Work In Progress: Can You Help Me?

"A changing room, a municipal swimming pool in Sweden. I am standing in my swimming trunks and want to go swimming already, but an unknown child stares at me with big eyes. He stares intensely at the absence of my left hand and gathers himself for that act of courage – to riddle the stranger in English. 'So…. so…. are… you… special person?'."

Welcome to this open rehearsal combined with a sharing of the material artist and performing arts producer Filip Pawlak is working on as part of his research at the Malmo Theatre Academy within the MA Performing Arts as Critical Practice programme.

Within the framework of his work, he tries to distance himself from his own biography, while at the same time attempting to notice, from a distance, the symbolic moments that have conditioned his perception of disability, hisy east European working-class background, his non-heteronormative identity, but also the social role of art.

In this exploration, Filip tries to find his own catalogue of gestures and movements that could characterize a crippled practice. He tries to weave documentary and fiction evenly into the story, to activate anger and expressiveness, and to consider with the audience, what promise does disability hold on stage?

"I lost my hand. It was eaten by a dog. A tragic memory. I haven't had it in forever. I traded her for drugs. I lost a stupid bet in primary school. I had a car accident when I was studying at ballet school. At the hospital they said I was going to be deaf and blind. I almost died of COVID. I am a motivational speaker.

What disability story do you want to hear today?"

Research is conducted thanks to funding from the Polish Ministry of Culture and National Heritage under the "Młoda Polska/Young Poland" scholarship programme.

Practical information 

This event is held in the large dance studio at Skånes Dansteater. It is general admission, but the seats are limited, so pre-event sign up is required. 

Sign up to secure your seat either by emailing dialog@skanesdansteater.se or calling 0703-44 58 11.

Open rehearsals are not the finished performance but instead an opportunity to come come close to the artistic process where the components of the performance are tested, developed and refined, i.e. the everyday life of both choreographers and dancers.

The program of this event consists of 30 mins. presentation and 30 mins. discussion. The presentation will be held in English and Polish with English subtitles. 

About Filip Pawlak