After opening the tour on Friday 22 March, Pain and I will open at Heart of Hawick on Wednesday 3 April at 7.30pm, before continuing its tour to Mull, Cumbernauld and Shetland.
A powerful, honest and compelling body of work, Pain and I invites audiences to reflect on what it means to care for our bodies, ourselves and each other in times of personal and collective pain.
The dance theatre piece features an intimate autobiographical text framed as a love letter to Hopfinger’s body and chronic pain, paired with original classical music composition by Alicia Jane Turner (they/them), dramaturgy and movement direction by Laura Bradshaw (she/her) and lighting design by Michaella Fee (she/her).
To further platform and promote access and disability arts, a selection of performances are BSL integrated and there is a freely accessible digital Graphic Score here , designed by Rachel O’Neill, with graphic design by Michaela Pointon and images by Brian Hartley.
As an artist, Sarah Hopfinger’s practice encompasses contemporary performance, dance and live art. Her work is philosophically based in crip politics that embrace and celebrate disability as valid and valuable.
She often works with diverse collaborators including children and adults, trained and non-trained dancers, disabled and non-disabled performers, composers and visual artists.
Her work has been presented nationally and internationally, having been presented at festivals, organisations and venues that include Tramway, The Place, The Roundhouse, Made In Scotland, Battersea Arts Centre, Buzzcut and South London Gallery.
Recently, Pain and I had its international premiere at Festival Quartiers Danses where it was awarded the Choreographic Work and Indoor Performance / International Prize.
Talking about Pain and I, artist and creator Sarah Hopfinger said: “I’m excited for Pain and I to return and tour Scotland this year, and to be presented across the country for people to connect with the work.
“I created Pain and I in response to my experience of living with chronic and neurological pain. Over the past four years I have been exploring how to turn towards my pain differently, using dance and performance to creatively collaborate with my pain.
“I was inspired to make this work in response to my need - and the need of other people I spoke to who live with chronic conditions – for a creative space to acknowledge, share and celebrate the rich complexities of living with pain.”
Pain and I will be at Heart of Hawick in the Borders on Wednesday 3 April at 7.30pm, and tickets costing £8 can be booked for here https://bit.ly/PainandIHawick
For more information about Sarah Hopfinger and her work visit: https://www.sarahhopfinger.org.uk/