Date: Thu 17 Oct 2024

Time: 19:30 - 21:00 (1.5 hours)

Doors open @ 19:00

Location: SPILL Think Tank

Tickets: £5

Free access companion/carer tickets are available. If you are a wheelchair user or have any other access requirements you would like to discuss with us, please call 01473 216 545 or email boxoffice@spillfestival.com

How can contemporary dance be seen in a new way? This autumn, choreographer Gillie Kleiman has been working with 5 non-professional dancers in Ipswich to create a brand new dance performance. In October, they will perform these dances in their own homes, for their friends and loved ones. Referencing iconic postmodern dances from the twentieth century and featuring two versions of I Will Always Love You, friend invites its audience to see the participants completely anew.

This Think Tank event takes place just a few days after the performances of friend in Ipswich. Join Gillie Kleiman and Robin Deacon as they share their reflections on the process, relationship with contemporary dance, and the reactions of the participants and their friends and families.

Participant Emma Roodhouse said, “The friend project intrigued me, as someone who has always loved dancing but has never had any professional training or taken part in live performances. I wanted to do something that didn’t revolve around work, being a mum or the domestic grind. And this looked like an opportunity to shake myself up and celebrate the people around me. 

“So far, I’ve never listened to more music, sung at home, cried whilst singing, jumped on beds, bumped into furniture or rolled around on my living room floor as much as in the last few weeks! Gillie’s work has been so beautifully thought out and the approach has really created a respectful and caring space for those involved. She is to be applauded.”

Think Tank Live events start with a performance or presentation from our featured artist, followed by a Q&A session hosted by our Artistic Director, Robin Deacon. Stick around afterwards for drinks and chat!

MORE ABOUT THIS ARTIST: gilliekleiman.com

Gillie Kleiman works with and in dance and choreography, creating performances, texts, events and pedagogical encounters.

Gillie’s work has a persistent interest in both the figure and the activity of the non-professional, and many of the projects have involved participation of non-professional collaborators or of the audience. In 2020, Gillie initiated a new cycle of thinking and working about fat and fatness.

Gillie has degrees in dance and performance, including a PhD in Dance Studies. Alongside her artistic practice, she is Head of Higher Education at Dance City, a Trustee of People Dancing, and external examiner at the Danish National School of Performing Arts. She is a member of the trade union UVW-DCW.

Gillie lives and works in Newcastle upon Tyne.