Press Release: Ray Young’s award-winning duet OUT comes to Sadler's Wells' Lilian Baylis Studio this April

[Jan McNulty]

Ray Young                                    OUT  Lilian Baylis Studio   Thursday 25 & Friday 26 April 2024  Tickets: £17  Ticket Office: 020 7863 8000 or www.sadlerswells.com        © Glodi Miessi    Ray Young’s award-winning duet OUT comes to the Lilian Baylis Studio from Thursday 25 – Friday 26 April 2024. OUT defiantly challenges homophobia and transphobia while reclaiming dancehall and celebrating social dance culture.      Embracing personal, political, and cultural dissonance; this act of interdisciplinary self-expression smashes through normativity, summoning voices and re-enacting movements in an exhilarating mash-up of remembrance and re-invention. OUT carves out a new kind of space from which to reimagine, reclaim and celebrate aspects of Caribbean culture from a queer perspective.      Created by performance maker Ray Young, OUT won the 2017 South East Dance A Space to Dance Brighton Fringe Award and was nominated for the 2017 Total Theatre & The Place Award for Dance.     The 2024 restaging of OUT is performed by Azara Meghie and Bambi Jordan Phillips and features lighting design by Nao Nagai, set design by Naomi Kuyck-Cohen, sound design by Naomi Jackson and costume design by Mia Maxwell. Esma Allman is Assistant Director, Nandi Bhebhe Movement Director and Nussatari Movement Consultant.      Ahead of OUT coming to the Lilian Baylis Studio, Ray Young said “I am extremely excited to be bringing OUT back in 2024, the themes in the work resonate more now than ever before. As queer people we are still living in a world in which it is contentious for us to dare to thrive in our bodies, this is doubly so for our trans siblings whose lives are often under threat from the simple act of living authentically. Surely being able to do this is nonnegotiable.     I’m over the moon and hugely privileged to be working with Bambi Jordan Philips and Azara Meghie. Two phenomenal queer performances artists who will step into the work as performers for this iteration of OUT.     It is amazing to be kicking off the year with this project!”      Rob Jones, Sadler’s Wells Associate Artistic Director said “When I first saw OUT, I was completely mesmerised and shook to the core. The way this work irreverently takes up space and pushes forward an important conversation is a gift. I am beyond excited to welcome Ray Young’s latest iteration of this work to the Lilian Baylis Studio. Both Azara Meghie and Bambi Jordan Phillips are incredible performers in their own right, who are breathing new life into this powerful production. Bring on the dancehall, lasers, pink dance floor and the oranges.”      OUT was created with kind support from Arts Council England, The Marlborough Theatre, The Yard Theatre, IBT, Leicester Curve, South East Dance and Greenwich University. The 2024 restaging of the work has been supported by Cambridge Junction and Sadler’s Wells.    Relaxed and Audio Described performance with accompanying Touch Tour on Friday 26 April      Listings Information  Ray Young                                     OUT   Lilian Baylis Studio    Thursday 25 & Friday 26 April 2024   Tickets: £17   Ticket Office: 020 7863 8000 or www.sadlerswells.com     Cast and creative team     Creative Director: Ray Young  Assistant Director: Esme Allman  Performers: Azara Meghie & Bambi Phillips Jordan  Producer: Steph Be with Jenna Mason  Production Manager: Anna Smith  2024 Production Movement Director: Nandi Bhebhe  Movement Consultant: Nussatari  Lighting Design: Nao Nagai  Set Design: Naomi Kuyck-Cohen  Sound Design: Naomi Jackson  Sound Engineer: Vincent Robinson  Costume Design: Mia Maxwell  Assistant Costume Designer: Kyara Chapman  Production Dramatherapist: Wabriya King  Access Assistants: Mable Cable & Francis Slip    Original Co-Creator and Performer: Dwayne Antony  2019-20 Performer and Additional Devising: marikiscrycrycry  Original Outside Eye: Joseph Mercier  Original Dramaturgical Support: Martin Hargreaves      About Ray Young  Ray Young is a transdisciplinary performance artist, experience maker, and writer, widely recognized for their groundbreaking work at the forefront of activism, queerness, race, and neurodiversity. Their practice is centered around creating a safe space for those who exist at the intersection of multiple realities, through collaboration and resistance to traditional forms.    In recent years, Ray’s work has been focused on exploring and shedding light on notions of rest, care, and recovery in art, particularly as it pertains to the experiences of neurodivergent artists. Ray has been working towards creating a more holistic practice that draws together art, nature, and technology, as they seek to challenge traditional capitalist ideologies of production that prioritize speed and productivity over creativity, care, and wellness.    Ray’s work has been presented widely across the UK, including in London, Cambridge, Brighton, Leeds, and Edinburgh, as well as internationally including Portland, Mexico City, and Venezuela. Their groundbreaking contributions to the field of performance art have earned them numerous awards and accolades, and their work continues to push boundaries and challenge conventional notions of what art can be and do.    About AZARA  Azara is a multi-disciplinary artist that likes to share personal politics on sexuality, gender, racism, classism and homophobia through live art and film using poetry, breakdancing and theatre.     Throughout Azara’s developing career, Azara has worked with a variety of artists such as playwright Roy Williams, Company 3, Coral Messam and Freddie Opoku-Addaie.     Azara has also performed in The Shakespeare’s Globe production I, Joan, The Dog Show at The Pleasance and the five star Talawa show, Run It Back at Fairfield Halls. Azara’s show Just Another Day and Night, received a four star review from The Guardian and has been shown at Ovalhouse, The Lowry, & The Place amongst other venues across London.     Azara really enjoys creating work that unites a desire for introspection within the audience and themself, but through that a celebration of individuality should reign supreme.    About Bambi Jordan Phillips  Bambi Jordan Phillips is a creative producer, movement artist and model interested in driving artistic work for social change. Bambi quickly became a cornerstone of the London Ballroom Scene, where she is a part of the iconic, Unforgettable House of Revlon and Mother of the Kiki House of Laveaux. Bambi believes in Voguing as a form of social activism - a direct connection to trans embodied ancestry. She creates work that explores identity and the deconstruction of learned ideas of gender, sexuality, desire and race.     As movement director, theatre includes: As You Like It (The Globe Theatre) Sundown Kiki Reloaded (Young Vic) Sound of the Underground (Royal Court Theatre) Sundown Kiki (Young Vic).     As choreographer, theatre includes: Marie Laveaux (Stanley Arts). like the water (raze collective commission).    As a dancer, orchestral concerts include: A Christmas Gaiety (Royal Albert Hall). Years and Years (o2 arena).    As dancer, music videos include: Love Me More (Sam Smith), Frankenstein (Rina Sawayama).    As choreographer & performer, film includes: 'By Earth Sea and Air, The heart wants what the heart wants (Adham Faramawy); Life Cycles Of Rainbows (India Sky).    As producer: The Black Obsidian Ball, at Rivoli Ballroom (part of We Are Lewisham, presented by Lewisham Council & the Albany as part of the Mayor’s London Borough of Culture 2022).    As model: Gareth Pugh, British Vogue, Marc Jacobs, Noki, Dr Marten, Benefit Cosmetics, Hemsley London, Aldo, Schuh, Coca-Cola, Diet Coke, Chloe Baines, Killa, Dazed, Fader, Coach.    About Sadler’s Wells       Sadler's Wells is a world-leading dance organisation. We strive to make and share dance that inspires us all. Our acclaimed year-round programme spans dance of every kind, from contemporary to flamenco, Bollywood to ballet, salsa to street dance and tango to tap.        We commission, produce and present more dance than any other organisation in the world. Since 2005, we have helped to bring more than 200 new dance works to the stage, embracing both the popular and the unknown. Our acclaimed productions tour the world. Since 2005 we’ve produced 64 new full-length works and performed to audiences of more than two million, touring to 51 countries.       Each year, over half a million people visit our three London theatres - Sadler’s Wells Theatre, Lilian Baylis Studio and Peacock Theatre. Millions more attend our touring productions nationally and internationally or explore our digital platforms, including Sadler’s Wells Digital Stage.       Sadler’s Wells East    In 2024 we’re opening a fourth London venue in Stratford’s Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. Sadler’s Wells East will house a 550-seat mid-scale theatre, as well as facilities for the new Rose Choreographic School and the hip hop theatre training centre, Academy Breakin’ Convention.    Sadler’s Wells East joins the rich cultural heritage of Stratford, opening in London’s Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park as part of the East Bank development alongside the BBC, UAL’s London College of Fashion, UCL and the V&A. Sadler’s Wells East will support artist development and training, and the creation of new work. It will build the infrastructure for dance and make it accessible to more people. Sadler’s Wells East will house a flexible theatre presenting a wide variety of dance performances. Community will be at the heart of Sadler’s Wells East with a large open foyer that can be used by everyone as a meeting or performance space. There will also be dance studios and world-class dance facilities for dancemakers to train, create and rehearse productions.      Supporting artists   Supporting artists is at the heart of our work. We have associate artists and companies, which nurture some of the most exciting talent working in dance today. We host the National Youth Dance Company, which draws together some of the brightest young dancers from across the country. Sadler’s Wells Breakin' Convention runs professional development programmes to champion and develop the world’s best hip hop artists, as well as producing, programming and touring groundbreaking hip hop performances.        Learning and community links   Around 30,000 people take part in our learning and engagement programmes every year. We support schools local to our theatres in Islington and Stratford, designing experiences for children and young people to watch, explore and critically engage with the arts. We also run Company of Elders, a resident performance company of dancers aged over 60 who rehearse with renowned artists to make new work for public performances locally, nationally and internationally.        Sadler’s Wells is an Arts Council England National Portfolio Organisation.       www.sadlerswells.com     Stay up to date with everything Sadler’s Wells on social media      Facebook: @SadlersWells      Twitter: @Sadlers_Wells      Instagram: @sadlers_wells      YouTube: Sadler’s Wells Theatre