Moving Southwark is a series of eleven stills and one video work derived from a film of the same title Moving Southwark in UK-based artist Jevan Chowdhury's project entitled Moving Cities*.
Commissioned by the Arts Council England, Moving Southwark is a magical realist take on Southwark, one of 33 London Boroughs and one of the oldest parts of London. Abandoned by the Romans, for centuries Southwark (also known as Suthriganaweorc) was a haven for criminals and free traders for centuries which was outside the city's jurisdiction. In 2015, inspired by the history of the borough, Chowdhury unearthed some of these stories and translated them into dance, creating the short film Moving Southwark .
Narrated by Nadine Marshall, with a score by composer Danny Odom, the film presents 24 modern day commuters possessed by a dark past. Each dancer performs on the ground, dancing in the streets of London. "Cities like dreams are made of desires and fears. " says Marshall through the end of the film, highlighting the emotive side of the city. The supporting still photographs capture the dancers in and around the borough of Southwark, taking viewers deeper into London, into its tube stations, bus stations, from the Barbican to Swiss Cottage, giving peculiar details of what makes the City of London what it is. Several contemporary dance organisations including the English National Ballet take part in the series. The film Moving Southwark was made possible by funding from the Arts Council England, Bermondsey Square and Institution of Civil Engineers.
*Moving Cities renews urban spaces and transforms them into permanent theatrical installations. The project offers a deeper insight into familiar settings, presenting local people and architecture as part of one cityscape. As an ongoing project, Moving Cities seeks to meld together community, artists and architecture, and to redefine and humanise transient spaces. Iterations of the project have been created in cities around the world including Hong Kong, Barcelona, Dallas, Yerevan, and Paris.
Credits Writer & Creator Jevan Chowdhury Film Direction by Jevan Chowdhury & Produced by Rosie Wells Narrated by Nadine Marshall Choreographer Assistant: Kai Tomioka Sound Engineer: Andrew Hughes Colourist: Hatice Özbayır DOP Charlie Herranz Camera Assistant: Sonia Rodriguez Sound Recordist: Daniel Jaramillo Production Driver: Jamie De’ath Music by Danny Odom
Dancers Laura Croom Megan Pay Brittanie Dillon Grace Jabbari David Gellura Bronte Levine Courtney George Gareth Mole Megan Griffiths Emma Farnell Watson Tom and Jill Donncha Kearney Emily Smith Mari Ishida Saleh El Brogy Christina Koulouma Desiree Ballantyne Bryony Harrison Shaun Mendum Stephanie Tam Omari Carter Bun Kobayashi Ellie Fergusan Emily Tanaka Sau Ching Wong Pepa Yepes
Special Thanks Lottie Coombes, English National Ballet Ruby Wolk, English National Ballet Carol Been, English National Ballet Sophie Winnard, Central School of Ballet Grace Campbell, Rambert School of Ballet Christopher Webster, Tate Modern Claudia Conway, Shakespeare’s Globe Matthew Couper, Southwark Council Richard Scantlebury and Gary Foulds, Bermondsey Square Miranda Housden , İnstitution of Civil Engineers Jan De Schynkel, Arts Council England Beth Cinamon, Tavaziva Hannah O’Sullivan, Hamilton Hodell Goldsmiths Pub, Southwark Port of London Authority More London Authority More London Estates Camera Works
