SCRATCH NIGHTS X CIRCUS

I AM. AM I 
By Louiseanne Wong 

I Am. Am I is a work in progress exploring the struggle with social norms, unlearning how the artist was ‘conditioned’ in Hong Kong. The artist questions labeling theory, some given, some self-identifying (e.g. from-from, foreigner) and visually represents this by peeling off layers to show who 'I am'. Aiming to raise awareness of social inequalities novelly by storytelling using contemporary circus and physical urban expressions.

About Louiseanne Wong

Louiseanne (she/they) is a movement artist, dancer, choreographer and coach with Esprit Concrete. Her roots are from Hong Kong, and she holds a Bachelor of Music (University of Manchester) and an MA in Choreography (Trinity Laban, London). Her training is in dance (contemporary, hip hop, namely but not limited to Krump and breakdance foundations), soft acrobatics, Parkour and Art du Deplacement, as well as Chinese Pole. 

Louiseanne's expertise and passion allows her to combine Art du Deplacement with Dance and Circus as a means of self-discovery, always circling back to the question 'Who am I?'. She sees her movement practice to explore topics and storytelling such as authenticity, identity and heritage, and how these affect an artist's relationship to oneself and others.  

She believes in the concept of working on the self to in turn help others better, and to express oneself as authentic as possible, meeting and managing the struggles of being human as part of the process. She views the body as non-gender, holding a humanistic view to the communities she meets, learning how to hold hard but important conversations better in order to keep timeless topics going. She has a wide understanding of the body in both athletic and artistic contexts, having performed in various multidisciplinary works both indoors and outdoors around the world. 

Movement therapist: Dr. Kasturi Torchia (Esprit Concrete)

Movement director & Outside Eye: Aline David  (Barber Shop Chronicles NT, Dance Nation Almeida Theatre) 

Mentor: Rachel Clare (Crying Out Loud)

Dramaturgy support: Daniel York Loh of (Kakilang Arts) 

Twitter: @louiseannewong  
Instagram: @louiseannewong 
Facebook: wonglouiseanne 

FRUITOPIA

By Zinnia Oberski

This work explores the relationship between freedom and limitation. With influences from physical theatre, bouffon, performance art and contemporary dance, new variations are generated from both a restricted environment and a boundless one.

We inhabit the space between these two states. What starts out as a cage soon becomes a safe place, and when we are presented with myriad options we have to limit ourselves and define our own paths.

About Zinnia Oberski

Zinnia is a performer and maker who has an extensive movement background, predominantly in circus. She uses elements of physical theatre, dance and performance art to break the traditional circus aesthetic of the superhuman and focus on a strength that can only be accessed through vulnerability. Zinnia's physical work is a communication which is less literal than words and therefore well suited to conveying ideas that relate to the subconscious or the animal brain.

Zinnia works in a holistic way, treating mind and body as one instead of as two separable entities. Having come from a background involving hard physical training she seeks to find a balance between strength and softness, in movement and in intention, seeking a way which challenges the bodymind without traumatising it. She is exploring the work of sports researcher Stacy Sims and her findings about how women can train in a way that works in harmony with the menstrual cycle.

Zinnia's creative work is multi-artform and makes use of many different styles and techniques. She takes influence from circus, physical theatre, contemporary dance, ritual, performance art, butoh and satire to make authentic work that travels beyond the purely visual. Examples include 'Falling Up', an educational piece made in collaboration with the Institute of Physics Scotland, 'At your Service', a humorous act which the audience can interrupt by using their mobile phones and 'Dreams of the Small Gods', a full length solo show exploring the primal power of wild woman.

'Dreams of the Small Gods' played at Edinburgh Fringe 2022 as part of the Made in Scotland showcase and won the Summerhall Autopsy Award 2022.

Instagram: @zinniao.circusart  

Website: www.zinniao.com

BUTTERFACE 
By Vee Smith

Butterface, noun derogatory  
An attractive woman with an undesirable face 
Example: "She’s a total Butterface. She’s hot: But. Her. Face" 
An examination of expectations, transgressions, self-acceptance and validation, Butterface is a playful and provocative performance that challenges assumptions about the female body on display. It’s an ugly thing to want to be beautiful, but we do it anyway.

About Vee Smith

Vee is a Scottish circus and performance artists, graduate of the National Centre for Circus Arts and a Leverhulme Award recipient. She has created work for Resolutions Festival, The Camden People's Theatre, The Wandsworth Arts Fringe, Live Art Development Agency and the Festival of Erotic Arts. Her solo work focuses on interrogating concepts of privacy, intimacy, transgression and vulgarity of the female presenting body. 

Twitter: @vendettavain 
Instagram: @vendettavain 
Facebook: /VendettaVain 

SKEW-WHIFF 
By Myles MacDonald

SKEW-WHIFF is an absorbing mix of juggling and surrealism that is an expansion of the universe, and deeper technical research that explores both the restrictions, and possibilities of juggling whilst being attached to the floor. I want to bend and subvert the audience’s expectations, and transport them into a surrealist environment, rich with atmospheres, nostalgia, absurdity and juggling, leaving space for improvising, and the drifting and changing of focus to coincide with devising and performing with neurodiversity.

About Myles Mac Donald

Myles was born in Jersey Channel Islands, and is a curious, light-hearted and playful individual who was awarded a first-class BA Hon’s degree at the National Centre for Circus Arts in London 2022 where he specialised in juggling. He has just completed the Artistic Development within the Circus at the Stockholm University of the Arts, a course lead by Benjamin Richter that aims to facilitate a deeper consciousness and broadening of your own creative methods and processes. “All I’ve ever wanted to do is make things, things out of anything. A big part of my juggling and object research, is developing unconventional patterns using different body parts and movement qualities to aid in the marriage of technical and creative juggling with movement and storytelling”.

Instagram: Fukkoffmyles 
Facebook: /mylesmacdoanldsworld 
YouTube: MylesMacDonaldCircus 

GIRL WITH CURL

By Gabbie Cook

Girl with a Curl is a public service announcement about how women have been historically educated to disregard and internalise their anger, conveniently maintaining the patriarchy and ensuring that violence remains on the side of the oppressor. I feel gaslighted by the current narrative of ‘female empowerment’ - where women are encouraged to overcome their pain and convert it into resilience, in order to be validated by society.

My long-term aim is to create a full-length solo show combining acrobatics, Chinese pole and physical theatre. For the purpose of the scratch night, I’ll perform several sketches that may or may not be linked incorporating acrodance, text and physical theatre directed through the lens of dark comedy and satire.

About Gabbie Cook

Gabbie is a dance and circus artist specialised in contemporary dance, acrobatics and Chinese pole; working as a performer, teacher and movement director.  She started artistic gymnastics at a young age and competed to an elite level before going on to train at the Northern School of Contemporary Dance, graduating in 2014. Throughout her career she has worked for a variety of Dance, Circus and Physical Theatre companies covering a broad spectrum of performance genres. Previous shows with UK companies include work by Acrojou, Becky Namgauds and Tom Dale Company. Most recently, she has been working with various companies in Spain including, DelsAltres (Valencia) and Zero en Conducta (Barcelona). 

She has toured work nationally and internationally for theatre audiences, street theatre festivals and under the circus big top at Glastonbury and Shambala Festival. She has also worked extensively in children’s theatre, beginning with a Swedish tour with Region Teatern, in 2016/17, before moving on to work with Superfan (Glasgow), and most recently at The Place (London) with Dance and Theatre company Anatomical.  
In 2019 she was commissioned by Glastonbury Festival and Bristol Circus City to present a full-length work at both festivals, created under company name Sneaky&Raptor and in partnership with Nat Whittingham. Other projects in progress include co-directing and starring in a feature length film ’These Things Aren’t Mine' with Barney White and this summer she'll be touring with Highly Sprung, and Capicua an all-female collective based in Catalunya.

Alongside performances, Gabbie has been the movement director for Hikapee Theatre and Strong Lady Productions, later this year she will be choreographing for new work by Ellie Dubois. Teaching is also a huge part of her practice and her workshops have been requested by several higher-education institutions and professional companies such as; Accademia Dimitri, Circomedia, Fourth Monkey, Creat Circ, 2Faced Dance and Mimbre.

Instagram: @gabbie_ck 
Website: www.gabbiecook.co.uk