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Radical Visions
Radical Visions was born out of Akeim Toussaint Buck’s 5-star Wild Card programme at Sadler’s Wells in January 2022.
It is a curational practice that invites people to gather and experience powerful, contemporary performance that explores race, unity, ancestry, and power through its digital and live programmes. It intentionally commissions, showcases and celebrates artistic work and artists from the Global Majority while cultivating community and allyship.
After two sold-out nights at Sadler’s Wells as part of Wild Card, Akeim Toussaint Buck curates ‘Radical Visions’ live and digital programmes as part of NSCD’s COLOUR Festival.
The live programme was showcased to a sold-out audience on the 8th October 2022 @ 18:30 at The Northern School of Contemporary Dance.
DIGITAL PROGRAMME
The Digital Programme included the following films:
‘MY TRUTH’ by Blair Moore & Akeim Toussaint Buck
‘Sanctuary’ by Ffion Campbell-Davies
‘(Re)Inscribed by Alethia Antonia
ONLINE WORKSHOPS & TALK
LIVE PROGRAMME
RUNNING ORDER
18:30 House-Band & Plant Based Caribbean food by Walla Dolla (Studio 3)
18:50 Opening Ceremony with Ffion Campbell-Davies (Studio 3)
19:20 Gerrard Martin Dance ‘Journey to Love’ (Theatre)
20:05 Interval Performance: Spoken Word Artists + Akeim Toussaint Buck (Studio 3)
20:45 Gateway Arts “Saturn Returns” (Theatre)
21:45 Closing ceremony with Ffion Campbell-Davies and drummers (Studio 3)
Live music from the Radical Visions in-house band, featuring Azizi Cole, Matias Reed, Otis Jones, and Xhosa Cole, alongside interval performances by Akeim Toussaint Buck and commissioned spoken word artists Lulia Togara, Ginalda Tavares-Manuel and Taiwo Ogunyinka.
The spoken word artists were commissioned by Toussaint To Move to engage with Chapeltown locals as a starting point to develop their new works. Despite not being able to perform, poet Coco Oya’s contributed to the research.
Opening and closing ceremonies led by Ffion Campbell-Davies, alongside drummers Diego Cdenos, Joel Stedman, Tongesayi Gumbo and Nii Kwartey Owoo for the closing ceremony.
‘A duet which reflects the journey to self-love and seeks to uncover the vulnerability and intimacy of romantic love’
Choreography: Gerrard Martin (Gerrard Martin Dance)
Dancers: Alecsander Nilsson and Gerrard Martin
Singer, Songwriter & Musician: Mike Scott-Harding (aka MASH)
Gerrard Martin Dance (GMD) was formed in 2011 and produces works of emotive and socially relevant dance-theatre.
GMD teaches and facilitates creativity through dance, movement, and yoga.
The company collaborates and engages artists across different mediums.
GMD’s mission is to ‘Play, Explore, Create, and Restore’.
Written and directed by Sonny Nwachukwu, Saturn Returns delves into an astral projection reality where the characters of Ada and Obi take on forms of past, present and future lives.
Saturn Returns wraps modern psychological issues of being trapped in repeating self-destructive patterns within the spiritually affirming circularity of rebirth along family lineage that is a feature of Igbo mythology.
Through music, spoken word and dance, Saturn Returns contrasts Christian notions of redemption through suffering, with mystical notions of escaping the mortal realm through astral projection.
Includes integrated captioning.
Cast and Creatives
Ada performed by Rudzani Moleya
Obi performed by Durassie Kiangangu
Writer and Director: Sonny Nwachukwu
Movement Director: Ffion Campbell – Davies
Somatic Coach: Mike G Simon
Dramaturg: John R Gordon
Sound Designer: Ffion Campbell- Davies
Lighting Designer: Josh Harriette
Set and Costume Designer: Jessie Huckin
Illustrations: Natalie Cooper
Video Designer: Ben Glover
Lighting Operator: Matt Carnazza
Stage Manager: Bethany Gemmell
Marketing Manager: Ashley Cole
Audio Description: Elaine Lillian Joseph
Access Consultant: Toni Adebajo
Videographer: Floyd Konde
Psychologist: Dr Masuma Rahim
Producer: Michael Peter Johnson
Associate Producer: Jordi M. Carter