Ghost and John Artist-Led Session [in person]
Mass Demonstration and art processes: Telling the lived experiences
This workshop looks at how personal experiences within mass movements during social activism across the globe contribute to cross-disciplinary artistic processes.
Ghost and John invite participants to investigate the social efficacy of creative productions at various historical contexts and the interweaving of past and present through the performing and spectating bodies, as well as how these interact with the socio-political landscape of the now.
Ghost and John are sharing their ongoing research and practice on seeing the appearing and disappearing demos through the lenses of dance, ecology and sociology. There is the necessity to imagine new possibilities to prepare us for our common futures, observing which structures and infrastructure we need for everyone to play on an even field. It emphasises protesting for futures with freedom and justice yet not omitting the importance of the caring self and pluralistic world. This work takes multiple perspectives and approaches in understanding how performances and public spaces can be places where people’s lived experiences and struggles are heard and known.
In this workshop, you will:
- Learn about Ghost and John’s research on protest and dance
- Explore how the dance languages are involved in liberation movements and how you can get involved
- Dance and practise building futures with justice and freedom for all
Ghost and John call all artist-activists, serious and casual sociologists, and dreamers to join them for a review and practice session on both understanding demonstration through a choreographic lens and holding the bodies as spaces for decolonisation and liberation.
Ghost and John are leading an online version of this session via Zoom from 2 – 5 pm on Tuesday 14 May for those that cannot attend in-person or would prefer to join remotely. Please click here for further information and to book.
Part of Sadler’s Wells Artist Development Programme: Artist-Led Sessions. You can find out more about the selection process for this programme online here.
Ghost and John
Ghost and John are two multidisciplinary artist-researchers, a cultural entrepreneur duo, and a married couple, from computer science and marine biology research backgrounds. They are best known for their collaborative approach to delivering socio-politically pertinent projects, and using technology to create embodied experiences. They are two of the six co-founders of Hidden Keileon CIC, a cultural enterprise working with migrant and queer people to imagine futures with freedom and justice for all by dreaming and leading multidisciplinary and lifeaffirming projects.
As queer migrant artist-researchers from Hong Kong, Ghost and John have developed a dynamic and embodied practice that examines the intricacies of the body and nature, technological advances and folklore accompanying history. Their artworks, usually in the form of performances, installations and videos, focus on the fragmented memories of traumatic experiences related to displacement, relationships, social movement, and technological interaction. They have been Moving Margins researchers with Internationales Theaterinstitut Berlin (2022), ImPulsTanz danceWEBBER and ATLAS Young Choreographer (2019) and are holders of MA Contemporary Dance, The Place.
Ghost and John’s projects are presented internationally in theatres, galleries, outdoor and other odd spaces, including Bloomsbury Festival, Pushkin House and CCA Goldsmiths in London, ImPulsTanz in Vienna, Goethe-Institut in Hong Kong, and more. Their recognitions include:
- An Evening With Two Plant Gays (2024) shortlisted for the Charlie Hartill Fund
- Bitter Moves Sweet Truths (2023) shortlisted for the Untapped Award
- Paradoxical Gasps (2022) funded by Arts Council England
- Radio Neighbourhood (2021) **awarded the Ideas and Pioneers Fund by the Paul Hamlyn Foundation and more
As cultural entrepreneurs, Ghost and John collaborate with local governments, community organisers and cultural workers to drive social change through imagination infrastructure building. They strategise and deliver projects that platform historically marginalised voices to construct worlds beyond the current structures, usually in the capacity of Hidden Keileon CIC.
As a married couple, Ghost and John are always cooking Cantonese dishes and balcony-gardening in their London flat. Their living room is their studio, dance floor and laboratory. They enjoy hosting dinner and board game parties for their close friends, growing new plants from cuttings, watching absurdist and surrealist films and making up new recipes.
Individually: Ghost is a multimedia performance artist, creative technologist, and all-rounded digital wizard. John is a multidisciplinary storyteller, creative strategist, and actor represented by Hancock Agency.
Heath & Access Requirements
We can put a range of things in place to best support your participation in this workshop.
Please contact artist.development@sadlerswells.com with your specific requirements.
Performances
Age 16 - 30?
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