Prehension Blooms is a 50-minute interactive contemporary dance work that incorporates world-class performers, immersive sound design and music, and the latest in robotic technology. Prehension Blooms explores relationships and themes of companionship and loneliness; set in a distant future and ancient past - an alien world of sand where robot creatures lurk under foot. From the 4th century priest and scholar Saint Jerome, who went into the wilderness to write and commune with God to Kisa Gotami, a well known Buddhist story of a woman who loses her only child, Prehension Blooms connects the lonely, across space and time, and channels the obsolete word ‘oneliness’; the state of being one. The work can be presented as an intimate event with audiences on 3 sides or front on with raked seating. Post show, audiences are invited to take a closer look at our robot creatures. Prehension Blooms can either be presented alongside companion work, the installation, “Beyond Body & Things” or as a stand alone performance. The robotics embedded into this production have been part of a co-creation process with members of the public and is an on-going research project (a collaboration with Bristol Robotics Lab). Feedback from audiences inform future iterations of the work.

Concept & Direction

Adrienne Hart

Choreography

Adrienne Hart in collaboration with Fukiko Takase & Travis Clausen-Knight

Dance Artists

Fukiko Takase & Travis Clausen-Knight

Robot Concept 

Adrienne Hart & Ana Rajcevic (Neon Dance), with Hemma Philamore (Bristol Robotics Lab, University of Bristol) 

Robotics & Telepresence 

Hemma Philamore, Alix Partridge & Calum Gillespie (Bristol Robotics Lab, University of Bristol) 

Visual Design 

Ana Rajcevic in collaboration Alix Partridge, Charlie Hope & Star Holdon 

Performance Animatronics 

Charlie Hope & Star Holdon 

Lighting Design
Nico de Rooij 

Lighting Associate
Charlie Hope

Composition

Sebastian Reynolds (original score) & ‘Two is Apocryphal’ by Johann Johannsson 

Costume

Mikio Sakabe 

Supported & Funded by

Arts Council England National Lottery Project Grants, Art Front Gallery, Brigstow Institute & EPSRC Impact Acceleration Fund, Swindon Dance, University of Bristol, The Place, Wellcome Collection, Bristol Beacon, Dance4 & South East Dance.