Premiering today – Blink Dance Theatre present a new immersive multi-sensory dance and theatre experience at Redbridge Drama Centre , WAC Arts and The Albany. DRIVE THRU is written, co-directed and performed by artists with learning disabilities and is aimed at neurodiverse adults.
From the comfort of their own minibus audience members will be transported into another world through dance, theatre and music in this fantasy-based experience.
Set to bespoke beats, everyday soundscapes and a contemporary hip hop and electronica musical score the audience finds themselves in a gritty urban carpark. A group of people are fed up of planet earth, as they discover their minibus can fly as it passes through blue and purple clouds. They meet some mysterious larger than life, strange yet friendly magical creatures including Handy Mandy – a non-binary mysterious guru, The Eye Hero’s – a cheeky duo with eyes on stalks that can see everything and Noseasaurus Rex- the cold blooded slime ball on the search for his next meal, who will guide them to a magic lamp. Their adventure takes them through a tornado, coloured foam and soothing water jets but will the people decide to live with the creatures in their magical world or return back down to earth…the choice is theirs.
Vicki Hawkins Co Director at BLINK Says: “It is so important for us to create theatre by and for our neurodiverse community, DRIVE THRU draws on our collaborative team’s personal experiences which we know will chime with our audiences in this multi-sensory ride of dance drama and music”
“At BLINK we embrace difference as a catalyst for creativity and aim to excite our audiences by creating a greater understanding of the artistic potential in every person. It’s our vision to create work which dissolves barriers encouraging a world without labels and reaches new diverse audiences whilst offering professional development and employment for disabled and diverse artists”
”We’re always working hard to support oppressed groups and DRIVE THRU is no different. 80% of the artists in the performance are Black and POC. 50% are disabled; including 2 emerging learning disabled artists for which this will be their first professional performance”
“It is perfect timing for us take DRIVE THRU out on the road – lockdown has been hard on everyone, not least for those with profound and multiple learning disabilities where is has been extremely difficult to access the arts ‘taking it online’ wasn’t necessarily a viable option for many”
“This commission is also an important part of our collective healing , to rebuild our self esteem as artists and reconnect as a group through sharing our collective experiences of the past year together. Inevitably this will include reflection on Black Lives Matter”
DRIVE THRU is written, Co-Directed and performed by Vicki Hawkins and Francis Majekodunmi; With original music from BLINK Co-Director Delson Weekes and Sound Artistry from Bulbet (aka Mathew Hawkins); Set and Costume design by Kat Heath; Additional performers and artistic support workers include Abdul Sabir, Siobhan Wedgeworh, Charlene Low and Charles Oni. DRIVE THRU is made possible with support from and ACE G4A, Heart of Glass, Hammersmith United Charities, Disability Action Emergency Fund, London Catalyst, Wac Arts, Redbridge Drama Centre and The Albany.
To find out more about BLINK and their projects visit www.blinkdancetheatre.org
