Voicing Silence is a project created by lead artist Lou Chapelle and commissioned by Leeds University.
A number of creatives including artists, poets, choreographers and musicians explored together the ever present topic of extinction. Working with refugees and asylum seekers, community groups within the Liverpool City region Lou created a double hologram projection using movement, sculpture, written word and music to convey the different experiences of extinction. From the decline of the worlds of fauna and flora to the social losses of different communities and the extinctions within our own lives.
Rachael Prime worked to help develop the visual aspects of the project focusing on extinct flora and culturally symbolic flowers from workshop attendees. Such as a type of “inverted tulip” from Iran named Fritillaria Imperialis which (while grows plentifully in monoculture farming environments) are on the endangered list, rarely found growing naturally in the wild. Similar to the native flower in the UK, Snake's Head Fritillary from the same family, is also on the endangered list. Using paper scuplture techniques Rachael developed scuplutres and props for the final projection. Exploring the different cultures, stories and own thoughts on the sometime overwhelming topic of extinction brought forward by the workshop participants, collatinging them together with Lou Chapelle.
For more information about the project please visit Lou Chapelle page for Voicing Silence.
Creative Team:
Artistic director Lou Chapelle
Associate Professor of Theology and Religious Studies Dr Stefan Skrimshire
Composer and choir leader Jennifer John
Dancer Kali Chandrasegaram
Costume designer Rachael Prime
Poet Scott Farlow
Film-maker Tim Brunsden
Photography Robert Battersby
Project co-ordinator Louise Nulty
Production advise Dan Williamson
Created in partnership with:
Members of Wat Phra Singh Buddhist temple in Runcorn
Refugees, asylum seekers and volunteers from A Better Tomorrow and the Daresbury hotel in Widnes and Runcorn
Dancers from Men Dancing at MDI in Liverpool
Members of The Studio community choir in Widnes
Members of The studio Writing Group in Widnes
Sense of Sound choir in Liverpool
Participants:
Abdulsaboor Sardari
Mark Allerton
Ibrahim Alahmad
Emadaldah Alhroub
Naema Aldaqsha
Shaalan Al-Khalaf
Hisham Almakhzomi
Sahad Alrafai
Chris Ball
Tom Barton
Jane Bennett
Richard Bradshaw
Deacon Tim Coleman
Tony Collacott
Yashar Davoodi
Mohammad Dehghan
Meg DeMar
Stephen Dignall
Kirsty Dyas
Naomi Ennis
Jennifer Hale
Faisal Hasan
Shalaw Hasanzada
Rida Ibrahim
Glen Jones
Reza Karimkhani
Yamen Kaseb
Glen kumengu
Kbrom Tewelde
Kurosh Arya
Maria Mahammadi
Colette Mara
Robert Marten
Mike McGenity
Leila Rostami Manesh
Mohamud Mohamed
Mansour Mokhrari
Damian Purcival
Leila Rastamimanesh
Pauline Ruth
Arjana Salla
Meklit Tadesse
Kbrom Tewelde
Paul Whelan
Wadah
Nuch
Keian
Interpreters:
Wahiba Abdo
Zainab Nezami