CAAKE 2019

CAAKE 2019 Derry City

CAAKE's Winter Residency with Art Arcadia at St. Augustine's Old School House in Derry-Londonderry, Northern Ireland, titled "FL*OOOW Orient, Ornament, Order," ran from November 2019 to January 2020. Each month featured a new collaboration, led by founder Gail Mahon in November, CAAKE collaborator Tara J Murphy in December, and invited artist David Blackmore in January 2020.


The film "Dissonance of Surface" focuses on the work produced during the November residency. A collaboration between CAAKE artist Gail Mahon, dancer Marketa Formanova, and writer/NLP Master Practitioner Jane Talbot at Art Arcadia in Derry City in November 2019. This work responded to "Orient," exploring the loss of direct conscious connection with our bodies in space, the compression of time, and the tension experienced when navigating chaotic moments in different locations and timescales.

Performance: Gail Mahon and Marketa Formanova
Spoken Word: Jane Talbot and Marketa Formanova
Filming and Sound Design: Rebekah Mahon

Residency Overview
The residency responded to uncertainty and chaos by navigating theatre dance performances and spoken word to create an installation environment. It explored the dynamics between shape and surface, audience and performance, aiming to harmonise and fade these elements. The central question was whether we could navigate chaotic conditions while preserving our original selves.

"Dissonance of Surface" addressed how rapid world changes outpace people's ability to adapt, examining how materials, codes, and rhythms relocate to chaos, challenging our ability to remain present and composed.

Collaboration with BODY WISDOM
The residency extended its program through collaboration with the BODY WISDOM group from Echo Echo. This included a one-day workshop culminating in an evening performance. The BODY WISDOM group developed a unique imprint on the process, exploring the navigation of flow and the connection between fragmented thought patterns and poetic performance to mediate both conscious and unconscious landscapes.

Special thanks Art Arcadia (host venue) and to the Body Wisdom members Deirdre, Maggie, and Dennis, who performed as part of the Echo Echo Festival of Dance and Movement in 2019. The Body Wisdom group is Echo Echo Dance Theatre Company's long-term dance and movement project for people over 50 years old. This Winter residency was supported by the Arts Council of Northern Ireland and featured performances in partnership with the Echo Echo Dance Festival in November 2019.