Lost Generation: An Existential Expression Of Movement with Emma Holt
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Art/Culture
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LOST GENERATION: AN EXISTENTIAL EXPRESSION OF MOVEMENT WITH EMMA HOLT
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Words by Luc HinsonArtwork by Tom Shotton
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Emma Holt, co-founder of Collision Dance Theatre has teamed up with Sonder Films for the release of 'Lost Generation' a moment film that unpacks and explores this generation's experience of the global climate crisis. We sat down with Emma to learn about her influences and inspirations, the goal of Collision Dance Theatre, and to learn about the difficulties of releasing a creative project under isolation. We have an exclusive premiere link of the film available to view here.
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BB: Emma, could you tell our readers a little bit about Lost Generation and the premise behind it?
The inspiration for the film came after reading ‘For the strength of the pack is the wolf, and the strength of the wolf is the pack’ by Rudyard Kipling. The quote opened up many thoughts about working together to achieve a common goal. It also made me think about how we gravitate towards each other not only for an identity but for protection. During the research and development process conversations surrounding topics such as mental wellbeing within the younger generation and climate change were beginning to unfold. I became driven to create something which highlighted these themes. The pack became something that could represent anything from family to a workplace and then I began to explore and apply that principle to the biggest challenges that we are facing as humanity, such as the current climate disaster.
Lost Generation then became a collaboration between Collision Dance Theatre and the film production company Sonder. The film explores the fundamentals of human connection in a dystopia where the global climate crisis has become detrimental to the world. The film follows the dancers; Ferghas Clavey, Niamh McBride, Henry Morris, Charlie Nayler, Jon Werede Hope and myself as we return to animalistic habits of care and affection. Accompanied by an original music score created by composer Andrew Marriott and an original poem written by Philly Felton the film aims to highlight the importance of reaching out a hand to those in need and the power of a society working together.
BB: What was the impetus in releasing this project now?
With the global crisis that is currently going on we see yet another example of a society facing a challenge where the methodology of working together is the only solution. I think it’s been a time for the world to reset and readjust in more ways than one. Moving forward we should aim to take what we have learnt from this time and apply it to help shape a better way of life. Therefore, I think as we begin to move through this transitional period of lockdown and life begins to find a new normal, I think the film is a gentle reminder to ourselves that the freedom of being outdoors and the longing for human connection were what we valued the most during this time and as we move forward they should continue to hold value.
BB: What are you hoping to achieve through Lost Generation?
I hope the film helps spread an awareness around the mental wellbeing of the younger generation by creating positive and open conversations. I have previously struggled with reaching out and asking for help because I felt there was a weird sense of failure attached to it, hence I now wanted to highlight the strength in accepting the hand offered.
The topic of climate change, much like the topic of mental health, is often overlooked because we often fear something we cannot quite understand or know how to overcome. It feels like we are so far from solving the problem that we ignore it entirely. So I hope the film allows people to begin to understand that these issues in society are not going away because we simply turn an eye to it and that the accumulation of everyone´s voices and actions is a step forward in tackling the issues at hand.
BB: Why did you choose dance & movement as the medium to share this narrative?
I am constantly looking for ways to tell stories through the medium of movement. It´s always been my first form of communication and an outlet for expressing the truest form of self. It’s a very intimate form of expression which physicalizes the moments we sometimes can´t express with words. I love how everyone can watch dance and it always offers different interpretations.
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"AS WE BEGIN TO MOVE THROUGH THIS TRANSITIONAL PERIOD OF LOCKDOWN AND LIFE BEGINS TO FIND A NEW NORMAL, I THINK THE FILM IS A GENTLE REMINDER TO OURSELVES THAT THE FREEDOM OF BEING OUTDOORS AND THE LONGING FOR HUMAN CONNECTION WERE WHAT WE VALUED THE MOST DURING THIS TIME"
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BB: You’re also involved in Collision Dance Theatre, how did that come about and what’s the goal of the collective?
Collision Dance Theatre was co-founded in 2018 by Alicia Meehan and I. It is a physical theatre company creating work which challenges social norms and the conventions of theatre. The company is based in the North of the UK and London where we collaborate with a range of artists from cross-disciplinary movers to photographers such as Flora Grant and Luke Waddington to graphic designers such as Bronwen Hall Creative. Our work aims to invite those outside of the dance sphere into the conversation by presenting the works in different places such as outdoor spaces, galleries, care homes and schools.
BB: What has been your biggest challenge in releasing a project under isolation?
We filmed the film in late February just before lockdown was implemented. So, the biggest challenge was the production of the film because the current situation effected the production rhythm. We had to find effective ways of communicating during the editing process, which was challenging because obviously all of these things are much easier face-to-face. The guys at Sonder: Joel, Oscar and Ozzie were great, it just meant a few more group chats. Also, the mixing and mastering was done during this time so trying to complete the sound score whilst sticking to government guidelines was at first a struggle. Through the power of technology, we found ways to stick to government guidelines and finish the track. Andrew Marriott and Ben Vize did a great job with this.
BB: What does home mean to you?
The idea of home to me is dancing silly with my mates on the dance floor in Peckham. It's sat listening to my brother sing Otis Redding out of tune in our living room in Yorkshire and it’s the buzz I get from watching friends do what they love at gigs and in the Theatre. It´s also somewhere I go in times of crisis, a safe place. A place of freeing my authentic self which doesn’t belong to just one idea of home but a collection of people and places that brings out the calm and chaos in my life.
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