We are excited to announce that Screech Arts is collaborating with Zen Zen Zo Physical Theatre on a new performance project entitled ‘Wired Differently.” This work will involve a creative collaboration and conversation between Screech Arts performers living with disability and Zen Zen Zo Physical Theatre company members who identify as neurodivergent.
Together, Martina Cross (Program Facilitator, Screech Arts) and Lynne Bradley (co-founder and director of Zen Zen Zo Physical Theatre) are co-directing this creative development. Involving training, devising and a work-in-progress showings to invited industry guests. The aim is to foster a safe and creative space that allows the performers to engage with both personal and professional development.
Wired Differently provides a fantastic opportunity for Screech Arts to collaborate with a professional theatre company (Zen Zen Zo physical Theatre), enabling the performers to work alongside professional artists in a two-way exchange of ideas, skills, and life-stories. The performers will be able to engage in extensive physical theatre training alongside skill sharing as part of this creative development.
Wired Differently is celebrating diversity and provide a platform for the performers to work to their strengths and unique skill set by using their voice, bodies, minds, and imagination to share their unique and moving stories. Whilst the final performance outcome is still a in the initial development stage, the performers aim to unfold their experience of being ‘Wired Differently’ and its impact on their lives using dance, music, performance poetry and storytelling.
“The ensemble members are learning to work together so well and starting to bridge the gap between mainstream and disability in the arts. We hope that this project can lead to further opportunities and then be able to share our amazing creations with the wider community,”
This project runs until mid- February with a hope of receiving further arts funding later in 2023 that will allow the work to be taken into rehearsals and a performance season through to 2024.
Co-Director Dr Lynne Bradley confirms that “our plan is both ambitious and highly achievable, in that we want this work to debut in a major national arts festival. This work features an outstanding cast of highly skilled performers, who share their life stories of being ‘wired differently’ with pride, courage, and joy. This is a message that needs to be heard…”
We look forward to seeing many more photos of this amazing collaborative piece. Make sure you keep an eye on our socials (Facebook and Instagram) for more updates on Wired Differently.
“We all are wired differently… we all share a stage in life from which we show who we are…we are all humans who together make the world we live in special. Make of your life what you can, and you will be special.”