Looking North conference
Posted on Tuesday, 20th April 2010 by B.Darlington
Many of us are watching, with fascination and frustration, the news reports featuring the Icelandic ash cloud, currently causing such inconceivable travel disruptions across Europe. All eyes look north to Eyjafjallajoekull (something which we are naturally doing, with hopes of our upcoming conference speakers arriving by air from Iceland, Norway and Portugal…), as well as gazing up at our skies with thoughts of ash and of aeroplanes. Interestingly timed perhaps, this Friday and Saturday sees Northern Stage’s international conference Looking North, seeking to not only explore and define its own identity as a ‘northern stage’, in this landmark 40th birthday year, but also to ask us to look out at the many geographical norths which exist worldwide. Posing the question, ’What does north mean in the twenty-first century?’
The Northern Stages project, which forms a large component of the theatre’s birthday celebrations, came from a consideration of the company’s 40 year history, and their reputation for innovation, debate, and for introducing theatre artists from all over the world to Newcastle. Leading them to consider their name (a strong aspect of the theatre's identity) with interest, which has changed a few times over the last 40 years. They are often asked exactly what it is that makes them northern. Frequently the answer given is simply that they are based in Newcastle so they make and present theatre in the North of England, but we know that underneath the question lurks a series of other questions. Can they call themselves northern if they work with such a diverse range of artists? Does northern imply a style and attitude or point of view on the world? What is the perception of their work when they tour outside of the north? Is northern a state of mind? What defines a northern stage. Looking North conference is a crucial point for international debate and discussion about the north, with our colleagues and audience.
Although we want the conference, and project, to consider a global north, we also wanted an opportunity to consider how the idea of ‘the north’ has changed in the of North of England in the last 40 years? And to pose the question, is there a new north? Something we hope to explore in a cultural, academic and literary sense. We are delighted that Jim Tough, the newly appointed Area Executive Director, North at Arts Council England, will be opening the first session of the conference for us on Friday afternoon. And we greatly hope that people from the region will take this opportunity to come and meet Jim, at what we believe is his first public speaking engagement in the north east, since beginning his post.
Underlying all of the conference sessions, and our exploration of north throughout Northern Stages, is a meditation on whether being Northern is an identity to be celebrated, resisted or challenged. Through Guardian north’s editor Martin Wainwright, and Radio 4’s Kate Fox, we will be exploring the idea of the ‘northern voice’, and the lack – or marginalisation - of these voices in certain realms. Graeme Rigby, a member of Amber film & photography collective, will open this session with a lively and provocative look at the oppositional roles of documentary from and within the north of England, the consequences of this opposition, and the role of the artist within this. Celebration, resistance and critique, Amber will show us a partial record of 40 years work; a brief glimpse into over 40 bodies of work that are for the most part, in themselves, complex narratives.
Our look at the international north comes in the final conference session, inviting a selection of international artists and academics to consider their norths, and the influence of northerliness on creative practice. We decided to open with a provocation from Jon Nygaard, a Norwegian expert on Ibsen, as a fascinating and theatrical example of the influence of both the north and the south on an artist’s work. Reflecting on Ibsen’s writing and approach, does the north function as a kind of frenetic, mystical - though quite brutal and unforgiving - energy in his plays? While the south appears to offer a mellower, simpler wisdom. Is this too simple a distinction? Would Ibsen have recognised his north and south in northern England, or Europe today? The session welcomes four artists to discuss their own practice. Two of these artists, Nazli Tabatabai-Khatambakhsh and Fernando José Pereira, have created two very beautiful, and very different, works exploring northernness. Both these works have been or are being shown, as part of Northern Stages (Paper Dolls and permafrost.)
As the north is often, and perhaps increasingly becoming, a focus of academic and artistic attention, we hope that opening up our debate to a broad range of speakers and audience members, will facilitate a lively conversation about the north, and that we will be challenged in our own perceptions.
A full list of sessions and speakers can be found here.
Tickets available from the theatre box office 0191 230 5151
Single session ticket £6 full price / £5 conc
Full Conference ticket (excl. lunch) £15 full price / £12 conc
Full Conference ticket (incl. lunch on Sat 24) £21 full price
(Photo: © Fernando José Pereira: a still from the film permafrost)