What's On

London Butoh Festival 2009

19th September 2009 to 20th September 2009 - 10am until 5pm

Price: £95, £85 concessions
Venue: White Room

Company: Theatre Training Initiative

50 years of Butoh

1959-2009

2009 marks the 50^th anniversary of Butoh and the continuing influence of this Japanese art form on the development of world contemporary performance. Founder Tatsumi Hijikata's first performance took place in 1959, and since that time Butoh has taken root in all continents of the world. These workshops and activities celebrate and extend this influence by sharing the work of both Japanese and European artists working in this form. The aim is to broaden awareness and understanding of Japan's performing arts heritage and will foster new artistic and research relationships, forging links to generate future collaboration and exchange between Japanese and UK artists and students of performance.

The anniversary of Butoh is an important reminder of the depth and diversity of this unique art form arising from Japan and its continuing influencing the work of artists worldwide. The programme serves not only a celebration of the past, but also as a provocation for the future of Butoh and live performance. It will forge new profile, new awareness, and new collaborations between artists.

Fran Barbe & Yuko Kawamoto will teach this workshop.

Fran Barbe is Artistic Director of The Theatre Training Initiative. She has trained in Butoh all over the world for the past 15 years. She combines Butoh with her training in western dance and theatre to produce a unique aesthetic and training system. A choreographer and performer of great experience, she has created more than ten dance works for her own company and performed for international companies including Frank Theatre and Mamu Dance Theatre. She has worked in theatre and opera as movement director and was commissioned by the City of London Festival in 2006 to create a site-specific work for the steps of St Paul's Cathedral in London.

Yuko Kawamoto is based in Tokyo. She worked with Yukio Waguri who was the student of Butoh founder, Tatsumi Hijikata. This puts her work in a direct pedagogical line from Hijikata. Her work contains knowledge of Butoh's history and at the same time the stamp of her own very contemporary approach. She set up her own company, Shinonome Butoh, and was a guest of the 2005 festival in London. Since then she has toured her work not only in Japan, but also to Russia and through Asia.

This joint workshop offers insight into their distinctive approaches and shares the results of their recent collaboration.