Theatre at Bristol Seminars (TaBS) are pleased to welcome Emeritus Professor Simon Jones to present reflections on his recent project 'Singing In-Between: Deniz Küstü (2016) and Bin Boğalar Efsanesi (2023) as Intercultural Music Theatre'. 

 As part of the ERC-funded project Beyond East and West, two operas were composed by Michael Ellison (UOB) and made in collaboration with Hezarfen Ensemble (Istanbul) - Deniz Küstü (2016) and Bin Boğalar Efsanesi (2023), exploring how contemporary music-making can be integrated with traditional Turkish forms and instruments. This talk investigates these case studies through practice-as-research methodologies, particularly the complexities of such encounters across media and through bodies involved in the making of two stage-works incorporating singers, dance and video. The talk begins with how the librettos were adapted from the novels of leading Turkish writer Yaşar Kemal, before looking in-depth at the production process, using examples from the operas, to propose an idea that such an intercultural project is a further opening out of theatre’s essential contribution as an art-form – to mix fleshes and texts.

This event is open to all staff, postgraduate and undergraduate students. The talk will be followed by a drinks reception.

Please RSVP using this link: https://buytickets.at/universityofbristoldepartmentoftheatre/1604945