There was a double standing ovation as stroke survivors supported by professional dancers and musicians took to the stage in a new dance theatre piece specially choreographed by Ben Duke with Composer Orlando Gough
This ground-breaking piece opened at The Place 18 & 19 May, 2018 before going on tour to Keswick, Nottingham, Oxford, Eastleigh and Bristol in October/November 2018.
In the culmination of a three-year arts and health research project, choreographer Ben Duke, composer Orlando Gough, health professionals and survivors of traumatic brain injury collaborated on an odyssey of self-rediscovery. Some of the most profound questions that preoccupy survivors of stroke and other traumatic brain injuries touch on hopes of regaining those lost faculties that are core to their identity, including speech and movement. Through dance theatre, Stroke Odysseys explores the sense of self and agency that comes into question when a part of you feels lost. The piece is performed by a company of 5 professional musicians, singers, dancers, and 5 stroke survivors.
Lucinda Jarrett, who leads the project, said
“The need for Stroke Odysseys has been identified by a wide network of clinicians, health care practitioners, patients and family members who are guiding the direction of the project through a series of practice research workshops. Following the project, a clinical evaluation report will be released to assess its effectiveness and make recommendations for future implementation.”