An Artist's Story

Published 12 October 2008

In 2007 Kompany Malakhi presented a work-in-progress piece at the 3rd decibel Performing Arts Showcase. We caught up with Joanne Peters, the company’s General Manager to find out what has happened since presenting their work at the showcase.

'''Tell us a little about the company?'''

“Kompany Malakhi is an innovative dance theatre company based in the South West of England. Our work seeks to challenge and deconstruct preconceptions through a fresh and exciting physical language. Kompany Malakhi’s productions bring together a myriad of influences from physical theatre, hip hop culture and contemporary dance.

"The company offers a unique and unexpected performance style and attracts a young, diverse audience to both its theatre and site-specific productions.

'''What made you apply to present your work at the showcase?'''

We applied for decibel Performing Arts Showcase 2007 to raise the profile of our organisation to promoters, programmers and venues. Our aims were to represent diverse arts practice from the South-West region, show a work-in-progress: Boxin, and receive feedback on our work.

We also hoped to introduce the new management team of the organisation to the arts sector, network with the creative industries and engage in critical dialogue about diverse arts practice in the UK and internationally.

'''What affect did the showcase have on the company?'''

“We had a very positive showcase and were able to achieve all of our aims. Our work was well received - the feedback was positive and very useful in terms of the contribution it made to the projects’ development. We made contacts with a number of venues and programmers who have booked Boxin as a result of seeing it at decibel.

Consequently we have developed our work–in-progress into a full length performance which will tour nationally in spring and autumn 2009.

'''What stands out for you from your involvement with the showcase?'''

“After meeting at decibel we have built a relationship with an international director (Dr Daniel Banks) who is working with us as a consultant Director to develop the full length performance.

"Feedback we received at decibel has led us to consider our production values and build on character development within the performance. We have also used discussions at the showcase to influence the making of the work artistically in terms of drawing out key themes.

“Showing our work at the showcase helped us to secure tour dates, which in turn strengthened the applications we made to support the tour of this work.”

'''Tour details'''

Kompany Malakhi will be touring Boxin in Spring and Autumn 2009. Confirmed dates so far are:

12 February 2009 – Brewhouse Theatre, Taunton

26 February 2009 – Salisbury Arts Centre

6 March 2009 – MacRobert Theatre, Stirling

13 and 14 March 2009 – Northcott Theatre, Exeter

18 March 2009 – Yorkshire Dance and the Carriage Works, Leeds

19 March 2009 – Gulbenkian Theatre, Canterbury

24 March 2009 – Roses Theatre – Tewkesbury

26 March 2009 – South Holland Centre, Spalding

28 March 2009 – New Wolsey Theatre, Ipswich

2 April 2009 – East London dance at Stratford Circus

20 May 2009 – The Hawth, Crawley

Boxin breaks down obstacles by using physical theatre, dance, hip hop culture, and parkour. The set becomes the sixth performer creating an ever-changing landscape as a metaphor for social barriers in 21st century society. (85 mins, including interval, 5 on stage, 9 on the road.)

Bird's Eye View

Published 11 October 2008

In 2007 I attended the decibel Performing Arts Showcase to report as an objective observer on the many different facets that combine to make this event what it is.

The first day of this event was set aside for an international symposium, entitled '''Breaking Boundaries, Building Bridges''' The theme of this symposium was the exploration and examination of opportunities and practicalities for cross-cultural, international collaborations and partnerships in the performing arts.

'''International Symposium'''

The International Symposium was billed as a curtain raiser to the decibel showcase, yet on some levels could easily have succeeded as a stand alone event.

All plenary session leaders, panel members, members of the National decibel team, and the creative and event management team, came together on the evening before the International Symposium for an informal reception in one of the event’s host venues.

This ‘meet and greet’ was a great opportunity to meet all those working ‘behind the scenes’ and gave a chance for all those involved in the panel sessions to begin preliminary discussions of the issues that would be raised during the course of the week.

The evening was an excellent idea, that seemed to create a sense of camaraderie between everybody present, which continued into the rest of the week.

The Symposium genuinely seemed to ‘take off’ with the arrival of the first plenary session ‘Taking Art Across Borders’. Dieter Jaenicke, Stella Hall, Sydney Bartley and Nidal Al-Achkar made up a powerfully engaging panel that emphasised the overall message of the event and genuinely stirred up the audience, and fostered some interesting debates and contributions.

The In Coversation... featured Tang Shu-Wing, one of Hong Kong's leading theatre and artistic directors and a senior lecturer at the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts.

Interviewed by TV journalist Joyce Ohajah this pairing proved to be an excellent interactive introduction to the work of this intelligent director. Choosing an experienced news broadcaster to interview Shu-Wing was an inspired decision, as Joyce made effective work of drawing out informative responses which in turn enabled delegates to gain a real perspective of his work.

The impressive impact he made on the audience was obvious from the lively question and answer session that ensued and the referencing of him from many delegates as one of their highlights of the week.

A series of mini plenary sessions were held throughout the day addressing a range of issues including skills and competencies for successful touring, how difference and 'otherness' can be used advantageously and creating intercultural connections. Led by experienced international arts practitioners, these sessions offered unique insight and an opportunity to add to the global discussions and debates influencing and strengthening diverse performing arts across global markets.

The day ended with a performance by the saxophonist Courtney Pine OBE; a true pioneer and well regarded as one of the most influential British Jazz musicians of the past 20 years. Giving a performance that had delegates dancing in the aisles was a fitting way end the day and set delegates up for the week ahead.

Stateside Experience

Published 8 October 2008

After being made aware of the decibel Performing Arts Showcase through a meeting with an Arts Council officer, Daniel Banks, a senior academic from New York University, felt he just had to attend to investigate how England 'does diverse arts'.

"My visit to the decibel showcase was a spectacular week. I attended the full week, including the International Symposium which took place on the first day. Being present at the Symposium and watching the showcases all week set me up very well for the presentation I gave on the New York University Hip Hop Theatre Initiative on Thursday.

"During the week I was able to meet many extraordinary artists and producers, with whom I hope to have future contact and to create projects. Of particular value were people from Theatre Royal Stratford East(London), Contact Theatre (Manchester), Punch, Apples and Snakes (Birmingham), Kala Phool (Brighton), Jonzi D (Sadlers Wells, London), actors Wale Ojo and Deborah Williams, dancer Shaun Cope, and Kompany Malakhi (Bristol; I have already invited Artistic Director Kwesi Johnson to teach a workshop at NYU.)

"International connections that I am sure will prove valuable include Gacirah Diagne (Senegal), Tang Shu-wing (Hong Kong – with whom, remarkably, I went to school in Paris 20 years ago), and Aubrey Sekhabi (South Africa). Most of these people attended the panel I was on, saw a video clip of the Hip Hop Theatre work I have been developing at NYU and taking around the world, and expressed an interest in having this work brought to their institution or city.

"I feel optimistic about the work in Black and Asian arts being done in the U.K. and find that there are important conversations happening on an institutional level that we could certainly benefit from in the U.S. There is also an important blend of art and activism that is happening on the level of professional theatre that many people are striving for in the U.S., but that seems to be easier to realize with the geographic proximity of England, as well as the better governmental funding of the arts.

"I spent a week after the showcase in London, meeting with some of the people I met in Birmingham. A meeting was arranged for me with Kerry Michaels, Artistic Director of Stratford East. I have been invited to return in November for a gathering of Black UK and French playwrights; although due to funding constraints, it does not look like that will be possible.

"Nevertheless, the time spent in England encouraged me that the work I am doing is needed and critical and it opened many doors for future collaboration and exchange. I believe that I also well represented NYU and the U.S., as, when I met people, they already seemed to know who I was and were anxious to hear about how I am building and growing the emergent genre of Hip Hop Theatre philosophically, pedagogically, and in terms of using the work as a tool for youth empowerment in an international context.

"Sincere thanks to the decibel programme at the Arts Council of England and the U.S. Embassy for making this visit possible."

Daniel Banks, Ph.D.

Showcase comments

Published 30 September 2008

Here are a few comments from those who have attended a decibel Performing Arts Showcase:

"As an established company, Showcase was a good place to network with existing contacts and make a few more. We were fortunate enough to make some contacts in the USA, which resulted in a sold out run at Crossroads in New Jersey, one of the USA's leading theatre's for Black work.”

'''Ed Higginson, Producer, Rasa Theatre'''

“Taking part in the Showcase enabled us to deliver our aims and connect with a wide and relevant audience. Our project, MI21, has since been supported in its development by a venue outside our region (South East) and is now a ready-to tour piece of work. This has been a phenomenal outcome in such a short space of time.

'''Indy Hunjan, Director, Kala Phool Ltd'''

"Contact has been a host venue for decibel twice, and in 2007 we sent a group of staff and artists to the Showcase to scout for talent. The Showcase is a great opportunity to see new work, hear about plans from artists and companies, and to explore new ideas. Contact has been proud to see many of its key artists featured in decibel, and we always come away from the Showcase with new ideas for programming and future collaborations."

'''John McGrath, Artistic Director, Contact Theatre'''

“I came to decibel to meet other artists, producers and directors; to be inspired, to network and to be challenged and provoked on how I view things.

The highlights for me have been ‘those meetings in the corridors’, those unexpected gatherings where ideas are formed…the shows… connecting with people I haven’t met before from international locations and seeing new work.

decibel has created something that will carry on, people have connected over the years and it’s now time that the people here take advantage of the connections that they have made."

'''Yani Ray, Birmingham'''

“We came to decibel07 not to present work, but to see what was going on in the scene, meet people make connections and put faces to names. It has been really good to chat with people - not just with promoters- but also with artists, to share best practise and ideas.

We would love there to be another one (decibel event) is anyone listening? I think it would be a really valuable thing to happen."

'''Cat Bailey, Funny Fabric Company'''

“I came to decibel to see as much work as I possibly could in a short space of time, because I don’t have the time or the money to get round to see as much work as I would like to. This is a great opportunity for me to see a lot and refresh the base of companies that I work from, introduce myself to new work and keep my knowledgebase up to date. The week has been great! Exhausting! Shellshocking! I have met some people that I might book; I’ve met people that are not suitable for my venue but whose details I will definitely pass on to others who may be able to book them.

The highlight of the week for me was Shades of Brown which was fantastic, Akademi dance piece was brilliant and I liked brothatalk a lot."

'''Amanda Saunders, touring and programme director, Steven Jones Theatre, Scarborough'''

“It’s been a great opportunity to network, and I have made many contacts this week. decibel has really worked for me."

'''Yulsander, Japan'''

“decibel has been an incredible opportunity for me to meet world-class performers and directors. I am not very good at networking or talking about my work, but there were many opportunities to talk honestly about what we do and it generates a kind of power. People were genuinely interested in making friends and helping each other get to the next stage."

'''Stacy Makishi, Artist'''

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