ON THE HOUR: DANCE KAHANYAN

'ON THE HOUR: DANCE KAHANYAN'

Identity. Lineages. Change. You Tube. Family. Love. Freedom. Expression. Boundaries. Residues. Consequences. Archives. Artefacts. Influence. Health. Happiness. Mind. Body. Spirit. Connection. Knowledge. Education. Equality. Futures. The Music. The Rhythm. The Story. The Relationship. Manchester. Karachi.

From self-taught breakdancers and Hip Hop archivers, to community Flamenco dancers and Bharatanatyam teachers, from artists on the fringes to those in the mainstream, as well as young people and students creating futures, this project celebrates how people are dancing and contributing to change and development of self and community in their own unique ways.

In an exciting first-time collaboration.‘On The Hour: Dance Kahanyan’ brings together internationally respected Choreographic and Dance Artists Wahab Shah (Pakistan) and Bridget Fiske (UK), in an essential and celebratory investigation of what dance is and means for various individuals and communities in both urban and rural areas of Pakistan and the UK in 2022.

Via on-the-ground research, interviews, and creative exchanges in both Karachi and Manchester, as well as community engagement projects this project creates: a new short documentary that shares the experience of Fiske and Shah in each other’s cities and brings forward the voices, dances, and experiences of young people, artists, and communities in each place at this moment in time, and two new short dance films made with young people in rural areas of each country, Cumbria in England and Harsuk in Pakistan.

Through this project, Fiske and Shah also delve into an exchange of practices and approaches informed by both their own histories, in order to gestate new creative ideas informing their work with others and each other.

Co-Artistic Directors: BRIDGET FISKE and WAHAB SHAH

Producers: WAHAB SHAH DANCE COMPANY and INSPIRATE

Project Producers: HUSSAIN ZAIDI, and INSPIRATE

Composers: ALI HAMZA, and SARAH SAYEED

Supported by The British Council 'New Perspectives' project

SCREENINGS & EVENTS

Lacas School - PLAN B society (Lahore), PNCA (Islamabad), Harsukh (Lahore, Theatre Village), Street Dreamers Crewe community (Karachi), The Colony, District 19 (Karachi) , Olompolo (Lahore), Alhmarah Cultural Center (Lahore), Esa Nagri (Karachi), Rose Youth Point (Karachi, Liyari), and Farzana School of Excellence (Karachi, Esa Nagri)

From youth centres, to culture centres, and in communities, 'On The Hour: Dance Kahanyan, was screened in across Pakistan for communities and public audiences.

UK: 'An Indian Summer Festival', 2023, Curve, Leicester, England, and 'Where Is Home', MAC, Birmingham, England

These events also engaged local dance artists (including youth and emerging) in a day long workshop where they engaged in Fiske and Shah's shared collaborative process. The outcomes of this workshop were presented as part of the screening event.