Performance Parties Politics Pop wearefierce.org #Fierce2019

Free Festival Guide UK Birmingham, 2019, October 15–20 1 1. A Very Fierce 5. Immersive history 8. The joy of repetition Bab, you Grand Opening Pay a visit to the Archive of Power Cuts in really is in you Lebanese theatre maker Tania El Khoury’s The Come join us for a toast to launch the festival at Search For Power (p.16). Exhilarating, exhausting, esoteric, existential Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery with a night dance: Marco Berrettini’s iFeel2 (p.39) and Ellen are invited of performances, drinks and DJs, plus it's free Furey and Malik Nashad Sharpe’s SOFTLAMP. entry! (pp.12–13) autonomies (p.18). to Fierce 2. Compelling contemporary theatre 9. Concept Festival Nicola Gunn questions the ethics of Working albums with Children (p.29) with many a diversion en Stadium pop on a route and a striking murder mystery from the budget with Lucy 2019! Netherland’s Davy Pieters in How Did I Die (p.9). McCormick’s Life: Live! (p.31), a reappraisal of Bob Dylan in Mariana Valencia’s ALBUM (p.22), or a spinning rock Join us for six concert (literally) with Miet Warlop’s Ghost Writer and joyous days the Broken Hand Break (p.25). Miet Warlop of disruptive Davy Pieters international Justin Shoulder 10. Party of performance. Expect 3. Our ecological crisis the year In Justin Shoulder’s Carrion (p.8) and Julia Bardsley’s An Apian Paradox (p.36) 6. Strange cabarets Club Fierce (pp.32–33) heart-popping Nicola Gunn boundaries between the human and Try the 3-octave range of NYC’s Joseph Keckler happenings where animal worlds are blurred. Does the (In Concert p.26) or the outrageous Oozing natural world hold the secrets for our Gloop (The Gloop Show p.19), the UK’s ‘premier everyone and survival? Expect fantastic costume! green-faced autistic drag queen’. everything is allowed. 4. Participation 7. Identity parades Deconstructions of gender Delve into the for those who hate and race in high-fashion catwalk show Make programme on participating Banana Cry by Andrew There is no audience, only participants, Tay & Stephen Thompson the following in these three pieces that never feel (p.28) and startling solo exposing with everybody creating the Private: Wear a mask when pages or start work together: Kate McIntosh In Many you talk to me (Alexandra Bachzetsis, p.38). Hands (pp.10–11), Begüm Erciyas Voicing Oozing with our tips here. Pieces (p.21) & Brian Lobel BINGE (p20). Andrew Tay & Stephen Thompson Gloop 3 Suppose you had the revolution you are exhausting daily fetishisation of being Asian in get an anti-austerity government into Downing talking and dreaming about. Suppose your the Western world in Make Banana Cry. Search Street? Seems unlikely. Will the performances side had won, and you had the kind of for the meaning of life in iFeel2 and be put in contained within these pages bring about On Fierce society that you wanted. How would you a trance by The Ghost Writer and the Broken the demise of neo liberalism and the white live, you personally, in that society? Start Hand Break, wonder about ethics in Working supremacist patriarchy as we know it? Not any living that way now! with Children and travel the “universal A E I O U” time soon. Paul Goodman (anarchist philosopher) in The Gloop Show. So what’s the use then? Festival As is Fierce tradition, we are excited to present I am reminded of a quote from writer Rebecca With a world in crisis what use is an arts the UK debut performances from a number of Solnit’s book ‘Hope in the Dark’: festival, really? highly acclaimed international artists, surprisingly This is the question I have asked myself on overlooked in the UK until now. This year we boast Ideas at first considered outrageous or 2019 a daily basis whilst putting together the Fierce a particularly illustrious list including New York’s ridiculous or extreme gradually become Festival 2019 programme. alternative opera and cabaret star Joseph Keckler, what people think they've always believed. What can art really achieve in the context of witty Italo-Swiss choreographer Marco Berrettini, How the transformation happened is What use is Fierce, in creeping fascism, mass anxiety and the ever looming acclaimed Australian theatre-maker Nicola Gunn, rarely remembered, in part because it's this political moment? threat of the extinction of the human race? (who will join us as part of a host of debut UK compromising: it recalls the mainstream Should Fierce be making huge political dates around the country), bold physical theatre when the mainstream was, say, rabidly statements? Secretly channelling all our money maker Davy Pieters, installation maker Begüm homophobic or racist in a way it no longer to Extinction Rebellion? Only funding artists to Erciyas and the long overdue main stage debut of is; and it recalls that power comes from make work about Trump, the Environment or Miet Warlop. the shadows and the margins, that our Brexit? Or perhaps ignoring it all completely to We are also excited to welcome a wave of hope is in the dark around the edges, not help people escape from things for a little while? younger talent, bursting onto the international the limelight of center stage. Our hope and To be honest, none of the above sounds like the performance scene with UK debut performances often our power. makings of a particularly interesting festival. from bold new voices including Mariana Whilst I might not have come up with Valencia, Justin Shoulder, Ariah Lester, James Countless times over the years Fierce has been any miracle solutions, I do think the Fierce Batchelor & Zander Porter and Ellen Furey (in a called “outrageous”, “ridiculous” and “extreme”, Festival 2019 programme can be boiled down collaboration with Fierce alumni Malik Nashad and you’ll find some of that again this year to four elements that feel more vital than ever: Sharpe), alongside new Fierce commissions (they’re badges we’ve always worn proudly). For communion, empathy, resistance and joy. These from the UK’s own Lucy McCormick and Gillie me, Fierce is the dark around the edges that four things can guide us through the dark times – Kleiman & Greg Wohead. Solnit talks about, in the margins of both artform offering a little hope. We also welcome a host of internationally and society. For six days this October I invite you to revered names to Fierce including Austrian In 2019 more than ever we need propositions come and converge with us in Birmingham and techno lover Doris Uhlich, gender confuser not opposition. The Fierce Festival 2019 experience the performances of some brilliant Alexandra Bachzetsis, the peerless Julia Bardsley programme is full of artists living as if the artists from all over the world – and they come and return of Fierce favourites Tania El Khoury, revolution has happened, all of them making bearing propositions. Kate McIntosh, Brian Lobel and Andrew Tay & propositions… naughty, joyous, sexy propositions. Come and congregate: spend time with Stephen Thompson. I really hope you’ll step into the darkness with strangers. Relate. Consider different perspectives. It wouldn’t be Fierce if we didn’t celebrate us this October. Think differently, imagine alternatives (and bring significant figures from the world of performance a friend along too). Feel connected to the world, art. This year there are new works from key Irish Aaron enjoy the sensations and emotions it provokes. Be performance artists Nigel Rolfe and Sandra x confused, be unsure, be curious... just be there. Johnston, the always intriguing Yann Marussich At Fierce Festival 2019 you can take part in in a particularly taxing situation as well as a participatory event In Many Hands, a moving and younger generation of performance artists meditative experience for a group of strangers. including Keijaun Thomas, Selina Bonelli and You can get into bed with an artist for BINGE and Whiskey Chow. We are excited to welcome them recharge with a boxset. In Voicing Pieces you’re all to our brilliant city. invited to encounter yourself as a stranger in an But the question still remains, what can any Aaron Wright intimate installation for one. You can see how of this do? Will the performances contained Artistic Director the movement of gender is constructed in pop within these pages convince British Petroleum to culture, porn, fashion and yoga in Private: Wear move their focus to renewable energy? No. Will Fierce Festival a mask when you talk to me or understand the the performances contained within these pages

4 5 won’t merely be sitting in a seat, as an audience member you Various locations Free and that in some shape or from are freer to move around you’ll be more involved in the and see the work from your What performance. This may include preferred spot (no seats, participation, don’t worry, unless for access reasons). The Susannah Hewlett London there will be no embarrassing works often last a few hours,

audience interaction here. You meaning you can choose to in residence to see might have to do things, like drop in and out as you please. My Minor Spectrorective We know it can be a little handle objects, move around, or Performance Art often uses follow some simple instructions. materials and objects that daunting attending some A rtist art and performance events, These events are ‘experiential’. we might be accustomed to especially when you’re not seeing in an art gallery and 100% sure exactly what the Fierce Lates lack the theatricality and event is. We want to make conventions of the events sure everyone feels welcome These events are more relaxed, categorised as ‘shows’. at Fierce and whilst we don’t generally happening later at ‘as intimate want to ruin the mystery and night, with a bar open! Some Dance surprise of some of the pieces of them like Lucy McCormick’s as a colonic in the festival this year, we have Life: Live! will be standing. Whilst lots of the artists in the irrigation and, created some categories that These events we generally Fierce programme might have if it’s possible, should give you a reassuring expect to have a slightly more a formal training in dance the understanding of what type of informal, possibly even rowdy shows we’ve categorised as funnier…’ thing you’re signing up to see. atmosphere! ‘dance’ have easily identifiable Total Theatre Each event in the dance features – such as programme will be labelled Performance Art movement and choreography with the categories below. or ‘dance-moves’ in time to Some events will be labelled Fierce has a long history of music! Lots of people think with more than one category. presenting Performance that dance isn’t for them, but If you have further questions Art. This is quite a slippery trust us – these shows are or concerns about attending term to define, but generally beautiful and exhilarating. an event then email [email protected]. FIERCE SAYS: We can’t think Cross breeding live art, Fierce Highlight: If you’re still confused or and some might even make of an artist who has made us comedy, theatre, sound and Shows wary, we’ve written a few you angry or confused – laugh more over the years than film for over 15 years Susannah The Great British Cack Off – Fierce guidelines that we these are all totally welcome Susannah Hewlett. From the Hewlett is delighted to present Sunday 20 October, MAC, If an event is categorised as hope will guide you through and valid responses to have. show in a caravan with some to you a buffet selection of her 12–4pm a show, it means that you will the programme! There’s lots to see in poor bloke tied up in the toilet, finest cold cuts. A platter of The ultimate poo making sit in a seat for the duration You don’t need a degree the programme, but make to a new born baby dressed up audio interventions, televisual battle using only peanut of the event, and generally be in art to appreciate the a plan that works for you. as a snake in a participatory highlights and be-wigged butter, chocolate spread and watching something happen festival! Whatever you think Only a very small handful of family pet show and perennial characters. oats – where passionate in front of you – usually on or feel about a performance people will see everything idiot Chris Titmus. Su is our first Fixated on popular culture, amateurs compete to be a stage, but sometimes in a is valid. You don’t need to be in the programme. Why not official festival artist in residence her work challenges the crowned the UK’s Best Cack slightly different space, like a looking for hidden meanings plan a route around a few – look out for her subtle comfort of audiences by Master! The judges look for hall in a museum. Don’t worry in the performances – just of the performances at the and sometimes not so subtle using comedy as a strategy to signature style, technical though, nothing will be required have some sort of emotional weekend (leave a gap for interventions across the festival. disarm – scratching through excellence and of you other than sitting back experience. This might food!). We recommend the the shiny Saturday night showstopping and taking it all in! include a whole range of ‘tapas’ approach. Try a few TV dazzle or looking past qualities! emotions such as finding different things, and also the kindly smile to reveal Experiences something funny or beautiful, take a chance on something unpalatable truths about but some performances you wouldn’t normally go the human condition. If something is categorised as might feel more challenging to see. an experience it means that you Various dates 6 7 S how Warwick Arts Centre, Theatre £16/14 Warwick Arts Centre, Studio £12/10 and free bus This presentation from Birmingham is supported S how by Performing Arts Fund NL. Justin Shoulder Sydney Presented in Davy Pieters Rotterdam Presented in partnership partnership with with Warwick Warwick Arts Carrion Arts Centre and How Did I Die Centre and BE 60 minutes Coventry Biennial 65 minutes FESTIVAL UK Tuesday night double bill* Tuesday night double bill* Premiere See both for £25/21 See both for £25/21

‘Mesmerising and tender, elemental and fantastical, Carrion is a rite, a birth, a speculation – morphing the ‘natural’ in a unique vision of physical performance possibilities.’ Australian Arts Review

What does it mean to be FIERCE SAYS: Justin is our ‘The starting point of How Did I Die may be simple, the precision with which the human in an era when our favourite club performer. We’ve performance is constructed is masterful. It requires a great talent to tickle the destructive influence over the been following his incredible planet is rapidly redefining the work (and costumes!) on brains of your audience in such an intelligent, witty and hallucinatory way.’ laws of nature? This magnetic Instagram for years and now Trouw performance by Justin he’s made a brilliant theatre Shoulder introduces Carrion: show too. We’re thrilled to finally In How Did I Die, time cannot has taken place, but there FIERCE SAYS: A murder a post-human spectre with bring him over for his major be trusted: neither the period are countless paths that mystery like you’ve never seen the ability to shapeshift into European debut performances. from the discovery of the could have led to it. Does it before. This is theatre for the multiple forms and speak See him now before he becomes body to a possible conclusion, the reconstruction bring us Netflix generation: a gripping multiple languages. a household name. nor the possible final hours closer to the truth, or does it drama, but played out with Drawing on queer of the deceased. Nothing push us further away? How unbelievable movement skill, and bicultural ancestral is certain. Time and truth Did I Die is a realistically with a 90s I Know What You Did mythologies, Carrion *Join us for a double bill are manipulated, conspiracy fictional, cinematic, physical Last Summer kinda vibe. Not transports us into a place with Davy Pieter’s (How Did theories revised. The truth is production. Particularly available on iPlayer. where the distant past collides I Die) and catch the free a complex puzzle in which our suitable for those who love a with the far future, alerting us Fierce bus to Warwick Arts fantasies can be gruesomely good thriller. to the changes that already lie Centre departing Minerva real or unreal. Just one murder within ourselves. Works (Digbeth) at 6pm and Produced by Insite Arts. returning after the last show! UK Tuesday 15 October, 9pm Premiere Tuesday 15 October, 7.45pm Wednesday 16 October, 7.45pm 8 9 EXPERIENCE Birmingham Repertory Theatre, £15/12 ‘After about 45 minutes, there is probably no one in the Presented in room whose hands are not completely filthy… A rare partnership with The Studio Birmingham and wonderful offer to concentrate on yourself without 90 minutes Repertory Theatre losing sight of your fellow human beings.’ kultur.kino.ruhr Kate McIntosh Brussels

In Many Hands UK Premiere

FIERCE SAYS: Fierce isn’t generally a fan of audience participation but we are in LOVE with this show. Its democratic format means everyone engages on an equal level, and nobody is left feeling exposed. We don’t want to give too much away – just In recent years, audiences phenomena themselves. trust us and come, we had a to Kate McIntosh’s works In Many Hands is part transcendental experience. have been involved in many laboratory, part expedition, A festival highlight. different ways – they have part meditation – as it unfolds, been invited to take part visitors take their time to as accomplices, craftsmen, engage and explore as they orchestra-members and wish, following their noses rainmakers. and curiosities. Returning This project steps away to Fierce for the third time, from the stage – instead Kate’s work is guided by her bringing the audience into a ongoing fascinations with the Tuesday 15 October, 8.30pm series of aesthetic sensory misuse of objects, playfulness situations, inviting them to with the audience and an off- Wednesday 16 October, 5pm and 8.30pm experiment with materials beat humour. and encounter physical Thursday 17 October, 1.30pm and 5pm 10 11 ATES L Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery Free, Our Very Fierce Grand Opening event is always very

drop in special and we’re thrilled this year to be holding it at ates Presented in L partnership with Birmingham Birmingham Museum. Expect different performances Museums around the museum as well as a toast to launch the A Very 4 hours festival, DJs and host Ginny Lemon + it’s all free! Fierce Grand With performances from: pening Sandra Johnston O Keijaun Thomas Whiskey Chow Zander Porter X Justin Shoulder James Batchelor Zander Porter X Alien Intimacy A dance of “human” and “alien” embodiments, Alien Intimacy speculates James Batchelor on the movement of an interpersonally constructed alien sense, drawing relations Ariah Lester between the visible and the invisible or the physically embodied and the virtually disembodied. The distance Lucy McCormick between human and alien expands and contracts via virtual imagery, silver-tactile Susannah Hewlett mediation, and internet- referential performativity. Temporal denseness and Whiskey Chow Hosted by specificity conjure an intimacy for this distance as an almost-touchable “space

Ginny Lemon Johnston Sandra between.”

Wednesday 16 October, 7pm DOORS 12 13 PERFORMANCE ART Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery Free Various 60 minutes Free As part of A Very Fierce Grand Opening (see New previous page) York Newcastle-upon-Tyne Keijaun Thomas Presented in Sandra Johnston partnership with My Last American Dollar: 90 minutes Unmuted Here-to-Here, Notwithstanding Round 1, Tricking and Flipping Coins: Making Dollars Hit; Round 2, Black Angels in the Infield: Dripping Faggot Sweat; Johnston’s performances are ART PERFORMANCE Round 3, Whatchu Gonna Do: Marvelous like Marva UK experiential in nature, based Premiere on improvisational processes that explore physical states In this immersive solo work of responsiveness formed Thomas investigates and in relation to the actualities embodies resistance, asking: of specific situations and “How do we resist temptation, the moment of making. how do we slow down, Actions are assembled using how do we play, how do we mainly found objects, each survive?” Thomas traverses informing decision making a multimedia installation, through memory and haptic combining structural perception. The performances fragments of environments are intended as propositions, associated with labour, ritual, whereby the audience and hospitality such as locker observes the emergence of rooms, strip clubs, waiting latent relationships between rooms, church pews, and field the materials and gestures, days. Investigating forms offered as ‘provisional through which black and behaviours’ and existing as brown people hold space for mutable encounters to be each other, Thomas asks, how realised only within moments to carry the multiplicities of of close connection between being young, gifted, and black artist and audience. powerfully engaging with the entangled histories of labour, subjugation, and resistance. FIERCE SAYS: Sandra’s performances are often quiet FIERCE SAYS: We’ve been and contemplative, but as a following the work of Keijaun performer she brings an intensity for a few years now, and have to them that makes them hard to always wanted to get her to walk away from. Sandra has had Fierce. She has rejuvenated a huge influence on a younger performance art, showing it to generation of performance art be a powerful contemporary practitioners, some who you’ll ‘Within moments she had commanded our attention. medium. Expect striking imagery see elsewhere in the programme. The simple act of opening up the doors brought a from an important new voice in change to the room.’ performance art. Inaction.ie

Image: Andrea Abbatangelo Wednesday 16 October (A Very Fierce Grand Opening)

Wednesday 16 October Thursday 17 October, 7–8pm (Arch 21) 14 15 EXPERIENCE Secret Location £15/12 Birmingham Repertory Theatre, The Door £12/10 Presented in Commissioned by partnership with Fierce and Dance SHOW Shubbak Festival City. Presented in partnership Beirut Commissioned Tania El Khoury by ANTI Festival Gillie Kleiman & with Birmingham International Prize Repertory Theatre for Live Art & Supported by The Search for Power UK Shubbak Festival Newcastle / ARC Stockton, Wainsgate Chapel, 60 minutes London Premiere Greg Wohead Shoreditch Town Hall, Northern Stage and Familiar Roehampton University.

Familiar is a twinset of FIERCE SAYS: Tania was last performances on significant at Fierce when we commissioned otherness. One authored by her installation Gardens Speak Kleiman and performed by in 2014 which became a major Wohead, the other authored international success touring to by Wohead and performed 18 countries worldwide. Tania by Kleiman, the two are is a vital voice in contemporary twisted together with story, theatre and we’re honoured to song and spit. be partnering with Shubbak Springboarding from a Festival to host the UK premiere question of companionship, of this unique, immersive story. Kleiman and Wohead reach for something mysterious: a shaggy dog story danced On a night with a sudden national corporations, by Twin Peaks’ legendary electricity outage in Beirut, and colonial powers. They Log Lady, speaking from the the artist and her historian discovered traces of everyday beyond to enable the pair to husband promised each other acts of survival, resistance, become others of significance to research the history of and sabotage by workers and then and there in the theatre. power outages in Lebanon. electricity users. They decided They went on a journey to trace their steps back collecting documents. Some and share it in an intimate were simply not accessible. gathering. The paper trail led them to The Search for Power FIERCE SAYS: Gillie and Greg archives in five different is a lecture and installation are two of the most exciting countries. They reached as far performance inviting the young makers in the UK, so back as 1906, when electricity audience to look into archival when they told us they wanted was first introduced to Beirut. documents, inaccessible to make solos for each other we They found a transnational knowledge, and a personal jumped at the chance. Expect a story involving businessmen, quest for revenge. beautiful and quirky design by politicians, warlords, multi- brilliant artist Tim Spooner too.

Wednesday 16 October, 8.30pm Thursday 17 October, 8.30pm Thursday 17 October, 7pm WORLD Friday 18 October, 8.30pm Friday 18 October, 7pm Premiere Saturday 19 October, 8.30pm Saturday 19 October, 5pm 16 17 S how DanceXchange, Patrick Studio £13/11 Centrala £12/10 Presented in Presented in partnership and partnership with /DANCE with the support of New Queers on Norwich / Ellen Furey & DanceXchange 60 minutes the Block Berlin 65 minutes Oozing Gloop Montreal / Malik Nashad Sharpe London The Gloop Show / LATES SHOW SOFTLAMP.autonomies

Two figures dressed in white, They emerge from the FIERCE SAYS: At Fierce we electronic music and a drifting darkness of the dancefloor love a recommendation, and voice sending Yung Hurn’s until they reach a deep this piece got several not least dreams of and appeals to blue in which they abandon from Antonija Livingstone who togetherness – “Baby, you themselves completely in performed at Fierce 2015. It’s wanna chill and stuff / Fly the rhythms of their unison also brilliant to have Malik back The Gloop Show by Oozing wielding a 7ft mascara wand FIERCE SAYS: We first met with me through Vienna and movements. In the end, it at Fierce who premiered their Gloop – ‘our leading green assures that squares make Oozing Gloop when they used stuff ”– as well as the effect becomes clear that this is to show $elfie$ here in 2017 along autistic drag queen’ – takes squares, triangles make to work the door back in the of pills into space in a loop. be understood as a movement with Ellen Furey – a major new you on a psycho-magical trip triangles and doing things… early days of Sink the Pink. In this meditative, hypnotic of resistance. voice on the Montreal scene. through the universal A E I does stuff. Now they’ve gone and created dance trip through the spheres O U. The Gloop Show re- one of the most distinctive of the now, Ellen Furey from ‘The performance creates a powerful and cohesive On route we ramble stitches the fabric of our shows we’ve seen by a UK artist Montreal and London-based through a dream scape of reality and charts sublime in recent memory. Don’t miss it, New York dance artist Malik affective field that nonetheless permits a wide variety gigantic vowels, handmade new political territories. This is it’s a real trip! Nashad Sharpe celebrate a of responses to coexist: delight, stupor, impatience, patchwork, masks and wigs. your survival guide to the 21st future without authorities and Our guiding green vagabond century! constraints. awe, reverie, and, for me, a moment of pure adrenalized thrill.’ Contemporary Performance Thursday 17 October, 10.30pm doors Thursday 17 October, 9pm Friday 18 October, 11pm 18 19 E xperience Free, £9 Venue to be announced (allow around an Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, The Lab Presented in hour for your visit) drop in partnership with Royal Birmingham Conservatoire. You and Begüm Erciyas Berlin / Brussels Supported by the Embassy of the EXPERIENCE Federal Republic Voicing Pieces of Germany and the Goethe-Institut Brian Lobel London London 30 minutes BINGE

I couldn’t help but wonder… might my old collection of box sets hold all the answers?

BINGE, an interactive installation curated by Brian Lobel, creates the space to slow down, disconnect from the noise of everyday life, reconnect with the comfort of a duvet and a listening ear. BINGE is a collection of one-to-one and intimate UK conversations based around Premiere your favourite box sets, that exist somewhere between ‘It is a long journey, radical self-care and playful although it lasts only half In Voicing Pieces, your own self-indulgence. Warmly voice is staged to become the FIERCE SAYS: A performance nostalgic, BINGE collapses an hour, which eventually protagonist. In the intimacy in which you become the the distinction between the of an isolated sound booth, brings you back home performer, for an audience of high-brow, the low-brow, and guided by a simple score, you to yourself, to your own yourself. This is a beautiful and the freshly-plucked brow. become spectator of your unusual installation that we also Leave your own drama voice. And it will never own voice. found strangely empowering. behind, and insert yourself Aren’t our own voices sound the same again. Be sure to book quick as slots into a world where whatever always inauthentic and Magical.’ are extremely limited. the drama, it’ll probably be uncanny? Who is speaking, solved before the final credits. deMorgen when your own voice speaks? FIERCE SAYS: This experience Rather than recognizing made us slow down, and consider yourself in the stranger, our relationship with rest AND Voicing Pieces is an invitation television. Comes with snacks. to recognize the stranger Local artist collaborators will be in yourself. Image: Elle Brotherhood announced nearer the time.

Friday 18 October, 12–7pm (Slots between) Saturday 19 October, 12–6pm Saturday 19 October, 12–7pm (Slots between) Sunday 20 October, 12–6pm Sunday 20 October, 12–7pm (Slots between) 20 21 SHOW Midlands Arts Centre, Foyle Studio £13/11 Various Free Presented in or with a ticket for partnership with Club Fierce 55 minutes MAC L ATES Supported by Amsterdam Performing Arts Mariana Ariah Lester Fund NL ‘[Valencia] approaches (live set) New York making performance as Valencia EUROPEAN Premiere assembling notes for a Pop, Soul, R&B, afro-caribbean Album future biographer. Dance rhythms. With his androgynous is often romanticized for countertenor voice Venezuelan singer ARIAH LESTER its ephemerality, but Ms. gives a queer, mesmerising Valencia, shaping her performance that is full of own narrative, intends to sensuality, movement and deep emotions. Falsettos, leave a record… With her old-fashioned synths and terse, inviting sense of powerful bassy-sassy-beats create a unique music world humor, switching matter that is universal, eclectic. From of factly between tasks… slow ballads to powerful dance By the end, a stranger has songs, ARIAH will take you on a journey to the core of your become a friend.’ body-heart, he’ll make you The New York Times MOVE... Former dancer and choreographer Lester Arias started to make beats and play with his voice, after three years he has released his first Album is a solo performance with the task to preserve and EP THE GATE and became that unites text, song, and perform a self herstory as ARIAH LESTER; a show that dance inside of the content an album in image and song. combines music with dance of an album—a picture Valencia’s relationship to and performance. album, a song album, an urbanity, vampires, love, and autobiographical album, a marginality arise with equal herstorical album—finding importance as she orbits the FIERCE SAYS: Ariah Lester ways to be an archive, or primary curiosity: Who will is a major new talent and his altar, for Valencia’s body. write herstory? Album starts infectious energy is catching. Through factual, humorous, this process—so the author of There are a number of chances and grave observations, a Valencia’s herstory can have to see him over the festival – so FIERCE SAYS: Valencia frame of self-identification good notes. don’t miss out! is such a warm presence, is established and charged and her original songs are Outfit: Tom van der Borght. Image: Alexander Deprez brilliantly funny, there’s even an appearance from Gloria Estefan. However, don’t be deceived – Friday 18 October, 4pm this is a super smart show, that Wednesday 16 October, 7pm doors (A Very Fierce Grand Opening) rips up the autobiographical performance rulebook. We Stan. Saturday 19 October, 12pm Friday 18 October, 6.30pm (Fresh Friday at Birmingham Hippodrome)

+ Friday 25 October, 7.30pm Arena Theatre, Wolverhampton Saturday 19 October, 11pm doors (Club Fierce) 22 23 SHOW /DANCE Midlands Arts Centre, Theatre £16/14 Birmingham Hippodrome, Patrick Studio £12/10 Presented in Presented in partnership with partnership with 70 minutes MAC and DASH Birmingham Hippodrome. Doris Uhlich Vienna Miet Warlop Ghent Supported by the Embassy of the E xperience Federal Republic Every Body Electric Ghost Writer and of Germany and UK the Goethe-Institut Premiere the Broken Hand Break 45 minutes London ‘A production that is not warm and cuddly, In Ghost Writer and the Broken Hand Break, Warlop but instead bristly and works with the idea of a grating. Beyond the western version of the whirling full-bodied, sometimes dance known from Sufi dervishes. Three performers difficult to chew on. spin in a circle for 45 minutes Beautiful because it has – a movement that in Sufi not been beautified.’ ceremonies is meant to induce a state of religious ecstasy. Leipziger Volkszeitung Keeping with Miet Warlop’s style, the whirling is enriched by making music. It becomes an experiment in perception, a dizzy feeling, a reflection on the spirit of our time. The Every Body Electric is a when machines – for example dance styles. The explosive mixture of whirling dance, simple, but radical invitation wheelchairs, prostheses, power, but also the gentle or recitation and concert moves to explore potentials through crutches – are regarded and forceful poetry of Every Body on the thin line between self- dance, to make them visible, staged as extensions to the Electric ultimately rests in control and loss of control. and to delve deep into an body? Personal rhythms, how the performers perceive How can we find a balance archaeology of energy. What dynamics, beats and bodily their bodies and how they are between self-control and other possibilities open up characteristics lead to unique perceived. devotion? What shape are the spirits that write the story of our life? FIERCE SAYS: Fierce loves techno and Fierce loves Doris FIERCE SAYS: We got so sick Uhlich. We spent a great evening of waiting for Miet Warlop to chatting with Doris and the perform in the UK, that we just performers of Every Body went and invited her ourselves. Electric post show in Dusseldorf, We’re delighted to present but it wasn’t until a couple the long overdue mainstage of weeks later when we still UK debut performances from couldn’t stop thinking about the UK Warlop – a totally unique figure performance that we decided Premiere within the European scene. This we had to bring it to Fierce. show is a riot. ++ Boris Kopeinig mixing the soundtrack live. Friday 18 October, 10pm Friday 18 October, 6.30pm Saturday 19 October, 2pm 24 25 LATES /SHOW Birmingham Hippodrome, Studio 5 £12/10 Arch 21 60 minutes (approx) Free Presented in partnership with Birmingham New 70 minutes Hippodrome Dublin Joseph Keckler York Nigel Rolfe In Concert (new performance)

‘Fucking amazing’ A rt P erformance UK Amy Schumer Premiere

FIERCE SAYS: Nigel is one of The central contention of concepts and the mind and the most important figures in Rolfe’s practice is that art the correspondences of both Vocal virtuoso, charming His three-octave range FIERCE SAYS: At the last performance art internationally, making is a live and vital brought together - as doing raconteur, master prose stylist. puts him at the peaks of Fierce Festival performer and has been making work for engagement. and being are ancient and After recent shows at highbrow culture, but he Erin Markey told us we had over four decades. We’re so His work engages socio- slow but still always urgent Lincoln Center, New York moves to popular styles to book Joseph – and that’s a excited to see what he makes: we political concerns of have and and present. and Centre Pompidou, Paris, without missing a beat. Here recommendation you’d be a fool know it will be a charged moment have-not and fault lines in Some while ago it became Joseph Keckler makes his UK is a renaissance man who to turn down! Joseph’s offbeat for everyone who attends. society. better standing in the cold debut, performing an intimate wears his brilliance lightly; humour has earned him a cult So much imagery today winter nights watching evening of his work in concert with a wink and a smile, he following in the USA and we’re is mediated by these fast- football in the rain rather form – ecstatic art-pop songs gently lifts the soul. thrilled to present his debut UK moving digital reprographic than in the comfort of the and wild arias about daily life performances at Fierce before times, so quickly we living room on a flat screen that spiral out towards the he goes on to a run at London’s consume pictures and turn tv. First hand before your mythic. Soho Theatre. the page and speed on. The eyes better than second knowledge in art making hand reprographics. We live is perhaps slower and hard therefore we are, keep life live won: touch and the body, and art along with it. Friday 18 October, 8.30pm Saturday 19 October, 8.30pm Saturday 19 October, 2pm 26 27 EXPERIENCE /SHOW Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery, £13/11 Birmingham Repertory Theatre, £15/12 Presented in Presented in partnership with partnership with SHOW The Waterhall Birmingham The STUDIO Birmingham Museums Repertory Theatre With thanks to the This project is ndrew ay & High Commission supported by A T of Canada in the the Australian Melbourne United Kingdom for Nicola Gunn Government 70 minutes its support. through the Stephen Thompson Montreal Australia Council, Working with Children its arts funding and advisory body. Working Make Banana Cry with Children was originally commissioned and produced by Melbourne Theatre ‘The crowd’s discomfort is palpable and 70 minutes Company. the message is strong: we are confronted with the sheer exhaustion that comes from a lifetime of carrying the weight of fetishization.’ Dance current UK Premiere

Make Banana Cry is a critical and destabilizing dance performance questioning Asian stereotypes and the transmission of cultural identity. The work confronts ‘Nicola Gunn is a singular Working with Children FIERCE SAYS: When we saw western perceptions of the voice in Australian looks at the problem of this show in Sydney, Nicola had ‘Asian Fantasy’ in a durational intimacy and exposure, and us hanging on every word – she parade drawing on the Images: Claudia Chan Tak theatre, her imaginative, the curiosity of working with is such a compelling performer. background of the diverse absurdist work is witty, children in contemporary Expect a narrative style that cast of Canadian artists. performance. In a work that weird, conceptual seems closer to stand-up comedy As aesthetic embodiments is both funny and surprisingly than anything we’ve seen in the FIERCE SAYS: This is a hugely of ‘Asian-ness’ become more and intellectually affective, it is an attempt theatre. It’s madness she’s not generous and laugh out loud predominant in Western art to perform a kind of radical performed in the UK before and funny fashion catwalk show set rigorous without being and pop culture, the artists vulnerability. Through an we’re thrilled to correct this. share a desire to reflect on within a beautiful installation pretentious.’ accumulation of seemingly these representations and by Dominique Petrin. We’re Performing ArtsHub unconnected anecdotes, the explode the mechanisms that thrilled to welcome both Andrew audience is invited to wonder create these categorisations and Stephen back to Fierce about the effect of language within today’s appropriative who previously presented Fame on the body, playing with landscape. Prayer / EATING in 2017 the idea that we can find a and Culture, Administration & different way of behaving Trembling in 2015 respectively. by finding a different way of inquiring and of listening. Saturday 19 October, 3.30pm Sunday 20 October, 12pm Saturday 19 October, 7pm 28 29 PERFORMANCE ART Vivid Projects £6/4 Secret Location (same venue as Club Fierce) £14/11 Presented in (with free entry to association with Club Fierce after) Vivid Live Standing only Co-Commissioned Maidstone London Selina Bonelli Lucy McCormick by Fierce, Theatre Bairro Alto and Cambridge (un)certain twitches Life: Live! Junction with support from Alkantara and WORLD

Tramway and EXPERIENCE / LATES Premiere funding from Arts Council England. Selina Bonelli’s work is an attempt to develop a language beyond its capacities for direct communication. One outside syntax, of evolving, disparate parts, one that tries to touch through our violently ‘Lucy McCormick has inscribed bodies. It could be seen as an unfolding around the moves of Beyoncé, the things we ‘forget’ or try to the lungs of Christina keep at a distance. Lip locked to the words Aguilera and the morals that don’t come: the imposed of a punk iconoclast… nature of your caresses As a comedian she is stutter as they’re swallowed back into a fasciculation of fearless. As a performer daily commemorative actions. she is reckless… She is one of the most extraordinary and FIERCE SAYS: Selina Bonelli performed at Fierce 2017 as extreme performers part of Pilot Nights, so we’re around’ delighted to welcome her back for this longer piece presented The Scotsman with Vivid Live. Selina is part of a new generation of performance artists in the UK with a refined and rigorous practice and compelling use of objects and Life: Live! is a subversive, artist Morven Mulgrew, and FIERCE SAYS: SHE’S BACK! materials. We see interesting immersive, pop concert an album of original music Our favourite UK performer! connections between Selina’s spectacular imagined by written and performed by After the outrageous ‘Triple work and that of older artists nu-pop sensation Lucy Lucy McCormick, Samir Threat’ that we presented with Nigel Rolfe and Sandra Johnston McCormick, and her Kennedy and Ted Rogers, SHOUT Festival in 2018, also performing in the festival. electrotrash Girl Squad. Life:Live! straddles stardom, we can’t wait to see this new Featuring shonky- self care and redemption in a Fierce commissioned show. spectacular, stadium-chic hilarious, crumbling, musical Part theatre, part gig this is the live visuals created with extravaganza. perfect Saturday night out.

Saturday 19 October, 8.30pm Saturday 19 October, 10pm doors (10.30pm Showtime) 30 31 ATES L Secret Location (same venue as £6 advance Join us on the dancefloor for a party that only Fierce / £8 on door could throw, and this time we’ve teamed up with Lucy McCormick’s Life: Live! ) (or free with ticket to Lucy McCormick’s Life: Brummy house collective Hooker Club, to really get Live!) things cookin'. Expect live music, international DJs, pop Presented in partnership with up performance, avant garde gogo dancers and more. lub ierce Hooker Club C F Club Fierce is the best night out in Birmingham. Yes – we just said that, and we mean it. vs Hooker With performances from Club Ariah Lester (Amsterdam) Corin (Sydney) Justin Shoulder (Sydney) Susannah Hewlett (London) Michael Cheng (Birmingham) DJ FANSNAP (Birmingham) Hosted by Justin Shoulder Yshee Black with LACEY LOU (Birmingham)

Saturday 19 October, 11pm DOORS Corin 32 33 Tuesday 15 October Wednesday 16 October Thursday 17 October Friday 18 October Saturday 19 October Sunday 20 October

7.45pm p.8 5pm & 8.30pm p.10–11 1.30pm & 5pm p.10–11 12–7pm p.21 10am p.41 12pm p.28 Justin Shoulder Carrion Kate McIntosh In Many Hands Kate McIntosh In Many Hands Begüm Erciyas Voicing Pieces Talking Fierce Venue to be Andrew Tay & Stephen Warwick Arts Centre 60 mins Birmingham Rep 90 mins Birmingham Rep 90 mins Royal Birmingham Conservatoire 30 mins announced 120 mins Thompson Make Banana Cry BMAG 70 mins 8.30pm p.10–11 7–11pm p.12–13 5.30pm p.41 4pm p.22 12pm p.22 p.7 Kate McIntosh In Many Hands A Very Fierce Grand Opening Justin Shoulder & Matthew Mariana Valencia ALBUM Mariana Valencia ALBUM 12–4pm Birmingham Repertory Theatre 90 mins Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery Stegh Talk Medicine Gallery 60 mins MAC 55 mins MAC, Foyle Studio 55 mins Susannah Hewlett The Great British Cack Off p.9 p.9 6.30pm p.23 12–6pm p.20 9pm 7.45pm 7pm p.17 MAC Davy Pieters How Did I Die Davy Pieters How Did I Die Ariah Lester Fresh Fridays Brian Lobel BINGE Venue to be Gillie Kleiman & Greg Wohead p.20 Warwick Arts Centre 55 mins Birmingham Hippodrome announced, durational 12–6pm Warwick Arts Centre Studio 55 mins Familiar Birmingham Rep (Do the double bill and catch the return Brian Lobel BINGE p.21 Fierce bus to WAC leaving Minerva Works 8.30pm p.16 6.30pm p.24 12–7pm 7pm p.15 Venue to be announced, durational at 6pm) Tania El Khoury The Search for Doris Uhlich Every Body Electric Begüm Erciyas Voicing Pieces Sandra Johnston Here-to-Here, p.21 Power Secret location 60 mins MAC 70 mins Royal Birmingham Conservatoire 30 mins 12–7pm Notwithstanding Arch 21, 60 mins Begüm Erciyas Voicing Pieces 7pm p.17 2pm p.25 8.30pm p.16 Royal Birmingham Conservatoire 30 mins Gillie Kleiman & Greg Wohead Miet Warlop Ghost Writer and p.36 Tania El Khoury The Search for Familiar Birmingham Rep the Broken Hand Break 12–5pm Power Secret location 60 mins Birmingham Hippodrome 45 mins Julia Bardsley An Apian 8.30pm p.16 9pm p.18 Paradox MAC 5 hours (drop in) Tania El Khoury The Search for 2pm p.27 Ellen Furey & Malik Nashad p.41 Power Secret location 60 mins Nigel Rolfe (new performance) 12.30pm Sharpe SOFTLAMP.autonomies Arch 21 60 mins Sandra Johnston & Nigel Rolfe DanceXchange 65 mins 8.30pm p.26 in Conversation MAC 60 mins p.28 Joseph Keckler In Concert 3.30pm 10.30pm (doors) p.19 p.37 Birmingham Hippodrome 70 mins Andrew Tay & Stephen 2.30pm Oozing Gloop The Gloop Show Thompson Make Banana Cry Yann Marussich Bain Brise p.25 Centrala 60 mins 10pm BMAG 70 mins MAC 90 mins Miet Warlop Ghost Writer and 5pm p.17 5.30pm p.38 the Broken Hand Break Birmingham Hippodrome 45 mins Gillie Kleiman & Greg Wohead Alexandra Bachzetsis Familiar Birmingham Rep Private: Wear a Mask when p.19 11pm (DOORS) you talk to me MAC 50 mins p.29 Oozing Gloop The Gloop Show 7pm Centrala 60 mins Nicola Gunn Working with 7.45pm p.39 Children Birmingham Rep 70 mins Melk Prod. / Marco Berrettini iFeel2 Birmingham Hippodrome p.16 8.30pm 80 mins Tania El Khoury The Search for Power Secret location 60 mins 8.30pm p.30 Selina Bonelli (un)certain twitches VIVID Projects

8.30pm p.26 Joseph Keckler In Concert Birmingham Hippodrome 70 mins

10pm (doors) p.31 Lucy McCormick Life: Live! Secret Location 60 mins

11pm–4am p.32–33

Festival Schedule El Khoury Tania Club Fierce Secret location 60 mins EXPERIENCE Midlands Arts Centre, Theatre Free, Midlands Arts Centre, Second Floor Gallery Free Presented in drop in partnership with Presented in MAC. Presentation partnership with supported by ulia ardsley London MAC and Arts & ann arussich Geneva Swiss Arts Council J B 5 hours Science Festival Y M Pro Helvetia and Stanley AN APIAN PARADOX Bain Brise Thomas Johnson Reading Room_03 / Bardsley v Maeterlinck / Social 90 mins (approx) Foundation. Insect Trilogy / part i. The Life of the Bee PERFORMANCE ART PERFORMANCE A bath is filled with broken With just a couple of glass. A man’s forearm is turntable, two female bee-ings visible at the surface of the remix Belgian symbolist poet sharp and crystalline magma. Maurice Maeterlinck’s classic The man is stuck inside his natural history text The Life bath of glass shards and of the Bee, in it’s entirety, cannot get out without getting to a soundtrack of Earth’s injured. Why get out? It is drone music. impossible for the audience to Creating a hive party truly grasp that he is steeped and under the influence of inside some 600 kilos of exotic substances secreting solid matter, and that time is from their own bodies, ticking by. Is this the paradox anthropological questions of contemplating a man in rise to the surface when the danger? For some two hours, vinyl grooves are scraped Yann Marussich plunges the by venom styluses in this audience into a visual and elaborate installation. Why sensory apnoea, until the body are these workers planning to is freed to the echoing sound massacre the males? Are you of crushing glass. All the while, OK Honey? the audience is submerged, With Moa Johansson and deep in concentration and guest BJś Andrew Poppy and frozen by the glances they Owen Parry. share with the performer.

FIERCE SAYS: Yann Marussich is a master of Performance Art. If you’re expecting something squeamish, you are mistaken. This is a truly beautiful and compelling performance.

FIERCE SAYS: Julia is one of the most interesting figures in UK theatre with her highly visual and often macabre shows and installations. In this piece, you’re invited to drop in, stay a while, maybe have a drink: it’s a performance hangout to contemplate our current Sunday 20 October, 12–5pm environmental and political crisis. Sunday 20 October, 2.30pm 36 37 SHOW /DANCE Midlands Arts Centre, Foyle Studio £14/12 DanceXchange, Patrick Studio £12/10 Presented in Presented in partnership with partnership with MAC. Presentation and supported by supported by DanceXchange. Alexandra Swiss Arts Council Melk Prod. / Presentation 50 minutes Pro Helvetia. supported by Pro Helvetia and Stanley / DANCE SHOW Thomas Johnson Bachzetsis Zurich Marco Berrettini Geneva Foundation. 80 minutes Private: Wear a mask iFeel2 when you talk to me ‘an insightful sleepwalking’ Le Temps

FIERCE SAYS: It is a joy to watch Alexandra Bachzetsis whose work has been performed Marie-Caroline Hominal is everywhere from Tate Modern Raymonda, Marco Berrettini is to MoMA and Documenta. This Taylor. A dance begins… solo has even been shown on A young woman and a New York’s Highline. If you’ve middle-aged man, half naked read the book Testo-Junkie, note in a tropical dream world that the author Paul B. Preciado boasting floating plants. They acted as research curator on the are being watched. An erotic making of this piece. female voice sings strange associations with nature. The elegant trance they trace out is done so according to A critic would say: Alexandra ritualized repetition of bodily a minimalist and repetitive Bachzetsis’s solo Private: gestures within the neoliberal structure based on the residue Wear a mask when you talk to regime. of social dances, which are me could be considered a sort However, Private does not then mirrored. of “equipment piece,” where mobilize techniques of parody Taking inspiration from the what it is to be explored is that have been developed book ‘You Must Change Your how everyday behaviors of within feminist and queer Life’ by German philosopher gender and sexual identity cultures during the last years. Peter Sloterdijk, Berrettini are reproduced. Bringing It doesn’t aim to represent revisits the age old question: FIERCE SAYS: Brilliant Simone Trisha Brown’s choreographic the process of embodiment why are we here, on this Aughterlony (Fierce Festival tradition into the highly of gender and sexual norms, earth? A former student of 2017 & 2015) introduced us to techno-baroque world of but rather it explores the Pina Bausch, Berrettini was Marco. This was the first piece global pop culture, Private is instances of performative the German disco-dancing we confirmed for this year’s an unsolicited report, fifty- failure and inner transition champion at the age of 15! festival, and we always knew it three minutes in duration, on that allow for agency and had to close proceedings. As the how gender and sexual desire resistance to emerge. UK final curtain comes down and are fabricated through the Premiere the Fierce community disperses once again join us for this near mystical performance and Sunday 20 October, 5.30pm Sunday 20 October, 7.45pm wonder if it was all a dream. 38 39 Fierce Talks

Thursday 17 October Friday 18 October Saturday 19 October Justin Shoulder Fierce Talking Fierce Venue to be and Matthew Professional’s 10am announced Stegh in Day 120 minutes Free From 11am MAC Join us for a lively morning discussion with artists from the conversation 60 minutes Free (Advance registration festival programme. Full details with Aaron necessary) and line-up of participating artists will be announced If you are an artist or arts Wright nearer the time. Check industry professional attending 5.30pm Medicine Gallery wearefierce.org in September. Fierce Festival 2019 please join 60 minutes Free us for a day of industry talks, discussions and networking We’re so thrilled to have Justin Sunday 19 October and Matthew at Fierce – don’t at MAC. Please register your miss their show Carrion on interest by emailing contact@ Tuesday 15 October and other wearefierce.org and we will Sandra performances at Club Fierce. send full details out. The day In a European first, come will be scheduled so that you Johnston and and hear about their close can see two shows at MAC: Nigel Rolfe in collaborative practices and Album by Mariana Valencia (at joint ventures such as Club 4pm) and Every Body Electric conversation Ate: a performance party by Doris Uhlich (at 6.30pm) with Bhenji Ra that celebrates – so do book your tickets for with Dominic contemporary voices in the these soon as we expect they queer Asia-Pacific community. will sell out. Johnson Facilitated by Fierce’s Artistic 12.30pm MAC, Hexagon Director Aaron Wright. 60 minutes Theatre Free

Following their solo perfor- mances earlier in the week, this Notes on Fierce is a rare chance to hear from Phoebe Patey-Ferguson has what is a festival? Why do we two of Ireland’s most highly been thinking and writing about need them? What are we all regarded performance artists, festivals for the last five years. here for, really? This will be Sandra Johnston and Nigel For Fierce she will be watching some deep delving into Fierce’s Rolfe in a conversation chaired everything and chatting to ongoing role in the social, by Dominic Johnson. Johnson everyone in order to create a political and artistic landscape teaches Live Art at Queen Mary written creative response to of Birmingham and the wider University, London. His most our festival. Phoebe will be live art world. well known book is Unlimited asking the perennial questions, Action: The Performance of Extremity in the 1970s.

40 41 Justin Shoulder 42 43 The Fierce Take A Chance: Free Tickets for Tickets and Passes Artist Pass Residents of Ladywood & Aston We recognise the importance Fierce is very grateful to the If you live in one of these How to book tickets Festival Pass of artists being involved in local Cole Foundation who are areas* and want to claim a and global conversations around supporting Take a Chance, an ticket, please email contact@ Tickets for all shows can be creativity and understand that opportunity for new audiences wearefierce.org and let us know A Festival Pass that gets entry Andrew Tay & Stephen Thompson bought online at wearefierce. seeing a broad a range of work residing in B6, B7 and B16 post what you want to come and to the following 12 shows – Make Banana Cry org up until the day of the by national and international codes to get free tickets to see. Want to take a chance but is available for the heavily Club Fierce event. If there are tickets artists is an important way to these select Fierce events: not got anyone to come with? discounted price of £125. Doris Uhlich – Every Body left you can also pay ‘on the fuel creative practice. That’s fine too, just let us know Only 100 of these passes are Electric door’. Additionally, you can The Fierce Artist Pass Club Fierce when you email and we can put available, and they always sell Gillie Kleiman & Greg Wohead – book tickets for the shows offers access to concession Gillie Kleiman & Greg Wohead – you in touch with someone else out quickly. Familiar taking place at Birmingham rate tickets for festival shows Familiar who’s going to the same event. Joseph Keckler – In Concert Hippodrome, Birmingham to Live Artists, contemporary Lucy McCormick – Life: Live! Alternatively, if you work with Lucy McCormick – Life: Live! Repertory Theatre, MAC performance makers, Oozing Gloop – The Gloop Show a community group or similar Malik Nashad Sharpe & Ellen Birmingham, and Warwick and those working with Mariana Valencia – ALBUM in one of these areas and want Furey – SOFTLAMP. Arts Centre in person, by phone expanded understandings of Tania El Khoury – The Search to organise a trip, get in touch autonomies and online at the correlating choreography. Only 50 artist for Power via the same email and we’ll see Marco Berrettini – iFeel2 box office. passes are available and will be Andrew Tay & Stephen what we can do. £125 Mariana Valencia – ALBUM designated on a first come first Thompson – Make Miet Warlop – Ghost Writer birminghamhippodrome.com 12 Events! served basis after approval via Banana Cry *You’ll need to bring a utility bill, bank and the Broken Hand Break statement or other ID as proof of address birmingham-rep.co.uk the sign-up steps below. Miet Warlop – Ghost Writer and Nicola Gunn – Working with when you collect the tickets. macbirmingham.co.uk At this time we are not able the Broken Hand Break Children warwickartscentre.co.uk to extend this offer to object Oozing Gloop – The Gloop Show makers, writers, directors and Tickets for Selina Bonelli’s more traditional dance makers. performance (un) certain To get your pass please twitches at Vivid Projects are follow these three easy steps: only available via the Vivid Projects website: 1) Sign up to our mailing list vividprojects.org.uk (if you haven’t already). 2) Email contact@wearefierce. Limited Capacity Shows Mini Pass org with your CV, biography or a weblink to your work. A number of shows aren’t A condensed weekend pass of Andrew Tay & Stephen Thompson We will confirm by email included in the festival pass – nine events is available for the – Make Banana Cry when your Artist Pass is this is because they have a very discounted price of £85 and Club Fierce available. limited capacity – so you can includes: Doris Uhlich – Every Body 3) Print off your artist pass and book a slot for them separately. Electric bring it along to the festival. The limited capacity shows are: Gillie Kleiman & Greg Wohead - Familiar Please bring your Artist Pass to each Alexandra Bachzetsis – Lucy McCormick – Life: Live! venue box office when buying and collecting tickets and when attending Marco Berrettini – iFeel2 Private: Wear a mask when £85 events. The Artist Pass covers one ticket you talk to me 9 Events! Mariana Valencia – ALBUM per show for the individual named on the Begüm Erciyas – Voicing Pieces Miet Warlop – Ghost Writer and Artist Pass. Passes and tickets are not transferable. Please provide ID alongside Kate McIntosh – In Many Hands the Broken Hand Break your Artist Pass when buying and Tania El Khoury – The Search Nicola Gunn – Working with collecting tickets from the box office. The Artist Pass provides you with a concession For Power Children Oozing Gloop (p.19) rate ticket at Fierce shows where standard concession rate tickets are in place.

44 45 Fierce Festival A5 Advert 148mm x 210mm May vrs2.qxp_Layout 1 23/05/2019 09:30 Page 1

Unforgettable performance, powered by you 0844 338 5000* birminghamhippodrome.com *Calls cost 4.5p per min plus access charge. Fierce FWD

Mawaan Rizwan Fierce FWD Is Fierce’s development programme for Juice emerging artists living and working in the West Midlands region. The scheme is aimed at those developing performance and Live Art. Each artist receives £500 towards a new idea as well as a number of research trips and workshops. After an open call six artists were selected to be part of the 19/20 Fierce FWD cohort. They are: Fri 25 Oct - Thu 12 Sep Sat 2 Nov

Acosta Danza George Reiner Ginny Lemon L Y N N E B E C

Tue 5 & Mon 11 & Meesha Fones Fri 8 Nov Tue 12 Nov Toni Lewis

F REE Symoné

Symoné

Over the course of the festival artists and companies and Fierce FWD artists will be making guest appearances in participating in a number of some of the performance works ways: taking part in workshops including BINGE by Brian Lobel led by international artists AND Ginny Lemon will be our

Every in the festival programme, host at A Very Fierce Wed 8 - Fierce FWD is supported by Friday Sat 11 Apr 6 - 7pm the William A Cadbury Trust. supporting & assisting visiting Grand Opening.

46 47 AUTUMN & WINTER 4-5 OCT THE Fierce Lab 2019 SEASON NOW THING Delving into the ON SALE crisis of identity, The Fierce Exchange is an initiative for ten Artists of Colour Highlights Include: depression to attend Fierce Festival 2019 receiving free tickets, and anxiety accommodation, travel and a daily per diem, as well as having access to a series of closed workshops led by Artists of Colour presenting at Fierce Festival. 19 SEP- 5 OCT 23-26 OCT To apply for a place on The Fierce Exchange visit REBEL PRIME TIME wearefierce.org MUSIC Featuring A raucous Janice Connolly Deadline for applications: celebration of 26 July 2019 the Midlands A funny and intimate 70s music show exploring scene women’s lives at retirement age

15 OCT- 2 NOV 19-23 NOV PRIDE AND ONE PREJUDICE* UNDER (*SORT OF) An evocative play An all-female adaptation exploring guilt, of Jane Austen’s atonement and literary classic the fragility of relationships

A feast of familiar favourites Reetu Sattar at Fierce 2017 Box Office 0121 236 4455 | BIRMINGHAM-REP.CO.UK

birminghamrep @birminghamrep @therepbirmingham The Fierce Lab is supported by Diverse Actions. Registered in England 295910 4848 Charity No.223660 49 Autumn Programme at And what it became is not what it is now Fierce on tour Joaquín Aras, María Agustina Fernández We’re delighted that you’ll be able Mariana Valencia Raggio and Paola Monzillo to catch a number of Fierce shows Album Curated by Louise Hobson around the country this year, as we Fierce UK Tour Dates: Grand Union Gallery Space partner up with nationwide venues 158 Fazeley Street to present highlights from the Fierce Tuesday 22 October, 8pm Birmingham Chisenhale Dance Space, 6 September – 9 November 2019 programme by Joseph Keckler and London Mariana Valencia. See the details chisenhaledancespace.co.uk below! Wednesday 23 October, 7.30pm Colchester Arts Centre

Grand Union Canal colchesterartscentre.com

iON UNCT J kS WOR Thursday 24 October, 7.30pm  1 min walk  Joseph Keckler The Marlborough Theatre, Brighton In Concert marlboroughtheatre.org.uk

y eR e GALL SPAC Fierce UK Tour Dates: Friday 25 October, 7.30pm Pickford St Arena Theatre, Wolverhampton Monday 21 – Saturday 26 wlv.ac.uk/arena-theatre Fazeley Street October, 9pm Soho Theatre, London Barn St sohotheatre.com

River Rea Cooking Sections: River St The Empire Remains Shop – Birmingham Floodgate St Grand Union Offsite Junction Works (Former Canal & River Trust Offices) 106 Fazeley Street Birmingham June 2019 – June 2022

Please check our website for a rolling events programme www.grand-union.org.uk Joseph Keckler (p.26) Mariana Valencia (p.22)

Gallery open Wednesday – Saturday, 12–5pm Junction Works accessible 24 hours a day 50 51 By Air By Train Secret Locations

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1 Arch 21 6 Birmingham Repertory 11 VIVID Projects Most venues are walking MAC Birmingham is slightly for the Gala Opening Double Floodgate Street, B5 5ST Theatre 16 Minerva Works, 158 distance from each other, and further out of the city, but Bill of Justin Shoulder & Davy Centenary Square, B1 2EP Fazeley Street, Birmingham, we’ve planned the schedule can be walked in 40 minutes Pieters. The Fierce Fun Bus 2 Birmingham Conservatoire B5 5RT to allow enough time to get or you can get on buses 1, 35, leaves Minerva Works at 6pm Jennens Road, B4 7PS 7 Floodgate Street Warehouse between all venues in time for 45, 47, 62 and 63 (depending returning after the last show. 119 Floodgate Street, Not on the map… the next show, but plan your on where you're leaving from) Arena Theatre, Wolverhamp- 3 Birmingham Hippodrome/ Birmingham, B5 5SR Warwick Arts Centre route beforehand! or take a 10 minute taxi – but ton is just 15 minutes by train DanceXchange University of Warwick, The city is served well by beware Birmingham rush hour from Birmingham New Street, Thorp Street, B5 4TB 8 MAC Birmingham Coventry, CV4 7AL taxis and Uber. There are lots of is notoriously bad! or 25 minutes by tram. Cannon Hill Park, B12 9QH bus routes around Birmingham Warwick Arts Centre is in 4 Birmingham and Arena Theatre with contactless card now Coventry. Take a short train Midland Institute 9 Medicine Gallery Wulfruna St, Wolverhampton accepted on them, so you could journey from Birmingham New 9 Margaret St, B3 3BS 69a New Street, B2 4DU WV1 1SE consider staying out of the city Street then it’s a 10 minute centre. A new tramline runs bus ride or taxi. Trains run 5 Birmingham Museum & 10 Quantum Events Centre from Birmingham New Street until late. OR on Tuesday 15th Art Gallery The Works, 77A Upper Trinity to Wolverhampton with lots of October, get the free Fierce Chamberlain Square, B3 3DH Street, Birmingham, B9 4EG stops en route too. bus to Warwick Arts Centre

52 53 Where to stay? Where to eat, drink and art?

If you need somewhere to the rooms are nice and modern. probably being the EasyHotel, Best Independent Coffee Great dinner suggestions Evening Drinks stay during the festival there Fierce attendees can get a 15% but also look at local institutions are numerous options to suit discount on offered room rates such as the Britannia or the Faculty Formosa Izakaya Nocturnal Animals all budgets. Airbnb isn’t great by calling +44121 237 5600 (1) Paragon. Other cheap chains 14 Piccadilly Arcade, B2 4HD 115–117 Hurst St, B5 6SE 20 Bennetts Hill, B2 5QJ in the city, so move quickly if and quoting Fierce Fierce. include Travelodge, Adagio 200 Degrees Toppokki St Paul’s House that’s your preference. If you like boats then try the Aparthotel, Ibis Budget and 21 Colmore Row, B3 2BH 1C Hurst St, B5 4TD 15–20 St Paul's Square, This year Fierce has a hotel Boatel, run by friend of Fierce more. If you’re looking for Yorks Bonehead B3 1QU partnership with StayCity who Saima Razzaq: Hotelboatel. something a bit nicer try new 29 / 30 Stephenson St, B2 4BH 8 Lower Severn St, B1 1PU The Victoria have two locations in the city, co.uk. There are two hostels: boutique The Frederick Street Quarterhorse Sushi Passion 48 John Bright St, B1 1BN Jewellery Quarter (near to Hatters Hostel (slightly nicer) Hotel or the BLOC Hotel both in 88–90 Bristol St, B5 7A Great Western Arcade, B2 5HU Bourne & Co Birmingham Repertory Theatre in the Jewellery Quarter and the Jewellery Quarter offering Café Artum Gaijin Sushi 7–8 Suffolk St and Birmingham Museum & Art Birmingham Backpackers something a bit more stylish 177 Corporation St, B4 6RG 78 Bristol St, B5 7AH Queensway, B1 1LT Gallery) and The Arcadian (near (staggering distance from Club that won’t break the bank. Tonkotsu Kilder to Birmingham Hippodrome and Fierce) in Digbeth. Best quick lunch spOts Selfridges Foodhall, Upper Mall 5 Shaw's Passage, B5 5JG the Digbeth venues). You get Birmingham has dozens of East, Bullring, B5 4BP Arch 13 your own kitchen/lounge and cheap hotels. The cheapest Medicine Gallery Original Patty Men 220 Livery St, B3 1EU 69a New St, B2 4DU 9 Shaw's Passage, B5 5JG Tiger Eats Pig Bistro 1847 Gay bars! 4 Stephenson St, B2 4BH 26, Great Western Arcade, Salcooks Colmore Row, B2 5HU The Loft Lounge Unit 1, 32–35 Water St, B3 1HL Warehouse Café 143 Bromsgrove St, B5 6RG Fazeley Social 54–57 Allison St, B5 5TH The Village 191 Fazeley St, B5 5SE Indian Brewery 152 Hurst St, B5 6RY Damascena 214 Livery St, Archway 16, B3 The Fox (Lesbian pub) 5–7 Temple Row West, B2 5NY 1EU 17 Lower Essex St, B5 6SN Digbeth Dining Club The Fountain 152 Hurst St, B5 6RY 102 Wrentham St, B5 6QL Baked in Brick Chamberlain Square, B3 3DH Art Galleries Asia Asia Foodhall Second Floor, First and, 10 Ikon Gallery Pershore St, B5 4RX 1 Oozells Square, Brindleyplace, B1 2HS Beer Eastside Projects 86 Heath Mill Ln, B9 4AR Digbrew Grand Union 43 River St, B5 5SA Minerva Works, 158 Fazeley St Post Office Vaults B5 5RS 84 Pinfold St, B2 4AY Birmingham Museum & Cherry Reds Art Gallery 88–92 John Bright St, B1 1BN Chamberlain Square, B3 3DH Tilt MAC Benedict Douglas Stewardson at Fierce Festival 2017 City Arcade, 2 Union St Cannon Hill Park, Queen's Ride, B2 4TX B12 9QH

54 55 Access

At Fierce we want to make sure Non-verbal shows bsl interpretation our Festival is as accessible as we can, and we understand There is a wide selection of The following shows will be Bertrand Lesca & Fierce FestiVaL nasi Voutsas barriers to access can look very non-verbal shows including: BSL interpreted: carrion different to different people. So one by Justin shoulder if you have specific needs we Kate McIntosh – In Many Mariana Valencia – Album tue 24 & Wed 25 sep tue 15 oct are not currently addressing, Hands Saturday 19 October, 12pm please get in touch and let us Justin Shoulder – Carrion Fierce FestiVaL BreacH tHeatre know how we can help you Ellen Furey + Malik Nashad Gillie Kleiman & Greg Wohead How did ([email protected]). Sharpe – SOFTLAMP. – Familiar it’s true, We are committed to autonomies Saturday 19 October, 5pm i die? it’s true, keeping our prices as low as Doris Uhlich – Every Body by davy Pieters It’s True It’s True, It’s True, we can, and always offer a Electric Getting About tue 15 & Wed 16 oct it’s true concessionary rate, this year Andrew Tay & Stephen thu 31 oct & Fri 1 nov we are also introducing our Thompson – Make Black cabs are managed by artist pass – allowing artists Banana Cry TOA who can be contacted by to access those concessionary Alexandra Bachzetsis – calling 0121 4278888 or visiting rates too. There are also a Private: Wear a mask toataxis.co.uk number of free events to look when you talk to me out for throughout the festival. Marco Berrettini – iFeel2 Uber assist and Uber access The majority of our festival are both available in the city uTumn venues are fully wheelchair THE DIFFERENCE ENGINE through the Uber app. More accessible, with the exception information about these of the Medicine Gallery and In addition, we’ll be using the services can be found here: on saLe This a Vivid – both of which have Talking Birds’ The Difference accessibility.uber.com stepped access. On our website Engine throughout the festival HacKneY sHoWrooM we have included a link to all (check our website for details BurGerZ the specific access information of which events and when). The by travis alabanza pages for partner venues. Difference Engine is a discrete Fri 15 & sat 16 nov Assistance animals are tool for making performances welcome throughout the and events accessible to D/deaf, tHe Queer House festival. So we can provide hard-of-hearing, blind or partially- the best experience for you sighted audience members by Pink Lemonade and your assistance animal, delivering captioning or audio by Mia Johnson please let us know at the description direct to their own Wed 13 & thu 14 nov point of booking. mobile devices. nouVeau ricHÉ Queens of sheba Wed 13 – sat 16 nov Burgerz T rip L e bi LL Image: Elise Rose

This is jusT a TasTe of Warwick arts centre @warwickarts warwickarts whaT we have coming up Box office 024 7652 4524 This auTumn. more To be warwickartscentre.co.uk announced soon! Warwick Arts Centre, The University of Warwick Coventry CV4 7AL 56 57 Support Us

A donation to Fierce goes directly to Easyfundraising supporting artists and creating an You can also donate to Fierce through easyfundraising. agenda-setting programme. Shop Online as normal with one of easyfundraising’s Fierce is a registered charity (No. 1110138). All the money we retailers (including big names make through fundraising, ticket sales and generous donations go such as Sainsbury’s, Amazon, straight into our programmes. and Ebay), then watch as your It enables us to make projects like Fierce FWD, our artist everyday shopping turns into a development programme possible, and to commission and donation to Fierce’s cause. The curate the best artists from around the world and bring them best part is, it won’t cost you to Birmingham. an extra penny – the retailers Fierce welcomes donations of all sizes, however much and make the small donation however regularly you are able to give. £20 would help subsidise to say “thank you”. Visit festival tickets for someone who wouldn’t otherwise be able our easyfundraising profile: to afford them, £2,000 would fund an artist through our FWD easyfundraising.org.uk/causes/ programme. fiercefestival Please consider adding a donation to your ticket purchases or visit wearefierce.org/shop/donate

Davy Pieters (p.9)

58 59 Credits & Thanks Principal Funder Funders

Team Fierce Fierce Board of Directors David Sheppeard, Xavier De Sousa, David Luff, Steve Lock, Artistic Director Eileen Evans, Chair (Forced Dan Brown, Rachel Yardley, Aaron Wright Entertainment) Laura Milner, Paul Russ, John Diviney (Ennismore) Hannah Sharpe, Rebecca Executive Producer Timothy Hodgson (independent Bridgeman, Emalee Beddoes- Pippa Frith producer) Davis, Deborah Kermode, Jo Cath Lambert (The University Carr, Lizzie Moran, Roxana General Manager of Warwick) Silbert, Stuart Rogers, Lynette Catherine Groom Brian Lobel (Artist, Lecturer) Dakin, Julia Carruthers, Lucie Sam Trotman (Scottish Mirkova, Daniel Blanga Gubbay, Production Manager Sculpture Workshop) Stuart Whipps, Chris Sudworth, Robb Cartin Jess Wolinski (Compton Verney) Graham Callister, Andrew Tay Partner venues & Stephen Thompson, Joseph Production Coordinator Thanks Keckler, Ryan Hughes, Mike Becky Woodcock Layward, James Deaville, Ellen Dan Whitehouse, Christie Lickman, Maud Haddon, Katie Marketing Coordinator Cremin, Sadie Newman, Treharne, Alice Eve, Elliot Harriet McGuire Smith Helga Henry, Stefanie Bub, Mills, Danial Worallo, Suriya Amber Massie-Blomfield, Aisha, Alarna Lawley, Nach Design Martina Puchberger, Felizitas Suphakawanich, Becca Harris, An Endless Supply Ammann, Rares Donca, Simone Lauren Coffman, Cora Forsyth- Aughterlony, Erin Markey, Ben Muris, Tom Saunders, Chris PR Pryor, Áine Phillips, Roisin Hall, Francesca Millican-Slater, Partners The Corner Shop Caffrey, Bianca Jones, Gabriel Thomas Wildish, Lizzie Moran, Araujo, Caroline Barton, Alex Joyce Rosario, Chris Ball, Simon Photography Lawless, Katy Baird, Lois Jones, Francesca Jones, Tomas Manuel Vason Keidan, Sophie Travers, Steven Wright, Tom Langford, Karl Brett, Matthew Austin, Amy Taylor, Alex Billingham, Cathy Videographer Letman, LJ Findley Walsh, Wade, Neil Reading, Daniel Pitt, Rachel Bunce Adam Carver, Olivia Rhoden, Anthony Roberts and all at Tom Jenkins, Cheryl Jones, Fazeley Social Café! Writing Ian Francis, Sam Groves, Abbe Phoebe Patey-Ferguson Elliston, Eckhard Thiemann,

Touring Partners Hotel Partners

Front cover: Nicola Gunn, Mariana Valencia, Oozing Gloop, Malik Nashad Sharpe & Ellen Fury, Andrew Tay, Keijaun Thomas

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Find out more: bit.ly/maliveart 62 Photo: Finn Love by Billy Sassi

MA Advert 2019 draft final.indd 1 06/06/2019 21:37 Fierce Festival Andrew Tay & Mariana Valencia Stephen Thompson Marco Berrettini Alexandra Bachzetsis Melk Productions/ Ariah Lester Marco Berrettini Begüm Erciyas Nicola Gunn

15–20 October 2019, Birmingham, UK Brian Lobel Nigel Rolfe Corin Oozing Gloop Davy Pieters Sandra Johnston Doris Uhlich Selina Bonelli Ellen Furey & Susannah Hewlett Malik Nashad Tania El Khoury Sharpe Whiskey Chow Gillie Kleiman & Yann Marussich Greg Wohead Zander Porter X Hooker Club James Batchelor Joseph Keckler Julia Bardsley wearefierce.org Justin Shoulder Kate McIntosh Keijaun Thomas Lucy McCormick #Fierce2019 64