Future Proof Festival





in collaboration with the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts



Produced by

LAURA CARROL

STUART CROWTHER

DUNCAN RICHES

​ANYA WINFUL



This YEAR'S FUTURE PROOF HAS GONE ONLINE!



Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the actors at the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts (LIPA) couldn't complete their final year of training. One of the events that could not happen was the FUTURE PROOF FESTIVAL, after its very successful first year in 2019.


From 14th-16th July 2020, LIPA Future Proof collaborated with us and curated an online version of the festival, featuring pieces from the graduating actors.



DAY 1:
'Lockdown'





What is the day-to-day experience of living in ‘the new normal’? From ‘social distancing’ to ‘household bubbles’, ‘stay alert’ to ‘quarantine and chill’, a fresh vocabulary has infiltrated our language and (forever?) changed our collective landscape. These new digital performances explore the realities of life, love (and lethargy) in the time of Corona.


Featuring work by:

SEAN HENRY

GAIA AHUJA

SIAN WAKEFIELD

LOUIS SAXBY and CALLUM SHIERDAN-LEE

JOSEPH KEMPSTER

HANNAH ROSE LEWIS

RACHAEL ARONOFF

MAC ALYN HOWARD

PETE O'KEEFFE

EMILY HARRY



SEAN HENRY





"During lockdown, I decided to add another podcast to a horrifyingly oversaturated market. The podcast features rambles, novelty songs and chat with interesting folk. The episode created for FutureProof features a chat with actor and NHS staff member, Molly Toms, a fellow LIPA graduate."



JOSEPH KEMPSTER





His FutureProof piece is entitled ‘Henry the Hoover’s Lament’



RACHAEL MAYE ARONOFF, MAC ALYN HOWARD and PETE O’KEEFFE





In their FutureProof piece, the gang compete to create an artistic masterpiece about the female experience. Whether it’s for Jodie Comer’s love or moon cup-winning glory, the competition brings out the artiste in all.



SIÂN WAKEFIELD





Some information about her FutureProof piece - In a time of isolation and uncertainty, ‘Everyday Brave’ was created to acknowledge and empower those who are staying home or taking measures to protect others. “What does brave look like to you?”.


Siân also worked on the production of ‘It’s Always Rainy in Liverpool’ which is appearing in this 2020 FutureProof Festival.



EMILY HARRY





‘Day, Next Day’ is choreographed, produced and edited by Emily. Through abstract movement, it explores the monotony of our situations in lockdown, contrasting individual routines to question what unites us.



GAIA AHUJA





Her FutureProof piece is a soundscape of poems and music written and mixed by Gaia, the perspectives of 3 different people during lockdown. Presenting their opinions & views on society and their own personal life.



HANNAH ROZE-LEWIS





In her FutureProof piece, we follow Han, an unemployed and possibly deluded dancer with big dreams. Will she make it? Will I get a BAFTA? It’s a solid maybe.



LOUIS SAXBY and CALLUM SHERIDAN-LEE





A taster of his FutureProof piece with fellow grad Louis Saxby:

- What happens when your best friend leaves?

- Can hoovers shoot nerf guns?

- How do you pass a module when the worlds stopped?


Find out in ‘You, Me & Henry’.



DAY 2:
'Inside Out'





Touching on issues of identity, heritage and our place in the universe, these new digital performances consider how we bridge the gap between our inner and outer lives. From the depths of our subconscious, to the vast reaches of the natural landscape, they explore how, where and why we put down ‘roots’.


Featuring work by:

ISABEL SHEA

ELISSA COOPER

HANNAH KIDMAN

VERONIKA ROSSLAND

EUAN LIVINGSTONE

ANDRES THORVALDSSON

SASHA GEORGETTE

MIKAYALA ALMANDOZ

HARRISON SCOTT-SMITH

MOLLY TOMS

AMY MURPHY



Hannah kidman





For her FutureProof piece, Hannah has curated a series of poetry / musical excerpts, serving as a taster for a full virtual event, and creating a dialogue between herself, the acts, and the audience on mental health in lockdown.



EUAN LIVINGSTONE





His FutureProof piece, ‘Mother Earth’, was inspired by the poetry of Sylvia Plath and Ted Hughes. It looks at how we view the natural world as both something of beauty and filled with life but also destructive and plagued by death.



ANDRÉS THORVALDSSON





His FutureProof piece, “Don't Forget”, is about not forgetting the times when we were children and how modern society gets us stuck in both the past and the future.



MOLLY TOMS





Her FutureProof piece is a poem extracted from ‘The Competent Podcast’. It is devised from poetry/ideas from multiple keyworkers children and keyworkers at Molly’s current place of work at a hospital.



AMY MURPHY





Amy’s FutureProof project is a recreation of Maggie Rogers’ song, ‘Alaska’. She rearranged and performed the piece using only household objects during the nationwide lockdown.



SASHA GEORGETTE





Her FutureProof piece, ‘Saudade’, explores the loneliness of living in Liverpool during the pandemic, as well as nostalgia, touching on the vulnerable and scary moments of this “new normal” world.



MIKAYLA ALMANDOZ





Her FutureProof piece ‘A Love Letter To …’ is a heartfelt exploration of home and what it means especially to a student who sometimes feels stuck between two places.



ELISSA COOPER





Her futureproof piece,The Art of Doing Nothing, is a #chillhop track and animation that explores the mundanity of quarantine and the Swedish lifestyle concept, Niksen, that celebrates doing nothing.



HARRISON SCOTT-SMITH





His FutureProof piece is a comedic song and music video written in the Welsh language redefining my relationship to home through using traditionally stereotypical images and phrases associated with Welsh culture. Leeks not included.



ISABEL SHEA





Her FutureProof piece “Good Grief” is an animated stop-motion illustrated, created, and edited by Isabel Shea. It touches on the unprecedented phenomenon of collective grief surrounding our global situation. Grief can be good.



VERONIKA RØSSLAND





Her FutureProof piece, “No plantar kvinna”, is inspired by a poem by Halldis Moren Vesaas. The piece draws parallels between the oppression of nature and the oppression of women and emphasizes that both women and nature must be respected.



DAY 3:
'Futures'





While the present is fraught with uncertainty and trepidation, we turn our gaze to ‘the future’ and explore what may be lurking on the horizon. From alternate universes, to dystopian nightmare states, these new digital performances explore several potential scenarios in response to the question: ‘what next?’


Featuring work by:

JESSICA ARMSTRONG

ALICE WAY

KIERAN MASON

MATTHEW KHAN

OLIVIA CARRIER

KAT JOHNS-BURKE

AMBER BUTTERY

ALASTAIR HENNESSY



KIERAN MASON





His FutureProof piece, ‘Alternate Worlds’ is a sci-fi, dystopian and utopian digital project inspired by shows such as ‘The Twilight Zone’ and ‘Black Mirror’ - peeking into an alternative world.



OLIVIA CARRIER





Her FutureProof piece is a short parody film in the form of stop motion, highlighting the current ‘situation’ we are in with the coronavirus and global pandemic. This project is suited to be shown on comedy platforms such as Youtube, and can help expand the content of a parody-style channel for entertainment purposes. This project is also educational, encouraging people to ‘stay home’ and protect lives and the safety of others during the pandemic.



MATTHEW KHAN





His FutureProof piece - part personal meditation and part poetry, this project deals with themes around rebirth and new life cycles, whilst highlighting how modern society places such an importance on productivity and perfectionism.



ALASTAIR HENNESSY





His FutureProof piece is entitled ‘Not A Doctor’.



HIGHLIGHTS





Her FutureProof piece, “Citizen 4 8” is a dystopian short film set in a future where the government and Amazon have merged to form Government Prime.



KAT JOHNS-BURKE





For FutureProof, Kat has recorded a scene for Radio as she is interested in this format. She has recorded a comedic piece where she portrays a range of characters.



AMBER BUTTERY





Her FutureProof piece is The Park - a short film created from the voices and stories of working-class 10-15yr olds over the country in a time of missing their best-pals, and their place to belong.



JESSICA ARMSTRONG





Her FutureProof piece is entitled ‘Experiment 0179’.






enquiries@threedumbtheatre.com