DU17, Charlotte Spencer Projects, Is This a Wasteland?

The Brighton-based company Charlotte Spencer Projects bring their new work, Is This a Wasteland? to East London as part of Dance Umbrella 2017.

The choreographer Charlotte Spencer has become known for creating unique dance experiences. Her setting for Is This a Wasteland? is Silvertown Quays, a disused piece of land in East London; and in this immersive, interactive performance she invites her audience to consider how we value space and the importance of community.

The audio element is conveyed through headphones; and the work promises to deliver a powerful shared experience for both audience and performers.

Speaking about the project, Spencer stressed its dependence on audience engagement, so much so the performers must imagine the audience response in order to rehearse the various outcomes. The excitement will build as the piece progresses, since the performers will become responsible for different strands of choreography, depending on the audience’s input.

Spencer founded Charlotte Spencer Projects in 2009 to cultivate her work across a variety of art forms (not just dance), in order to collaborate with other talented artists and to create memorable and thought-provoking experiences.

The company regularly work in atypical spaces with the intention of challenging more widely accepted notions of what dance is and pushing choreographic boundaries. Past works, such as Walking Stories (seen as part of 2015’s Dance Umbrella programme) and Cycle Stories, were designed for outdoor spaces.

For those who enjoy more abstract experimentation involving dance and unpredictable live experience, Spencer’s new work is a must and well worth a trip to Silvertown Quays, located in the Royal Docks in East London.

NOTE: Each spectator is asked to bring along one unwanted object he or she is happy to donate.

You're advised to dress for October (ie warmly...) and wear sensible shoes.