Explorations of Research and Creation with Charles Batson – Living in Laughter and Gratitude, A Second of Two Conversations with Artists from Brazil
CircusTalk is pleased to present “Explorations of Research and Creation with Charles Batson.” A series dedicated to provocative dives into where research and creation meet in the development of intriguing art, this series is designed to showcase experiences in how creative processes and research questions guide, inform, and give a spark to stimulating work. Join us for this four-episode journey from across our many circus worlds!
This second episode featuring artists from Brazil is, in a word, glorious. We invite you to visit the first one here; these two episodes together showcase real vibrancy, intellect, and artistry. Here, we are honored to close this series on research and creation in a wide-ranging conversation with two clown artists, both affiliated with LUME Teatro. We can imagine no better way to provoke deeper understandings of the interconnections between research and creation than by listening to the extraordinarily profound – and joyful – conversations in this video.
Conversations of leaving, coming, and going. Conversations of re-establishing values of the creative act. Conversations of having a theatrical unit as a research collective in the heart of the university: an example for many of us. Conversations of how laughing is not just laughing. Conversations of chosen family. Conversations of teaching and learning. Conversations of journeys towards being an autonomous artist. Conversations of street and physical theatres. Conversations of joys of being able to create without commercial demands of producing. Conversations of bodies and yet more bodies, laughing and grateful ones. Conversations of fire-making. Conversations of the fundamentals of being together, of failure and success, of community. Oh yes. May we all take note.
Each of the artists in this series has shown, across multiple contexts and communities, that research and creation, joined together, can give us powerful art and great joy. May this last episode also remind us that laughter should never, ever be far from our work.
Introducing our guests in this final episode…
Naomi Silman is a performer, clown and director and a permanent member of award-winning Brazilian physical theatre group Lume Teatro. Born in London, she got a first class honours degree in Drama and Theatre Arts at Goldsmith’s College, trained with Philippe Gaulier and at the Jacques Lecoq school for physical theatre in Paris and went on to develop her performance skills with masters in physical theatre, clowning and butoh such as Philippe Gaulier, Jaques Lecoq, Sue Morrison and Tadashi Endo. In 1997 she joined Lume with whom she has travelled extensively throughout Brazil and around the world performing in over 20 countries, as well as mentoring and directing other artists and transmitting the practices and actor training developed by Lume over the last 40 years. @naomisilman
Founded in 1985, LUME Teatro has become a world reference in the research of the art of the actor. The company has performed in over 27 countries, spanning four continents and developed partnerships with theatre masters from around the world. Winner of the Shell Award in 2013 for lifetime achievement, LUME Teatro have currently in their repertoire 10 shows in a variety of performative languages including physical theatre, clown, dance, Butoh, street theatre and large outdoor interventions. The company also maintains a strong teaching tradition sharing their extensive research into actor training through workshops, mentoring, technical demonstrations, international exchanges, theoretical reflection, book publications, lectures and itinerant projects that celebrate theatre as the art of meetings and encounters. LUME is also a funded research centre within the University of Campinas. @lumeteatro
Ricardo Puccetti is a performer, clown and director and founding member of award-winning Brazilian physical theatre group LUME Teatro. Studied Theatre Arts at the University of Campinas before joining LUME in 1988 under the direction of Luis Otavio Burnier, Etienne Decroux’s disciple. Continued studying with other important masters in physical theatre, clowning and butoh such as Philippe Gaulier; Nani and Leris Colombaioni; Sue Morrison; Natsu Nakajima and Tadashi Endo. Today considered an international reference in the art of clowning and responsible for the development of LUME’s research into the use of the comic body, theatre in non-conventional spaces and the technique of personal dance. He has travelled extensively throughout Brazil and around the world performing and directing solos and ensemble works in almost 30 countries, as well as teaching innumerable workshops that transmit LUME’s practices and corporeal-vocal training. He has a MA in Performance Arts in the University of Campinas, Brazil. @ricardopuccettifco
References and links to supplement…
The “non-place” project Naomi speaks of.
Images of LUME’s work over the years.
The show “La Scarpetta” that Ricardo refers to.
An article from Naomi on herartistic exchange with the indigenous Brazilian Kariri Xoco tribe.
Want to explore further? Check out the other episodes of Explorations of Research and Creation here!
All photos graciously shared by the creators.
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