The “Agnes” project is a creative initiative by Project Auske focused on tracing colonial connections over time between the UK and the Commonwealth by exploring themes of environment, ecologies, and community. It features a geo-poetic performance meditation directed and choreographed by Joseph Lau and an eco docu-fiction ghost story conceived and written by Bridget Fiske.
- Historical Context: Set against the backdrop of January 1, 1881, in Liverpool’s workhouses, the narrative follows Agnes, a young widow left to care for her children after her husband, John, dies in a shipwreck while on a trade voyage.
- Themes Explored: It explores complex and entangled concerns regarding gender, class, labour, migration, colonisation, and ecology, presented through an archive of oral histories and factual narratives.
- Artistic Approach: The work blends choreography, cinema, and installations, creating an intimate yet grand experience that traverses various temporalities and realities.
Funded by Arts Council England
PROJECT TEAM
Bridget Fiske: Director, Choreographer, Writer and Performer, ‘Agnes’; Dramaturge / Performance, Choreographic and Movement Researcher / Video Artist, ‘Elephants’
Project Co-Producer: Joseph Lau; Director & Choreographer, ‘Elephants’; Dramaturge / Performance, Choreographic and Movement Researcher, ‘Agnes’ ; Project Co-Producer
Clare Courtney: Community Evaluation Consultant
Andrew Crofts: Moving Image and Lighting Designer, ‘Elephants’ & ‘Agnes’
Stelios Manousakis: Composer and Sound Artist, ‘Elephants’
Dr Gunjan Sondhi: Academic Advisor, Open University, ‘Agnes’
Michèle Steinwald: Audience & Engagement Dramaturge/Curator; Environmental Responsibility Strategy Consultant
Shahn Stewart: Botanical Costume Consultant, ‘Agnes’
Pei Yee Tong: Performance, Choreographic and Movement Researcher, ‘Elephants’
Amy Voris: Performance, Choreographic and Movement Researcher, ‘Agnes’
Gunjan Sondhi 
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