SIZE OF COMPANY 1 on the road
SCALE OF VENUE Small to medium
PERMANENT STAFF Artist/Director Joshua Sofaer Producer Ayla Suveren
ARTISTIC POLICY Joshua Sofaer is centrally concerned with modes of collaboration and participation. Often with an irreverent use of humour, he plays with established forms of production, appropriating and reconfiguring the chat show, competition, lecture, or museum display. He acts as curator, producer, or director of a broad range of projects, including large-scale events, intimate performances, and publications. Joshua Sofaer Projects is particularly responsive to site and context-specific commissions.
REVIEW EXTRACTS Wickedly well-observed. Real Time Magazine (World in One City) Anneka Rice may have popularised scavenging but performance artist Joshua Sofaer is taking it to a whole new level. The List (Festival Scavengers) It’s enough to give you sweaty palms. ID Magazine (Name in Lights)
CURRENT PRODUCTIONS Scavengers City Wide scavenger hunt and exhibition with full audience participation, cabaret and cash-prize, running over several days. Devised for the opening or closing of festivals. Fully multi-lingual, working with performers from host country. (2 days, 2 main performers plus assistants, 12 on stage, 2 on the road, suitable for a large gallery or theatre space, DVD on request.) World in One City An international language tour in entirely fake foreign languages. Fully adaptable to local context. No translation issues. (Duration between 15–30 mins, suitable for festival or exhibition context, 1 performer and no technical set-up, DVD available on request.) Name in Lights Whose name would you like to see in lights and why? National competition and major site-specific installation to see the winner’s name in a giant illuminated sign. (Variable duration, large local technical team required.) We’re Here to Help Offering ourselves to the city citizens in whatever capacity they need us. Performance troupe as social trouble shooters. Can operate in any language with local performers. (Variable duration but suggested at 1 week, workshop and exhibition space required, 10 local performers engaged.) Any Questions? Two performers ask the audience if they have any questions. Only suitable for English-speaking audiences. (Variable duration, 2 on stage, 2 on the road, suitable for gallery or small theatre space.) Face It A photographic and performance project that predicts the lives of the citizen’s of the city where it is performed. (1 hour duration, 2 on stage, 2 on the road, suitable for medium sized theatre venues.)
FUTURE PRODUCTIONS The Many Headed Monster A performance lecture and lecture pack on the audience of contemporary performance. Produced by Live Art Development Agency. (Premieres in London, Summer 2009.) Rooted in the Earth A competition to find unsung heroes of local communities, who are then offered an accolade of seeing their name in a planted display. (Premieres in London, Summer 2009.)
WRAP-AROUND Joshua Sofaer is a highly experienced workshop facilitator and all productions have the potential for attached wrap-around activity, ranging from an informal post-performance discussion to a two-week intensive workshop. Recent workshops include, Together: Socially engaged arts practice (4 week course), for acting students at the Norwegian Theatre Academy in Fredrikstad, and We’re Here to Help, a socially engaged site-specific performance for members of the general public at La Casa Encendida, Madrid. The productions Scavengers and We’re Here to Help also have the possibility for local student performer involvement.
RECENT INTERNATIONAL WORK 2008 Japan: Rubbish Library/Library Rubbish 2008 Germany: Face It 2008 Norway: Samlinger i Lofothjem (Collections of Lofoten Homes) 2007 Spain: Estamos Aqui Para Aydar (We’re Here to Help) 2006 USA: SFMOMA Scavengers
TOURING AVAILABILITY Details on request.
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