Performer Adam is lying with their belly to the floor. Their head is raised and one leg in patterned trousers is raised behind them. Their foot is visible above their head and their toes are splayed. The lighting is casting a blue hue onto Adam and the giant sculpture of a weave behind them. Photo © Amina Seid Tahir

Dance Umbrella Festival 2024 presents Change Tempo: several attempts at braiding my way home

24 October-25 October

Change Tempo returns to Brixton House in 2024 to introduce London to two international artists whose transformational works blur the line between dance and visual art.

Dance Umbrella and Brixton House present

Description

Sweden-based Adam Seid Tahir and Amina Seid Tahir draw inspiration from literature on Black feminism and marine mammals for their latest production – several attempts at braiding my way home, a show born out of longing for a space that celebrates and holds their multiplicities as queer Afro-Nordic siblings.

Solo performer Adam begins the show by removing their braids and attaching them to a sculpture of a weave that is suspended at the back of the stage. Like real hair, the weave grows with each performance, storing memories and emotions, creating a timeline that carries the history of the piece.

Set to a pulsating score, several attempts at braiding my way home is a meditation on how it feels to have a place in which to dream, and to truly call home.

This event is also part of the Dance Umbrella Festival 2024, London’s international dance festival, taking place every October across the capital and online. 

Content Information

This performance contains loud noises and flashing lights.

Creative Team

Choreographers Amina Seid Tahir & Adam Seid Tahir

Initiated & performed by Adam Seid Tahir

Dramaturg Lydia Östberg Diakité

Music by Crystallmess

Hair & costume Malcolm Marquez

Lighting Designer Jonatan Winbo

Tour Producers Johnson & Bergsmark

A woman seated at a wooden table, resting her chin on her hand with a confident expression. Her hair is styled in a braided updo, and she wears gold hoop earrings, a black blazer, and subtle makeup. A mirror behind her reflects part of her profile and the back of a chair.

Post-show Talk Host

Lisa Anderson is a prominent leader in the culture and heritage sector, driven by a deep passion for visual arts and dance. With an academic background in human rights, she strategically employs culture to champion social justice and racial equity.

Since 2021, she has held the role of Managing Director at the Black Cultural Archives, a pivotal national institution preserving and championing Black British history. As an independent curator and consultant, she tirelessly advocates for African Diaspora art, especially in the UK. Her recent projects include curating the acclaimed Soulscapes exhibition at Dulwich Picture Gallery, and she founded @blackbritishart in 2016 to elevate the visibility of Black British artists.

A man standing behind a DJ deck playing music

DJ Conrad Kira

Emerging from the beat-infused streets of South East London, Conrad Kira commands attention, as a multifaceted musical talent, revered for his skills as a producer, DJ, rapper, and soundtrack composer. He is played everywhere from London to Tokyo and is a resident DJ at the Renowned Prince of Peckham.

Conrad has worked and collaborated with artists and organizations such as NYT, Company Three, Apples & Snakes, 20 Stories High, Talawa, Tamasha, The Orange Tree, Camden Roundhouse, The Albany, Cardboard Citizens, The Guildhall, Ugly Duck, Yomi Sode, Caleb Femi, Mo Gilligan, Tristan Fynn-Aiduenu, Nathan Powell, and Claudia Pallazo, A.Valley and KraftyKid.

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