Written by Feidlim Cannon & Gary Keegan
Performed by Abigail Ramaabya
This work was commissioned by Centre Culturel Irlandais as part of their series Addressing The Nations.
Worldwide, 2020 was the year of the televised address of the nation, with diligent speech-writers working in over-drive, constructing emotive speeches which have both reinforced our awareness of the fragility of human existence and inspired altruistic acts of humanity. New language has been developed to describe new circumstances. Unfamiliar words have become common currency.
To mark the beginning of a New Year and look forward, we hope, to an era post-COVID-19, the CCI commissioned 40 artists to address the world with their reflections on the times in which we live: choreographers, theatre makers, writers, musicians, visual artists and filmmakers convey their values, their preoccupations, their anger and frustrations as well as messages of courage, joy, gratitude, desire and aspiration in the month of January.
For this short video piece Brokentalkers worked with performer Abigail Ramaabya to explore power systems with a simple conceit of a speakers who highlights the fact that she is speaking someone else’s words. The piece questions why some people get the opportunity to set the agenda while others remain unheard.
