Following a call out, we collaborated with a truly diverse team of international dance artists, representing the BAME and LGBTQ+ communities. We were able to work in a new and exciting way, virtually meeting and connecting with interesting artists from around the globe. We created new performative realms by redesigning the performers' isolation spaces; repurposing found items from their tangible surroundings and playing with scale and perspective.

This created a collaborative opportunity for dance, visual and sound artists to think outside the box whilst being ‘inside the box’. At first, we were inspired by the layout, choreographic possibilities and restrictions on video-chat interfaces. Using the concept of these different video frames and perspectives, we created choreographic and design tasks for performers. Under our direction, the performers experimented with capturing dance specifically intended to be viewed on a screen. Research included the physical intricacies of silent movies and how the angle of a frame can enhance a narrative. Taking this into consideration we built  a virtual performance space where the performers intermingle and coexist from their individual frames within the ‘greater frame’.  Aesthetically we took inspiration from artists such as Jesse Kanda and Hierenymous Bosch evoking a dark, surreal quality.

In the editing process, we stitched together these alternate realms and mini performances into one Petri Delights creation. Where a series of uncanny creatures morph their bodies, joining and melting into exquisite corpse inspired creatures. Our practice deals with representation of the natural world, the nonhuman, how that can be queered and what that means for our relationship with it.  We want our film to elicit a feeling of uncanniness and humour, creating an alternate world that inspires, confuses, and excites the viewer. 


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Maggie Campbell