FERAL is a cross-artform project by Daisy Black and Gossamer Thread Circus combining circus performance, short film, original prose and fine art.
FERAL adjective “in a wild state, especially after escape from captivity or domestication”
FERAL is a cross-artform project by Daisy Black and Gossamer Thread Circus combining circus performance, short film, original prose and fine art. The project explores a reconnection with the land, drawing on the folklore and ecology around each pivotal moment of the year that has anchored us to the earth throughout history.
“Totally skin tingling.”
“An exquisite blend of spoken word, performance art, music and nature. An expression of how humanity reaches for, retreats from, and becomes a part of nature.”
“A powerful language that is needed now.”
“Sensory and visceral.”
This event at Norwich Arts Centre marks the culmination of the first phase of the project, and will include an exhibition of the fine art prints and a screening of all four short films that were created throughout 2021, each marking the Spring Equinox, Summer Solstice, Autumn Equinox and Winter Solstice, created at Norfolk’s 1500 acre rewilding project Wild Ken Hill. The date of the event marks the traditional Gaelic beginning of Spring, marking the halfway point between the winter solstice and the spring equinox.
“Language and imagination are our most powerful and natural tools for re-engaging with nature – culture is the interface between us and the non-human world, our species’ semi-permeable membrane.” Richard Mabey
F E R A L seeks to explore the connection between our wellbeing and the wellbeing of the land, and how we might heal both, looking at the intersection of art and activism. We want to offer ways to reconnect, to incite positive change & speak to the commonality we all share, highlighting the importance and impact of grassroots, community-based action and care, for both ourselves and our environment. The project also tracks a personal journey of re-habilitation and recovery after injury and management of a chronic illness, marking at each point in the year what’s happening in the body – an offering that is unfiltered, raw and honest, and, we hope, might resonate with others navigating similar paths.
Original words, artwork, concept and circus performance by Daisy Black
Filming, editing & photography by Alex McAleer
Music by Laura Cannell, Ash Day & Polly Wright