Open Session #18: Spotlight on Performance

Audio Recording

At the end of February, we hosted Open Session #18: Spotlight on Performance – a lovely evening full of creativity and curiosity. Keep reading (or listen to the audio recording) to discover more about the event!

Our eighteenth Open Session was curated by our brilliant current cohort of Lighthouse Young Creatives, who not only chose the event’s theme of performance but also selected the brilliant artists on the panel!

Our fabulous panel consisted of the following professional performers and performance-makers:

Suyoung Park – dancer, performance artist, and installation maker

AFLO. the poet – Brighton-based spoken word artist, activist, and academic

Emma Frankland – Brighton-based writer, performer, and innovative theatre maker

Dred – emerging Brighton-based music and rap artist

AFLO. kicked the evening off to a beautiful, yet heart-rending start with an original poem that reflected upon the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Palestine. She then turned to the topic in hand – performance – reciting an intriguing poem (that she had written earlier that same day in the bath!), which explored an alternative perspective to identifying as a "performer," questioning the suitability of this term to describe their often autobiographical practice.

We then moved on to the panel discussion section of the evening, allowing our incredible panellists to delve into the world of performance and explore the diverse performance practices within which they work. Hosted by the fantastic Levvy – founder of eott and an experienced videographer, DJ, producer, writer, and award-winning entrepreneur – the four panellists engaged in a jovial yet rich conversation about the many avenues of performance that they have each pursued across their successful careers.

From evaluating the roles of narrative and emotion in performance to reflecting upon the challenges and triumphs that each performance genre offers, the panellists shared their experiences so generously with the audience. It was fascinating to discover so much about such a range of performative approaches, from dance and theatre to poetry and music, and even the crossovers and in-betweens of these so-called categories.

Levvy then invited the audience to ask their questions to Suyoung, AFLO., Emma, and Dred, leading to a thoughtful and collaborative extension of the discussion.

This Open Session #18 was a wonderfully insightful and inspiring exchange of perspectives on performance, as well as the wider creative and cultural dynamics within which performance exists.