RADIX

Studium directed by Josephine Gray and Anmar Taha

Iraqi Bodies are continuously searching for a radical theatre made up of the entirety of scenic expression. Radical must in this context be seen as an origin, or root–from the Latin radix. Considering that the origin of theatre in Ancient Greece incorporated text, movement, music and acrobatics it seems, to us, the only viable option if true appreciation for ‘theatre’ is to be upheld. Similarly did the commedia dell’Arte make use of all theatrical tools possible in order to propel the narrative of the performance. For us a radical theatre is one in which all aspects of the body are considered and used: musicality, agility, voice and gestures.

Theatre must in this context be understood as the arena in which performance takes place. It is not a question of looking to how theatre in its literary sense affects performance, rather the opposite. It is our intention to examine what kinds of performance are possible within the arena of the theatre by acknowledging that its history is often forgotten which leaves each new generation of performers in a vacuum. We need to discover what echoes remain from Ancient Greece up until today within the theatrical arena. In doing so we find that movement and rhythm are the roots of performance. The acknowledgement of these roots have been neglected in recent training (and appreciation) of dance, mime, theatre and circus. As a consequence, the segregation of one discipline from the other has led to an impoverished performer who has been forced to stagnate in her possibilities of transformation. The studium redresses this worrying tendency by offering a profound exploration into the totality of the performer. This kind of performer will be unfazed by whatever is thrown at her and will in such a way be able to raise the performing arts into a force to be reckoned with.

RADIX is research studium where the totality of the performer is questioned and investigated. It is comprised of a theoretical and a practical approach to the stage creating a meeting-point where artists from various disciplines can meet with the aim of spreading the influence of theatre as radical – i.e., its root in the multitude of expressions on stage.

RADIX is made up of dancers, actors and mimes based in Sweden, Italy, Ireland and England and runs from January to December 2022 at various venues in Gothenburg and Västra Götaland.

Supported by Göteborgs Stad and Kulturrådet

www.iraqibodies.com