Scotland’s emerging contemporary artists to propel their work through new digital festival of daring performance

Published: 29/05/2020

Experimental, eclectic and intriguing new works from some of the nation’s most exciting emerging voices ”¦ the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland’s Propel festival goes global with a digital celebration of bold contemporary performance.

Over eleven days, from June 2 to 12, artists from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland’s Contemporary Performance Practice programme will premiere live and recorded works, over various online platforms, which explore and question human connection during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Students from all four year groups of the degree course have created original and innovative works during lockdown that include a live digital adaptation of Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night to be shared on Zoom Webinar and an intergenerational choreographic work spread over 60 one-minute films, with dancers aged sixty and above.

Propel also features a panel discussion on making performance in isolation, the internet as creative space and emerging into an uncertain landscape, as well as artist’s talks, with one on how artists can make a difference to the lives of prisoners across the UK.

Dr Laura Bissell, interim head of Contemporary Performance Practice and lecturer in research at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, said: “The definition of contemporary is existing or happening now and, as a festival of contemporary performance, Propel attempts to examine the way in which we can continue to make new work while in quarantine.

“We are so proud of the artists from all four year groups for their bold and original concepts that they’ve developed during lockdown. Propel is a platform to showcase these curious, creative, collaborative and socially engaged artists who are committed to exploring the social function of performance and how it can be an act of community. We’re excited to share their work to a global audience in our first digital season of Propel.”

The four-year Contemporary Performance Practice degree course brings together performance-makers, educators, advocates and active citizens who aspire to transform the world around them. Students are equipped with multiple skills, not only in performance making but also in facilitation and working in communities, to create powerful performances everywhere from hospices, prisons and schools to swimming pools, beaches and building sites.

They encounter a range of concepts throughout their studies including social practice, live art, performance art, post-dramatic performance, installation, performance research, site-specific and documentary practices.

All Propel performances are free, view the full programme.