Solo Collaborations are online audiovisual works, capturing Scottish Ensemble’s approach to imaginative cross-artform collaborations and finding a way to bring amazing performers together while the industry cannot re-open fully. What’s more, these works are conceived to give people an experience they couldn’t have live, embracing the technology and the possibilities of digital.
The heart of each Solo Collaboration will be the creation of a new commission: a short work created in partnership between a composer, a collaborator from another artform and a member of Scottish Ensemble. Working together closely throughout the process, the composer will create a new work, recorded by the musician at home, while the collaborator creates a filmed visual response. Each Solo Collaboration is also a starting point for exploring the potential for longer-term collaboration between these artists.
these bones, this flesh, this skin
Developed in partnership with Scottish Dance Theatre, these bones, this flesh, this skin is a new commission for solo violin and solo dancer by composer Martin Suckling and Scottish Dance Theatre’s Artistic Director Joan Clevillé, performed by dancer João Castro and Scottish Ensemble’s Artistic Director Jonathan Morton, and filmed by Genevieve Reeves.
Using the same sources of inspiration as a starting point, three 4-minute musical works and three 4-minute choreographed works for camera have been created. Through a bespoke website, the audience is invited to combine different musical and visual layers and decide how they want to experience the work, with up to 21 possible variations. There is over an hour of potential score to choose from depending on the combinations chosen.
Composer Martin Suckling said:
I wanted to be certain we produced something which wasn’t simply a filmed version of a live performance but rather something which was made to be experienced online and took advantage of the possibilities this opens up. Something which allows the audience to participate in the experience; something which would not be possible ‘in real life’.