Bull in a China Shop Project: The Show
3rd October 2019
Circomedia Portland Square, Bristol
After a year of research and weeks of devising and rehearsing, this double- bill show presented first drafts of Making Molasses and Many Hands Make Light Work created and performed by Fiona Salisbury and Valentina Solari. The pieces are their first example of taking their circus research and translating it into performance, it was also accompanied by an exhibit of their circus research. The show was attended and enjoyed by a wide variety of people from circus academics to families new to seeing circus in a theatre environment.
"Absolutely loved the themes, making art of, celebrating the so called “failures.” As one of my first attended “circus” performances it helped me feel the humanity of the act." Audience member
"Thoughtful, engaging, accomplished, humble and charming - an absolute joy to be a part of." Audience member
Part 1: Making Molasses
Created and performed by Fiona Salisbury
Making Molasses takes the waste products found in the sugar manufacturing process and uses them to create some arguably more delicious and definitely more nutritious. This is Fiona’s first attempt at Making Molasses from the balance manufacturing process, she hopes you enjoy the things she hasn’t thrown away.
After exploring imperfection and by-products (all the things that exist around our desired product/ intent) Fiona has developed a way to wire-walk where these once disguised or ‘practised away’ elements of the practice, are now celebrated and circus props, tricks and technique rely on the presence of failure in order to function.
Under the light of 65 torches, using a unique blend of circus skills and spoken word, Valentina will take you on a reflective journey through the homes we all share; a body, a planet, a universe. From chipping the nail on your smallest toe to tripping over the ever-present force of gravity, we all make mistakes. In this charming performance, through playful audience interaction and striking visuals we begin to see these homes- and the flaws that accompany them, in a whole different light.
Part 2: Many Hands Make Light Work
Created and performed by Valentina Solari
Open Rehearsals and Transitioning Research into Performance
Summer- Autumn 2019
Supported by Kingswood and Hanham Libraries, The Island Bristol, Deda Derby and Circomedia
After delving into their research projects, Valentina and Fiona felt a need to translate it into circus performance- as a way to make their complicated and niche research understood and relevant to the wider community. By inviting and taking circus to their local community (including Kingswood and Hanham Libraries) they developed an audience centred devising process- creating work in tandem with how it was percieved by eyes from outside the circus world. Through exploring audience participation and feedback they were able to find a mutual performative language between their artistic/ experimental roots and the audience they wanted to speak with.
Practice Research, Residency and Research Presentation
September 2018- Current
Supported by Circomedia
A week long intensive practice research residency organised by Bull in a China Shop Project with the support of Circomedia. Following two months of in depth technique driven research into their chosen areas, Valentina and Fiona used the residency to investigate the links between their work, experiment with combining circus and other art forms (e.g. photography and visual arts) and to explore how an audience may experience the research. Ending in a presentation of the research so far and an opportunity to share the work and receive feedback from the Circomedia community and other non - circus participants.
Final Major Projects
We All Fall and Studies in Precariousness
April 2018, Circomedia Portland Square
BA student performance of 20 minute solo devised pieces.
Using torches as her only source of lighting, poetic spoken word and circus skills Valentina would like to present to you We all fall …but she can’t do it without your help. Looking for answers in the cosmos the performer will try to make sense of our place within the universe and each other.
Studies in Precariousness hopes to find “alongside-ness” between object and performer through instigating a mutual misunderstanding and sharing in the difficulty of standing up straight. Fiona invites objects to fall when they wish it, make her fall when they wish it, or surprise her remaining steady.