news about Jane Mason
Last Shelter - Candoco Dance Company
Jane was delighted to join London based Candoco Dance Company in Spring 2023 on a freelance contract to learn and perform NY Choreographer Jeanine Durning's choreography 'Last Shelter'.
Jeanine is an Alpert Award winning choreographer and performer whose work has been described by The New Yorker as having both “the potential for philosophical revelation and theatrical disaster.”
'Last Shelter' is built around her practice of 'nonstopping'.
Jane is one of seven performers including: Ben Ash, Annie Edwards, Anna Seymour, Sean Murray, Laura Weston and Fernanda Muñoz Newsome. Together they have performed in Slovakia, Germany and the UK with further dates scheduled for Autumn 23 and Spring 24.
Photo by Marek Jancuch
Same Room Same Time - Touring
Jane and Grace presented their duet 'Same Room Same Time' at Edgehill University on March 16th and Déda, Derby on 18th March. Sadly the showing for 11th March at Wainsgate was postponed due to severe snow.
See the promo here
Kindly supported by Exeter Phoenix, Déda, Quarantine and Wainsgate.
Who Do You Think Should Save Us? - Outside the Box, University of Exeter
Jane with collaborators Grace Surman and Gary Winters received a live art commission from Outside the Box (University of Exeter), as part of the Creative Peninsula Network Project looking at collaborative approaches to place making.
The project culminated in a 12-hour day of live art interventions on Exmouth beach on Sunday 17th July, bookended by two choreographic performances with local sea swimmers and Life Guards from the Exmouth Beach Rescue Club.
A poetic film will be created from the day by filmmaker Mark Carey.
Read about the project here
Photo by Julia Weir
Same Room Same Time - Wainsgate Residency
Jane spent a week with performance artist Grace Surman at Charlie Morrissey's Wainsgate residency space in Hebden Bridge.
Jane and Grace are working as a new collaborative duo as Grane. Together they explored material for a new duet for presentation at Exeter Phoenix on 29th September.
The residency was kindly supported by long-time collaborators Quarantine as part of their commitment to invest in artists they have a long-term relationship with.
On a Patch of Ground - Outside the Box
Jane delivered a movement workshop to inaugurate a new outdoor teaching and performance space on Exeter University's Streatham campus, developed by Exeter University's drama department. The workshop was programmed as part of Art Work Exeter's festival.
The Two Day Show - Mayfest
Jane was invited by Impermanence Dance Theatre to present her new work 'The Two Day Show' conceived especially for Mayfest. The concept of the evening was to make a performance in two days and then present it on the third. Jane invited collaborators Dominic Coleman, Amanda Lawrence, Gary Winters, David Williams and graphic novelist Joff Winterhart to join her.
Performed as part of 'Communion' in Mayfest's International Festival, in a beautiful new venue The Mount Without, Bristol.
A film of the entire making process is in production.
Photo by Paul Blakemore
Into The Trees We Move - Impermanence Presents
Pulling over in the country lane you drive by and stop, asking if I'm alright. I say no but that I will be. You don't get out. You are eating. You are able to eat. I notice you are able to eat.
A new solo inspired by love and heartbreak.
24th Feb, Weston Studio, Bristol Old Vic
'...the intensity that Mason managed to create in the room gave the enraptured audience a story at once esoteric and personal, and universal – tapping into her own, and all our stories of heartbreak.'
Bristol 24/7
Read the full review here.
I'm Not dead, I'm Only Sleeping - Sweetshop Revolution
Jane joined Sweetshop Revolution as a performer for a 4-week research and development process for director Sally Marie's new 2022 show.
Dancers: Joey Barton, Elena Boleilli, Thomasin Gulgec and Reece Marshall
Photo by Pippa Samaya
STAND UP! (AND BOOGIE) - Theatre Alibi
Jane was movement director for Theatre Alibi's new show 'Stand Up! (and boogie)', touring to primary schools across Devon in autumn 2021 and Spring 2022.
'...it was a wonderful experience that the children loved being part of!'
Teacher - St David's C of E Primary
Performers: Chloe Thurlow with Marco Mazza and Alexandra Wollacott with Harry Napier.
Photo by Steve Tanner
Why pay attention to a moment lived? - GATHER UP
Jane was invited by the brilliant artist led GATHER UP in Bristol to run a day workshop at Arnolfini in September. The workshop offered a range of strategies and provocations for moving, moving and speaking and working with objects.
'Thank you for surfing the tide with us, in the dark and the quiet. You managed to make it feel all just as it should be...'Image below of Laila Diallo and Eeva-Maria Mutka
Photo of Laila Diallo and Eeva-Maria Mutka
The Scaffold Project - Jane at home
Jane asked seventeen close neighbours to join her on Saturday 5th June to create a choreographic response to the scaffolding on the side of her house (erected to fix a leak in the chimney). Inspired by the sculptural quality of bodies on the scaffold's architecture and the themes of community, home and togetherness (heightened during the lockdown), together they explored relationships in smaller groups during the day followed by a performance at night with live music.
A short film will be made from the process and materials created.
Special thanks to: Adrian Holloway for filming, Jules Maxwell for piano and accordion, Mark Parry for lighting and Sophia Clist for lighting and photography.
The Lost Child - David Glass
Jane spent two days with theatre director David Glass to learn about the processes and principles of The Lost Child Project. Alongside artists and cultural organisations from Exeter and Plymouth, the aim was to seed knowledge and sensibility around the project, so far developed in over 70 countries since its inception in 1997. Each Lost Child Project evolves in relationship with the children and young people of a particular place where the creative methodology focuses on supporting and expressing young people's imagination through group activity in a consensual and secure environment.
The hope is for Exeter to be part of a three-year Lost Child project with other cities across the UK.
Movement workshops at Dartington - Dance in Devon
Jane facilitated movement workshops for artists in the studio and gardens of Dartington. The aim was to support artists to re-connect and to 'move, think and feel' with others coming out of the relative physical isolation of months of away from the studio.
Curated by Dance in Devon.
University of Derby - Out of the Quiet
Jane facilitated the annual Choreographic Intensive for 2nd year Dance students at the University of Derby. Working with 12 students for a week, she created a 17 min piece challenging the students in a range of ways following their months working on zoom, culminating in two performances at Déda, Derby.
Impermanence Dance Theatre - DECADE
Jane was invited to participate in Impermanence Dance Theatre's DECADE; a new Digital Gallery, created throughout the pandemic to celebrate the company’s tenth anniversary. Featuring 100 commissioned responses from 100 people, to articles, poems, reviews and paintings selected from modernist magazines published 100 years ago.
'...this period is evocative of some of the great challenges we face today; rising political extremism, technological innovation, the collapse of Europe and an artistic break from the past.'
Supported by the Paul Mellon Centre
Debriefs Dialogue | Directors Network
Jane was invited by director Lucy Bradley to facilitate a conversation for theatre directors around the delicate process of giving and receiving feedback, with reference to Liz Lerman's Critical Response Process.
Supported by The Young Vic.
Online teaching - Royal Central School of Speech and Drama
'Jane’s sensitive teaching was a great addition to our lockdown-version 'Theatre Making Fundamentals' unit. She got students out of their chairs and moving/feeling/thinking more ambitiously.'
Dr Gareth White - Reader in Theatre and Performance
