SpinDrift Dance Collective

SpinDrift Dance Collective are initiating a new project in Cornwall, entitled 'Flock'. This July, August and September the ‘Flock’ dancers will be researching and piloting a new performance project centred around such questions as: what does the outdoors mean to you? What special qualities make a place so worth conserving? What would our message be for this place? What is important to us and what do we want to protect? What changes can we make for the better? Devised and developed by SpinDrift Dance Collective, ‘Flock’ was born from delving into the origins of the RSBP, with an article that inspired Suzie West, the Artistic Director, about its female founders, Emily Williamson and Co., who gathered women together to protested against the barbarous trade of feathers and plumes to adorn women’s hats in the late Victorian Era. "Those women have so many parallels to now. I think that we can use vibrant, intelligent and imaginative groups of women and girls to bridge the gap between ecology, conservation, history and the future vision of our native spaces and natural places" - Suzie West The organisation started life as the Society for the Protection of Birds (SPB), founded by Emily Williamson at her home in Manchester in 1889. The group quickly gained popularity and in 1891 it merged with the Fur, Fin and Feather Folk. "When Women were Birds, we knew otherwise. We knew our greatest freedom was in taking flight at night, when we could steal the heavenly darkness for ourselves. Navigating through the intelligence of stars and the constellations of our own making, in the delight and terror of our uncertainty.” This new group of movers, dressed in tailored garments, felted feathered accessories and hats will parade, protect, rest and silently protest about the beauty of the landscape they are dancing in and those living in the local community. The performers are a mix of older dancers from Inner Ground, undergraduates from Falmouth University, local dance practitioners and BTEC Dance students. The organisers are currently recruiting from Falmouth University, Falmouth College, Mounts Bay Academy and InnerGround Dance Penzance to join SpinDrift as installation groups. The Flock is ever-growing and we urge the audience and local people to become a part of the stories we make. So far The Cornish Flock and The Plymouth Flock have explored and discovered Clay Country, West Cornwall’s tropical gardens and The Barbican, to investigate the natural world, the people, the memories, the stories, the invisible voices and the future voices of these unique places. In September Flock will be performed at Breeze Art and Makers Fair on 13th & 15th September at Trereife House. 13th September: Art workshops to make costumes and props for the performance inspired by nature. Excerpts will be performed from 'Flock' as well as an improvised performance by Shallal. 15th September: two performances at 11am and 2pm and a special workshop for families and children, turning them into 'Wild Investigators' by taking part in one of our performance installations. This event is brought to you by The Arts Society, Patricia Fay Memorial Fund, The Arts Society West Cornwall and FEAST.