Photo Credit: Rocio Chacon
ASSEMBLE Festival: Roots
Date: Tue 30th April 2024
Time: 7.30pm - 9pm
Early Bird: £12.50
Standard: £14
Please join us for a post-show dialogue after the show
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Embark on an unforgettable journey with Roots, a captivating double bill of contemporary dance by Wency Lam. Drawing inspiration from her own experiences since the 2019 political unrest in Hong Kong, (Overseas) and Is Any Body Home? explores themes of migration, colonialism, identity, and the eternal search for belonging. Prepare to surpass reality through this profound experience, where storytelling is entangled with mesmerising visuals and soul-stirring soundscapes.
This performance contains props that resemble real human limbs, depictions of violence, suicide and death, as well as some collective traumatic experiences of many people.
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(Overseas) navigates the complexity of identity amidst the chaos of colonialism and migration to the colonising country, offering a personal perspective on protest and self-discovery through movement. It beautifully captures the liminal space where old identities have dissolved and no new identities are formed, using movement as a medium of captivating storytelling.
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Is Any Body Home? takes audiences on a visceral journey through the turbulent transition between "homes", poetically reflecting on the challenges of belonging and migration. What is home? This poignant dance theatre masterpiece expresses emotions through the performers’ state of being, inviting viewers to contemplate the profound nature of displacement and longing.
Reviews
“Exceptional grace, strength, flexibility and agility… thought-provoking” - Yorkshire Times
“Skilled movement artists and thoughtful choreography” - Theatre Deli
“I salute its unboxed imagination” - Sanjoy Roy, dance writer for The Guardian
Gallery
About the Artist
Wency Lam is a migrant dance theatre artist, born in Canada, raised in Hong Kong, and currently an immigrant to the UK. Wency’s practice is a mixture of movement practices from her multiple roots including somatic practices, contact improvisation, open-style choreography, Chinese dance etc. In their creative work, Wency endeavours to transmit sensations. There lies a strong connection between her more personal somatic practice and the more public-facing performances.
Wency has presented work in the Sheffield Fringe Previews 2023, Resolution Festival 2023 and 2024 at The Place, London Festival of Contemporary Church Music 2022, and London Festival of Architecture 2022. Her short film has received an Honourable Mention from Student World Impact Film Festival 2022.
Website: wencylam.com
Instagram: @lamwency
Event Information
Duration: 90 minutes (including 15 minute interval)
Age Guidance: 15+
Specific content: The performance contains props that resemble real human limbs, depictions of violence, suicide and death, as well as some collective traumatic experiences of many people.
Please e-mail us ahead of the day to ensure we are aware of and can facilitate any access needs
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