Proteindance Singing & Stories 18 June and later dates AND Procession Event 27/7 to 1/8
Local dance performance artists Proteindance entertained and involved us in their post lockdown programme.
Protein is one of the most distinctive voices in British dance theatre, Artistic Director and founder Luca Silvestrini has been using a blend of original choreography, text, humour and music to entertain and provoke audiences since 1998.
Protein’s shows connect theatrical experiences with the everyday and real-life stories that engage audiences and participants in both on-and-off stage productions.
They believe in bringing the audience closer, inviting them to connect with what’s happening on stage, whether through subject matter, location, or the way performers directly address the audience bridging the divide between watching and participating. The shows are devised by Luca with professional performers/artists or with a mix of professionals and participants. The success and impact of Protein’s performance and participation programme has grown nationally and internationally over the last two decades and in 2016, Protein was again nominated (having won the accolade in 2011) for the best Independent Company at the National Dance Awards.
On Fridays Proteindance brought us the chance to sing informally and hear stories about Woolwich
Then we were part of the En Route event - The Performances started at Woolwich Common and En Route Visited St George's before moving on to end at Royal Arsenal.
A new work, En Route was an outdoor promenade experience bringing together 1500 people last weekend in a journey of discovery which moved through the streets and iconic spaces of Woolwich from the Common to the River Thames. A unique 3-hour experience covering 4.5km, celebrating and uniting the multifaceted neighbourhood.
“It was one of the best things I've ever done: the company turned Woolwich Common into an enchanted forest, and Woolwich town into a fairyland palace, which we stormed in revolution...Transformative and utterly exhilarating; I felt bereft when it finally drew to a close!”
Audience member
"A playful and powerful journey of individuals coming together to form an empowered collective, the audience sharing every step and every minute"
The Stage
“En Route is a dazzling investigation into the possibilities of live performance... It was a masterclass in site-specific work"
Greenwich Visitor Blog
Protein is proud to have marked the transitional period between lockdown and the present moment by providing four months of activities including professional development for artists, classes & participatory events, open rehearsals and public performances.
En Route encompassed:
Ø 2 days of ‘Embrace’ - professional development for artists
including 6 speakers and 85 participants
Ø 9 days of ‘Open Fridays’ - free activities online and in Woolwich
including 311 sign-ups, 27 dance and singing classes on Zoom, 18 dance and singing classes in Woolwich, 16 interactive walks and 4 focus group picnics
With En Route, Proteindance believe they have created a beautiful and much-needed way of reuniting people and places following a difficult year. They have reconnected local residents and brought new people to experience what Woolwich has to offer by celebrating the power of community and outdoor art.
Ø 3 days of public performances
including 31 creatives, 1500 audiences, 209 ticketholders, 12 volunteers, 2 British Sign Language Interpreters, 7 locations in Woolwich, 8 local partner organisations and 350 Wo (Nepalese pancake)
Photographs of En Route at St George's by Rita Hayes.
