Beka Haigh
Beka Haigh is an artist and scribe based in the North of England. Much of her work can be described by the term 'live illustration' and her portfolio includes live drawing or graphic recording (also known as 'scribing' or visual minute taking), 2D and 3D illustration, installation and live performance.
Beka’s work often also combines interactive performance, game design and open source technology in surprising ways. She also works as a multi-disciplinary artist in the (often underestimated) outdoor arts sector. She runs a puppet-and-object-oriented theatre company from our base in West Yorkshire called 'Frolicked'.
About Beka’s work
Three women. One box. A shit load of demons.
Puppeteers representing three ages of womanhood are the fates from Greek mythology; spinning, cutting and pulling the strings behind our version of the Pandora's Box fable.
Pandora is on the verge of opening a box she shouldn't open. But she's livid. And the fates have decided that her anger will get the better of her... Demons are inevitably unleashed, and Pandora must confront them with the only thing left in the box: hope.
For the first time in her artistic work, Beka will be exploring and confronting her own history of trauma, sexual abuse, domestic violence and the ongoing pressures that women face. Combining puppetry with interactive technology, The Box will explore themes of female 'manipulation' and rage through the eyes of a 40 something year old woman, pulling apart a myth written by men to let the fates (and the audience) take control...
“My Developed with the Lowry project is split into three distinct phases - each reflecting the Pandora's Box myth that inspired them. 'Opening the box' is a series of research and experiments with interactive technology, 'Grappling with Demons' is where I face integrating very personal experiences into my work for the first time and 'Unleashing the Hope' is a final puppetry performance piece that aims to offer hope (particularly for women) during and after severe trauma. The Lowry has very kindly chosen to support me to explore ways to present this potentially powerful piece and I'm confident in their ability to navigate incredibly taboo subject matter with sensitivity and a healthy dose of female empowerment.” – Beka Haigh