Kekkai: Beyond Fixed Boundaries
kekkai: beyond fixed boundaries is a new work by long-term collaborators Tony Yap Company – Tony Yap, Madeleine Flynn and Tim Humphrey, and Naomi Ota – and Theatre Nottle. ‘kekkai’ explores a Japanese concept meaning ‘tied or bounded worlds’. This interdisciplinary work portrays a series of shifting images and interactions evoking themes of relationship, boundaries, trust and protection. It utilises a distilled, integrated palette of dance and physical performance, text, live and recorded music and soundscape, and visual installation.
The two companies have undertaken three stages of development of the piece: in Korea at Nottle’s home base of Hooyong-ri in 2010; in Australia at Bundanon and Melbourne in 2011, with support from Monash University; and in Hooyong-ri and Seoul in 2013, supported by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and the Korea-Australia Connection Initiative, a partnership of the Australia Council for the Arts and the Korean Arts Management service. 2013 development culminated in a showing at Seoul Art Space, Mullae Art Factory, on Friday 26 April (see video to the left) and a Looking for International Partners showcase at Performing Arts Market Seoul 2013.
The Youtube clip below is a short documentary commissioned by KAMS as part of the Korea-Australia Connection Initiative. It profiles the TYC-Nottle relationship and kekkai as a work.
To view the full length video of the showing from April 2013 email us to obtain the password
World premiere season
Castlemaine State Festival 2015
Saturday 14 – Wednesday 18 March
View the programme notes here
Key artists & personnel
Youngoh Won – Director
Tony Yap, Euna Lee, Soyoung Lim, Junghwi Park – Performers
Madeleine Flynn & Tim Humphrey, Thompsons Foundry Band – Music composition/performance
Naomi Ota – Visual installation
Kirsty Ellem for Kath Papas Productions – Producer
Kwangduk Yun – Lighting designer
Kyungwook Min – Stage manager
Hyunwoo Kim – Script
Jiyeon Shin, Nayoung Cha – Production coordinators
History
The companies’ creative relationship had its genesis in the 2005 International Workshop Festival, instigated by Nottle Theatre, which Tony Yap first attended as a presenter/teacher, then the Little Asia Creators’ Meeting in 2006 in Gwangju, Korea, where Won Youngoh and Yap were key artists. Won and Yap then came together with their companies and collaborators to make ‘The Buddha My Body – A Palimpsest’, which was performed in Seoul, Yogyakarta and Melbourne in 2008-2009.
Credits
Video editing & stills by Cobie Orger
