How did you get involved in the CLASH project?
I’ve known Mags and Conor ‘Doke’ O’Kane for quite some time, performing in DU Dance’s Merge project, and connecting with Doke throughout the years on various Bboy related events. Early this year Mags and Doke contacted me to join in the production of CLASH, and to bring 5th Element NI in to help in the delivery of the show.
What was 5th Element’s role in the production process?
5th Element NI was brought in to produce specific aspects of CLASH from set design, audio production and choreography, while also providing the space for production meetings, and rehearsals throughout. We recruited a group of professional and amateur dancers made up of our local breaking community members, and students at 5th Element. Over 6 weeks, led by Conor O’Kane, we rehearsed performance pieces, along with 6 other groups from around Northern Ireland, themed around various social issues.
The dystopian concept for the set design and build was managed by our lead artist Sam Barry in collaboration with Deborah Hamilton of Du Dance NI, along with a group of local volunteer artists and students from 5th Element NI. The show’s sound production was composed by Darryl Forsythe in collaboration with well known Belfast based rapper Doh Fada.
The score and lyrics provided a powerful soundscape for the performance, weaving together the various performance pieces through music and storytelling. And last but not least, we had other 5th Element community members volunteering and assisting throughout, all keen to support in any way they could.
To have 5th Element NI be asked to join in a production of this nature was a real honour, and it’s testament to the level of talent, skill, and creativity we have in our community. It provided brand new experiences for many involved, who can now all feel proud at the fact they contributed to the success of an incredible community led project.
It opened many eyes, forced us to step out of our comfort zone, but all for the better. Everyone involved gained something from the entire process, from individual personal growth, to a sense of belonging and community spirit. It offered insight into how theatre productions are created, and all of the potential avenues that creatives can explore, whether it’s performing or being part of the wider creative process.
It seemed like the project was very ambitious and the final performance had a lot of “moving parts” – How did you find working with such a huge cast – working with the music – the dancers and bringing the narrative to life?
Ambitious is an understatement. We ran into a few hitches along the way, such as losing our initial venue therefore having to delay production until a new venue was found. Thankfully this worked out for the best and we ended up securing Carlisle Circus Memorial Church. The character of this building lent itself perfectly to the show’s atmosphere. As well as that, funding also landed later than hoped. So once we locked in both of these things, as well as a performance date we set to work.
This involved connecting with various community groups around the country. DU Dance NI is well connected and was able to recruit lead choreographers in various regions in NI, who all assembled groups of amateur performers in various communities, with ages ranging from 8 years old, up to 92 years old! We also recruited BMXers and parkourists to join the show.
After discussing and choosing a theme they wanted to express, each group built their showpiece, choreographed to specific music, with direction from Conor O’Kane and Mags Byrne who were overseeing the broader shape and narrative for the show. Weekly rehearsals were organised for each group, giving them 6 weeks to shape and choreograph their performance piece.
In between rehearsals, music and sound production meetings were held weekly to shape the overall flow, creating a soundscape that blended 7 dance performances in a way that made it all feel like one show rather than a series of separate performances.
As it got closer to the actual performance date DU Dance NI’s production team built the logistics for the show, covering everything from costumes, production schedules, marketing and communications, ticketing, and much much more. Working with Jackie Fautaux (Production Manager) and her team was amazing, as they did a fantastic job of keeping everything in check, making the entire process very smooth for everyone. The entire team at DU Dance NI and their level of professionalism was very inspiring, and it helped raise our game.
CLASH definitely had many layers, and a lot of moving parts, but each aspect had a solid team behind it, all of whom were able to execute effectively, with clear direction and communication throughout. In total there was 120 people involved in the cast and crew!
Production week, leading up to the first performance, was intense, but smooth. The mix of anxiety, excitement, and fears was palpable, as we assembled the entire cast and crew at Carlisle Memorial Church for the very first time, on the day of the first performance no less. Prior to this all groups had worked in isolation, now they were coming together to rehearse the full live show. This is when the realisation kicked in for many involved. They could now see the scale of CLASH, and all of the layers, including the musical score, lighting, and set design.
Mags led the charge during this, empowering everyone involved to dig deeper and find the performer inside of them. Her passion and her words united everyone in the cast and crew, and really helped to keep everyone focused on what they needed to do to make the show a success.
It looks like the collaboration – DU Dance – 5th Element – Conor O’Kane – was a great success. Will you be looking to work on similar collaborations in the future?
Working with visionaries like Mags Byrne and Conor O’Kane is an opportunity that doesn’t happen too often, but when it does, it’s always a remarkable experience. Their passion for the arts, and their ability to bring the best out in people is inspiring to say the least. So of course, if the opportunity came up again to work together in any capacity, I’d be up for the challenge.
For more information about DU Dance NI and the 5th Element, see below
