesthetics in contemporary application especially on performance practice. Intensive focus on deep trance aesthetics. Led by Tony Yap with Agus Riyanto.
- 2 Day physical theatre Workshop – 24-25 Aug (FREE)
a 2day/2hour collaborative explorations on ‘plague’ dance. Led by Luca Romani
> PERFORMANCES (See PROGRAM)
Mapping Performance - 26, 27, 28 Aug
optional participation - Daytime site-specific performance/installation. The venues will be at the ruins of old Capitol Cinema and Baboon House
Some performances will be within the dates 22-28 Aug
> Collaboration pods: towards finale Performance on Sunday 28 August
optional participation. Artists collaborate and improvise with the theme of trance. This year incorporating theme of ‘Main Puteri’ and animalising. A theme Pei Ann Yeoh is sharing in her presentation.
Other information:
> Lighting and sound
This workshop & collaboration festival spans two weeks leading to the final three days and nights of presentation of works. We will have:
> 3 Bose portable/rechargeable speakers and one powerful speaker/amp for the main space.
> 5 portable/rechargeable lights (full range of colours)
> Mapping – old town, deserted hotel at island and an old deserted cinema
Daytime Mapping can take place around the ild city of MelaKa including a old deserted Cinema site close to Prima Hote..
> Programs
Programs will all be available online.
> Funding
Artists are responsible for their own acquisition for funds and MAP can provide letters of invitations for the artists’ individual funding applications from their own countries or sources.
> Support (Voluntary)
- Performance permits: E-plus Global
- On-line publicity: E-plus and Tony Yap
- Program and publicity: Tony Yap
- Artistic Direction: Tony Yap
- Associates: Brendan O'Conner, Kien Faye Lee, Lim Paik Yin, Takashi Takiguchi
- All participating artists
- All enthusiastic photographers
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
MAP Fest acknowledges the spirit-filled and generous support provided by Andrew Ching, Suen Kar Nee and the staff from E-Plus Global for past decade. MAP is non-profit and there’ll be a website and publicity. All support people provide their work voluntarily.
|
