Part of Out of the Wings Festival
Theatre is a space for experimentation and taking risks, and translation needs to embrace these tempting opportunities if we are to create a spellbinding performance that truly speaks to our audiences. Taking stock of that reality, this interactive workshop aims to explore how translators, performers, students, and other theatre professionals can use objects to guide and fuel their practice. By exploring sections of the Catalan play, ‘La Pell Escrita’ (2017), by Manel Bonany, and its translation into English. For those with no knowledge of Catalan, the Spanish version will be provided.
This workshop came about through work with the transgender community in Belfast as the original Catalan play was adapted for performance in Northern Ireland. Participants are encouraged to bring along objects (or a photograph of an object) that may enshrine a particular memory or life experience. Examples from the Belfast workshop will also be provided to help explain the thought process and to see how objects shaped the translation outcome. By thinking about our objects and the memories that live within them, we will explore how we translate and embody characters, words, and dialogue, in order to create an atmosphere on stage.
Whether you’re a theatre veteran, a long-toothed translator, or just curious about translation and performance, this workshop is open to all. This workshop focuses mainly on how we localise and anchor a foreign text within a local setting.
