Against the Tide

Commission by Greenwich and Docklands International Festival with Graeae and Strange Fruit 2009

Imagine an island, separated from the world by a vast desert. The tribe that survives here has almost forgotten what water is; each day they share stories and memories of it. Maybe, if they remember well enough, the water will come back?

Aerial performances by disabled and non-disabled artists on four metre high sway poles evoke the movement of water, the ebb and flow of tides. A unique musical soundscape, combining audio description and sign language interpretation, creates an epic environment for this moving story of loss and survival… set in a near future that we can all-too-easily imagine.

Written by Alex Bulmer
Direction: Jenny Sealey and Grant Mouldey/Sue Broadway
Design: Sofie Layton
Music and sound design: Lewis Gibson