About the project

'Maiden | Mother | Whore' is an interdisciplinary, interactive multi-media performance, produced by the Theiya Arts Dance Collective in collaboration with The Centre for Biomedicine, Self and Society at The University of Edinburgh, that explores the complex relationships between women, social structures, health and social policies, and institutions and challenges assumptions about gender, society, and power.


Drawing on women's embodied experiences and narratives, Maiden | Mother | Whore is a thought-provoking performance that delves into the tensions between individuals and collectives, agency and power, and patterns of oppression and resistance. The work seeks to investigate the polarised roles and positioning of women and their impact on subjectivities, both collective and individual, through the lens of Transnational Intersectional Feminism.


This collaborative project has emerged as a result of a creative partnership between Theiya Arts Dance Collective and academics from the Centre for Biomedicine, Self and Society and is supported by Creative Scotland and Dance Base, Edinburgh. Through a feedback-driven methodology, Theiya Arts Dance Collective and CBSS are using Maiden | Mother | Whore to open up a dialogue between the academic community, artistic community, and audience, urging all to consider the interaction between self and society. The audience becomes part of the 'making', as the performance evolves in response to their engagement.


The production features interactive projection, live audience interaction, creative use of text from the process, and movement exploration drawn from Indian classical-contemporary dance and is set in a durational exhibition/installation format with live performance elements.

Upcoming events - Autumn 2024

A Multi-Disciplinary Symposium

Monday 7th October, 1pm - 4pm DanceBase, Edinburgh

Durational Performance and Exhibition

Friday 1st November, 12pm - 5.30pm Assembly Roxy, Edinburgh

Showcase & Panel Discussion

Saturday 9th November, 1pm - 4pm - Southside Community Centre, Edinburgh

Performance and Exhibition

Friday 15th November, 5.30pm - 7pm - Civic House, Glasgow

Focus on South Asian Arts - Networking event

Friday 15th November, 5.30pm - 7pm Glasgow

Artists & Collaborators

Concept, Choreography & Dance:

Dr Nandini Manjunath

Himadri Madan

Karen Watts

Gaby Albornoz

Tharanga Wicramasinghe


Music:

Giulia Drummond


Visual Artist:

Robert Motyka


Lighting Designer:

Pete Searle


Set co-designers:

Aqsa Arif
Nazia Mohammed

Stage Manager:

Sanath Kumar


Creative Producers:

Melissas Rutnager

Susan Hay


Media and PR:
Storytelling PR


Academic support:

Dr Agomoni Ganguli-Mitra

Dr Ingrid Young



Supporters

The National Lottery Funding  - Creative Scotland

Centre for Biomedicine Self & Society - Academic Support

Dance Base - Artists residency programme.

Southside Community Centre - Residency, venue & technical support.

Stage 2 Steering Group

Anita Clarke (The Work Room)

Subathra Subramaniam (Akademi)

Tony Mills (Dance Base)

Fiona Alana Murray (CCRI at The Univerisity of Edinburgh)