It’s what’s on the inside that counts. Performed within the close confines of a shipping container, Unkindest Cut opens a door into ourselves. A hidden fortress of ideas: intimate and intense; alarming yet alluring; enclosed but spilling over. Combining dance, spoken word and film with an interactive light and sound installation, the production explores how our minds cope – and sometimes don’t with modern life, and offers new perspectives on issues surrounding mental health in young adults today.
The latest work from acclaimed choreographer, performer and science educator, Subathra Subramaniam, Unkindest Cut has been created in consultation with lead child and adolescent psychiatrist at South London and Maudsley Adolescent Mental Health Services Dr Partha Banerjea, and will be touring in partnership with the Oxford Festival of Science and Ideas. Unkindest Cutis funded by The Wellcome Trust and Arts Council England.
“I believe that the essence of human beings can be revealed through art. I want my multi-disciplinary work to instil a curiosity, pose questions, open up debate and discussion. Mental health is such an important issue facing young people today. Unkindest Cut – you could describe it as a head trip. It’s about reflection rather than reaction, a thinking space that can help us think differently about mental health.” Subathra Subramaniam
Touring major science festivals across the UK from 4th October – 24th March 2019, performances of Unkindest Cut are preceded by a series of dance workshops for young people, exploring what it is like to be a young person in the world today. The young people’s voices from these discussions then form the soundscape of the installation for Unkindest Cut. The piece aims to increase awareness around the issues of mental health – for example, cases of self-harm in girls aged 13-16 have risen by 68% since 2011. Unkindest Cut stems from Subathra’s work as Artist in Residence at The South London and Maudsley Adolescent Mental Health Unit. The information gathered from the project will inform a major research paper to be published next year.
Unkindest Cut was conceived and choreographed by Subathra Subramaniam. The piece is a collaboration with audio visual artists, Kathy Hinde and Matthew Olden and lighting designer, Aideen Malone, with dramaturgy by Chris Fogg.