An experimental theatre going through an immersive journey with the audiences to discover the bitterness and sweetness of being migrant artists and finding allyship, supported by Arts Council England and shortlisted by Untapped Award 2023. 

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As part of an ongoing collaboration between percussionist/multidisciplinary artist Angela Wai Nok Hui, and contemporary art duo Ghost and John since 2020, ‘Bitter Moves Sweet Truths’ is a multi-sensory journey navigating the dilemmas of politics, sickening racial attacks and widening gap between ‘successful’  and ‘starving’ artist figures. This roving piece merges dance, spoken word, live music, soundscapes and projections, to create a common ground where they, as migrant activist artists, all strive to build connections.

 

With an intrinsic connection to the socio-political situation in their home country and histories of East Asian resistance to colonialism, Angela, Ghost and John share the same fear of speaking up for themselves. ‘Bitter Moves Sweet Truths’ builds a safe space to connect with audiences who may have been ‘othered’ in a held environment and collectively de-mystify experiences of displacement, leading to greater empathy and social cohesion. 

 

Through a wide range of artistic practices and metaphors, they explore the analogy of space as desire for inhabitable places and the ‘alien’ feeling that has a great resonance to their identities. They create a new environment for creative expressions about the sweetness and bitterness in finding allies in their many fights and believing in the power of collaboration and togetherness.

 

Like the stargazers looking at galaxies light-years away, Angela, Ghost and John continue to search for those who understand and connect with them. They are holding onto glimpses of hope as they wildly wander through the treacherous landscapes. They always improvise for their survival. 

 

In a non-linear, immersive, sensorial, highly visual performance, ‘Bitter Moves Sweet Truths’ employs an innovative open-space format. As a metaphor for fragmented selves, Angela, Ghost and John draw the audience focus in different directions, creating a roving work that changes dynamic often, with quiet contemplative moments and loud kinetic highlights.

 

In this immersive and transportive journey, with live music, dance and visual imagery, Angela, Ghost and John invite you to leap into their fantastical world, embracing the power of imagination and the vast possibilities of collaboration. They create their work intuitively with a visual language they have developed by working together very closely. In their third yearly collaboration since 2020, they carefully keep the candle lights on.

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Production team

Concept and performance: Angela Wai Nok Hui, Ghost and John

Producer: Eve Veglio-Hüner

Projection visuals and design: Jeffrey Choy

Curator: Sandra Lam 

Dramaturg: Bonnie Chan 

Dramatherapist: Yu-Hsuan Lin

Audio Description: Shivaangee Agrawal

BSL Interpretation: Jemima Hoadley

Photographer: Jane Lam

Videographer: Michael Mui