Break New Ground Bursary: Recipients Announced
Dublin Fringe Festival is delighted to share the news that after a whopper 118 applications of exceptional quality we have awarded the Break New Ground bursary to two artists developing ambitious new ideas for live performance: Alessandra Azevedo and Kate Dunne.
The bursaries will provide tailored support towards the creation of a project for a future Dublin Fringe Festival debut with a €4250 bursary, a €750 mentorship allocation and in-kind supports to the value of €2000.
The many fantastic ideas we read in the application pool for this bursary got us excited for next year’s festival already!
Alessandra Azevedo's Terra (meaning ‘earth’ in Portuguese and across Latin languages) will draw from dance, movement and rhythm. A dance-theatre performance narrative through collaborative story-telling, video, music, the work connects Afro-diaspora traditions from around the world and attempts to remove the artificial borders that divide our true nature to mimic, share, connect and protect each other. Inspired by Alessandra's work as an Afro-Brazilian dancer & choreographer, Terra connects allegorical performance scenes that deal with large themes like patriarchy, immigration and intersections of race & sexuality with personal vignettes and experiences as an immigrant black artist expressing myself in a white, male world.
Kate Dunne is a multimedia artist developing a multifaceted installation piece titled Sl(t)áinte, a one woman show and a contemporary circus investigation of feminism, bio-politics and identity. The title is a play on the Irish phrase “is fearr an tsláinte ná na táinte” (your health is your wealth) and merges performance, theatre and fine art in an immersive and interactive aerial installation.
The piece aims to immerse the audience into a ‘body horror’ telling of a culmination of personal experiences of Irish healthcare and broader systemic issues. Confronting gendered issues in the Irish healthcare system, Sl(t)áinte raises questions surrounding Irish history and healthcare, the public/private divide, sexuality, a general lack of listening and understanding to women’s voices amongst others.
Alessandra Azevedo
Alessandra Azevedo is an Afro-Brazilian dancer, Capoeira performer & instructor from Salvador, Bahia – home to the largest African diaspora population & Afro-Brazilian culture. Her practice is rooted in body movement to promote connections & cultural education, sharing the rhythms and dances that developed from these roots that echo the strength, culture, resilience, and beauty of ancient communities.
She has worked with choreographers Catherine Young & John Scott and many other artists since moving to Ireland in 2015, performing at major festivals and stages with her Afro-Brazilian performance group Criola dance.
Kate Dunne
Kate Dunne, otherwise known as Kato, is a circus artist with a practice that spans across aerial dance, performance, installation, mixed media, storytelling and fine art. Kate has worked professionally in circus since 2017 as a teacher and a performer at multiple venues and festivals in Ireland and abroad. Her aerial practice is informed by my background of education at the National College of Art and Design; particularly it is the potential combination of expressive movement with elements of visual art that inspire and motivate my training. The themes that inspire her work are feminism, storytelling, and cultural identity. Most recently she has been developing my first solo show - “Sl(t)áinte” - a contemporary circus investigation of feminism, bio-politics and identity, developing collaborative work with Aduantas Aerial company since 2019, performing outdoor spectacle work with Fidget Feet aerial dance company since 2020, and working as a creative mentor and coach. Her recent MA research focused on gender and circus, and she has also been involved with social circus projects including The Palestinian Circus School and the Gaza Women's Circus school.