“How do we move from a logic of resistance, of putting our bodies on the line, to one of reappropriation and collective joy, capable of sustaining all those infrastructures differently?”
Ecofeminismos. La sostenibilidad de la vida. Herrero and Gago, 2023, p.15
As part of FRAUD’s Stanley Picker Fellowship project A Simultaneous Agreement we staged a large-scale, community-led performance that traced along the course of the Hogsmill River between the gallery and the blue bridge.
The event involved an amazing cast of more than one hundred people from across Kingston and beyond who performed a simple choreography on the bridge above the river. The dance was devised by movement director Neus Gil Cortés, with a lead performance by Juan Sanchez Plaza, wearing a costume designed by FRAUD and fabricated by Isabel Castro Jung. The performance was accompanied by a score sung by Juniper (Jenny Plant).
The performance is part of a broader community campaign advocating for the Hogsmill River’s designation as a public bathing site for both human and more than human life. Documentation of the event will contribute to the evidence submitted in support of this application.
WARNING: Please be aware that the river currently contains unsafe levels of phosphates, E. coli, leptospirosis (Weil’s disease), and other contaminants, and is not safe for swimming. While we hope the river will one day be safe for bathing, we strongly advise that no one enters the Hogsmill River in its current condition.
Biography
Neus Gil Cortes is a Spanish choreographer and dramaturg based in UK. With more than fifteen years of experience as a dance artist, Neus has danced in companies such as Hofesh Shechter Company, National Dance Company Wales and Dance Works Rotterdam, amongst others. Neus has choreographed from early on in her professional career, first supported by the different companies she was dancing in, and from 2009 as an independent choreographer, when she was selected for One Night’s Dance, a platform for young choreographers hosted by Dansateliers Rotterdam.
Juan Sánchez Plaza, originally from Spain, is a Professional Dancer, choreographer and teacher based between London and Barcelona. He works with Agudo Dance Company, Richard Chappell Dance company, Tom Dale Company, Richard Pye, Puntos de Partida, Flute Theatre, Persona Collective, alongside co-funding and creating for Nomad Dance Collective, touring ”The Renegade Master”, ”D(US)T”, “NOW-NESS” and ”Nomades” in the UK, Spain, Germany and Ecuador 2021-2024.
Isabel Castro Jung is a German Spanish visual artist and artist educator based in London, UK. She has exhibited internationally and her work focuses on immersive performance sculpture, participatory live art and creative workshops.
Juniper (aka Jenny Plant) is a British ethereal artist and composer known for her distinctive, expressive voice. An in-demand songwriter and composer for media, Jenny has become a defining voice across soundtracks worldwide, contributing to projects ranging from Disney feature films to BAFTA-nominated video game scores, as well as television series and global advertising campaigns. She is a PMA and VGMO award winner and a proud member of BAFTA Connect. A captivating live performer, Jenny has recently toured internationally, with standout appearances at iconic venues including the Sydney Opera House and Hammersmith Apollo. Whether performing on a grand stage or in an intimate setting, she is known for creating a deeply engaging and personal atmosphere.
