WELCOME
Inhabited Composition III
The “Inhabited Compositions” are a series of interactive performances inspired by human experiences. They invite audiences to inhabit sonic scenarios, providing an opportunity to perceive their everyday reality through an outsider's lens. Serving as a platform to explore and confront social and political conventions, these performances offer an unexpected journey of self-discovery within each unique experience.
Inhabited Composition I: “Awakening Sweet & Sour” navigate diverse social scenarios, reflecting culturally learned behaviours.
Inhabited Composition II: “Ellipsis” presents an audio tour in a non-touristic setting, inviting participants to rediscover local spaces from a different perspective.
Inhabited Composition III: “Welcome” invites audiences to reflect on their interactions with people they don't know in new contexts.
“Welcome” approaches the concept of arrival as a fresh start and a welcoming point, intentionally shaping the narrative to evoke a sense of renewal and invitation.
Participants are equipped with full-face masks and headphones. The masks symbolise identity diversity, introducing a transformative element. This prompts a fresh outlook, empowering individuals to rediscover the familiar from a different perspective.
The headphones deliver a sound narrative constructed through audio components such as music, sound effects, and ambient sounds. Coupled with facilitation by performers in unconventional locations, this invites individuals to delve into their imagination. It fosters the creation of new visual scenarios, encouraging a unique and immersive narrative exploration.
The concept behind Welcome stems from an urgent need to establish welcoming atmospheres in our communities, fostering the integration process and encouraging cultural exchange.
"Welcome" reimagines each arrival as a new beginning, inspired by everyday experiences. Participants are encouraged to use their imagination and emotions, fostering connection and engagement.
The concept addresses the need for welcoming environments in the community, promoting integration and cultural exchange. Acceptance leads to active participation and appreciation of diversity, creating a more inclusive society.
By grounding in familiar experiences, "Welcome" remains relatable and accessible, turning the audience into active participants.
Methodology
The use of blind masks introduces a transformative element, offering a unique lens through which the world is perceived and engaged with. As individuals don these masks, they not only shield themselves physically but also adopt new social identities. This alteration in appearance prompts a fresh outlook on surroundings, enabling a rediscovery of the familiar from a different perspective.
Moreover, the mask serves as a connector, transcending individual experiences to weave a collective narrative. Participants become part of a shared experience, linking them with others who also don a mask. This silent yet powerful gesture fosters a sense of unity and understanding in the shared journey through the nuanced landscape of everyday existence. In essence, the use of masks becomes a tool for societal reinvention, prompting reconsideration and reconnection with oneself and the world in ways previously unexplored.
In today's visually dominated world, vision often overshadows the other senses. The majority of everyday stimuli are visual; most people spend significant time in front of screens, and cell phones have become extensions of their hands, used more for watching than listening.
Audience perception: "I have discovered that... if I don't see... I hear the same but listen better! If I trust... I don't fall! And dancing while seated... is still dancing!"
"Welcome" prompts participants to heighten their sensory awareness, focusing on the often-overlooked sonic qualities within their imagination—sounds heard but not closely observed. This aims to provide a pause to close their eyes, listen attentively, and forge connections with their other senses, with fellow individuals, and with themselves.
The diverse sonic scenarios presented during the performance enable participants to delve into their imagination, fostering the formation of fresh visual scenarios crafted by their creative minds.
These sonic scenarios can include everyday sounds like distant conversations, the hum of a city, familiar songs, ambient and experimental sounds, or repeated melodies.
Repetitions are a crucial element in "Welcome" sound composition. Each repetition provides a fresh opportunity to begin anew, offering a new layer of interpretation and emotional depth. Through this process, performers and participants alike can experience the sound in evolving ways, discovering new meanings and connections with each iteration. The cyclical nature of repetition in sound not only reinforces themes and motifs but also invites continuous engagement and exploration, making every moment of the performance a unique journey.
Participation
"Welcome" centres participants in the heart of the experience, using various strategies to encourage audience participation:
Role Play:
Engage audiences through invitations based on role play. When both audiences and performers commit to a shared challenge, such as wearing masks, an immediate sense of purpose emerges. The mask acts as a unifying element, transcending individual experiences and weaving a collective narrative.
Memories:
Draw inspiration from participants' ordinary, day-to-day experiences to deepen the connection between the audience and the content. Leverage familiar spatial arrangements, sounds, or behaviours to trigger personal memories, enhancing the overall performance experience.
Constructed Situations:
Offer opportunities for interaction and the co-creation of shared fictional realities. Constructed situations involve participants interacting with performers and other audience members, contributing to the realization of the piece.
Empowering Sound Perceptions:
Present diverse sonic scenarios throughout the performance, allowing participants to immerse themselves in their imagination. This fosters the creation of new visual scenarios crafted by their creative minds.
Space
This performance is designed to be adaptable to any space, allowing us to create unique and immersive experiences for our audience. We specifically seek out locations that can profoundly impact our audience members, enhancing the overall narrative and emotional engagement.
Some examples of spaces where we have previously presented "Welcome" include:
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An old cinema, where the vintage ambience and historic significance added a nostalgic layer to the experience.
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An industrial unit converted into a gallery café, merging the raw, industrial elements with artistic expressions to create a contrasting and dynamic environment.
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A diaphanous room with glass walls connecting it to other spaces, offering a sense of openness and fluidity that influences the perception of the performance.
Each venue is carefully selected to complement and enhance the thematic elements of our production, ensuring that every performance is not only seen but deeply felt.
