Scored in Silence
BY CHISATO MINAMIMURA
Scored in Silence
Chisato Minamimura
Scored in Silence is a solo digital performance that unpacks the hidden perspectives of Deaf people from the handful that survived the horrors of the atomic bomb atrocity in Japan in 1945. Survivors of the A-bomb are known as ‘hibakusha’.
The work is based on my research and original film of elderly Deaf people with lived experience of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. I bring these untold narratives into stark relief, touching upon the atrocity of the event and its aftermath including the layers of discrimination experienced by these isolated members of Japanese society. At the heart of the show is cutting-edge visual and vibration technology: Woojer™ straps worn by audience members offer a tactile vibrotactility of the haunting sound composition; and Holo-Gauze™ a projection material that creates a 3D holographic illusion, reflecting the live performance, sign-mime, animation and film footage of Deaf hibakusha.
This artwork is one of a kind, strikingly original, providing new ways for all to experience and understand and learn lessons from the nuclear A-Bomb onslaught in 1945 and why it must not be allowed to happen again.
Artistic Director / Performer
Chisato Minamimura
Animator
Dave Packer @sheepfilms
Lighting & Production Designer
Jon M Armstrong
Sonic Artist
Danny Bright
Vibrotactile Specialists
David Bobier & Jim Ruxton (VibrafusionLab)
Costume Designer
Meredith Jones
Sign Mime Specialist
Tetzuya Izaki
Sign Language Mentor
Steve Web
Audio Describer / Writer / Mentor
William Elliot
Project Accountant
Dafydd Jones
Filmmaker
Harvey Cash Producer
Michael Kitchin
Voiceover
Andrea Newlan
Access Sound Mix
Joseph Thorpe
IMAGES: Mark Pickthall50mins film +
interval and post-show talk with Chisato Minamimura (55mins approx)
Artist recommends for ages for 14+ This film is exempt from classification
Scored in Silence is performed in British Sign Language (BSL), Visual Vernacular with voiceover in English.
This film screening is English captioned with English voice-over. Post-show talk is NZSL interpreted and translated into spoken English.
NZSL Interpreters provided by Platform Interpreting NZ
SCORED IN SILENCE IS FUNDED BY Arts Council England, Canada Council for the Arts, The Great Britain SASAKAWA Foundation and British Council
SUPPORTED / PARTNERED BY VibrafusionLab, Fanshawe, Ovalhouse Theatre, Ditchling Museum of Art + Craft and Cuspinc
WITH SPECIAL THANKS TO Mayumi Bono (National Institute of Informatics), Mami Kaneko, Tomoe Kurokawa, Fumie Nakagawa, Susumu Oya and Nursing Home: AwajiFukuro-no-Sato
CHISATO MINAMIMURA is a Deaf performance artist, choreographer and BSL art guide. Born in Japan, now based in London, Minamimura has created, performed and taught internationally and is currently a Work Place artist at The Place. Minamimura has been involved in aerial performances with Graeae Theatre Company, London’s Paralympic Opening Ceremony 2012 and Rio’s 2016 Paralympic Cultural Olympiad. Chisato trained at Trinity Laban in London and holds a BA in Japanese Painting and MA from Yokohama National University.
Minamimura approaches choreography and performance making from her unique perspective as a Deaf artist, experimenting with and exploring the visualisation of sound and music. By using dance and digital technology, she aims to share her experiences of sensory perception and human encounters.
Minamimura’s Scored in Silence was selected for the British Council Edinburgh Fringe Festival Showcase in 2019, and toured to Tunisia in 2019 and to Canada in 2022. It has also been presented digitally, with online workshops and screenings taking place in Canada, Chile, Japan, Mexico, South Korea, the UK and Venezuela.
Minamimura’s work is highly regarded and supported by a number of organisations including Arts Council England, British Council, Unlimited, Wellcome Trust and Disability Arts Online. She is fortunate to have received major commissions and funding to support the development and touring of her work. Minamimura’s work has attracted attention from national and international press through reviews, features, and interviews with TV, radio, print and online publications.
Scored in Silence is also available to stream online with English Captions and/or Audio Description on Vidzing, 12–26 March.
Te Ahurei Toi o Tāmaki / Auckland Arts Festival (AAF) champions change-making, the environment, ambitious ideas, powerful voices and unique experiences that open our eyes, our hearts and our minds.
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Angela Clatworthy
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