The Seagullmachine was an invitation to interrogate the value-systems that our society subscribes to, and the artistic and political machines that govern our lives and continue to yield severe consequences for everyone, but especially those who dissent. By disrupting the form, characters, and narrative of a well-known theatrical text (Anton Chehkov's The Seagull), The Seagullmachine asked the audience to let go of their previous ideas about theatrical conventions, and to step into a new world of meaning-making with the cast. Along with the performances, TIAC held community events centered around mutual aid, independent art distribution, and holding conversations on what it means (and what it might look like) to effectively dismantle and destroy a system.
Green Space helped us send this invitation in multiple ways. The space was a beautiful lab to hold design and choreography experiments in during the rehearsal process, and our audiences were excited to discover not only the work, but Green Space itself! The staff at Green Space was very supportive, from our first visit and meeting with Valerie, to our final performance and beyond. Any time we had questions, or had new elements come up in the rehearsal room, we felt empowered to ask questions and collaborate to find solutions that worked for both us and the Green Space team. It was such a privilege for us to collaborate with a venue and arts community that holds similar values and aspirations for what the performing arts are capable of, especially in a political climate where the government is stripping arts funding from organizations of all sizes
The Invitation Arts Collective (TIAC) is a multi-disciplinary arts collective that creates accessible work that centers activism and inspires direct action. Each piece that TIAC produces invites the audience to respond to the work in a way that generates momentum around the content and thesis of the piece.
Interested in renting Green Space for an independent production like this one?
Visit https://www.greenspacestudio.org/space for more information.