Scratch Night
Join us on Friday 3rd October at 8pm for SCRATCH NIGHT 2.0 at Levenshulme Old Library. We’ve selected FOUR acts for the next in our triannual event, and we couldn’t be more excited about them.
Saxophonist/ technologist MARK HANSLIP performs d.a.v.e (data-driven audio visual experiment), integrating machine learning with electroacoustic saxophone improvisation and real-time visuals. Expect a glimpse into d.a.v.e’s inner workings and evolving visual streams that respond to the music as it unfolds. Composer and sound artist EMMY LAMBERT present’s The Night Wire, examining the hidden electromagnetic soundscape that we live in. Early engineers considered radio waves as a means to communicate with angels - now we are suffused and surrounded by them, unheard and unseen. Field recordings, live capture of radio transmissions, electromagnetic noise and induction are extended and composited, re-rendering the soundscape for human ears. Writer ANSON CLARK and cast present The Decameron, a short play exploring regret, reconciliation, and the search for peace when a former English teacher faces the final stages of AIDS sitting alone in his Japan apartment. FAboutFindOut (writer/ director/ dramaturg Clodagh Chapman and writer/ director/ theatre maker James Varney) present Mooncalf, a performance invoking the 1726 story of the briefly famous Mary Toft who, claiming she was giving birth to live rabbits, became subjected to invasive medical examinations ordered by the King. The exploitative logic of ‘scientific enquiry’ used against Toft, and against queer people today, is questioned alongside ideas of wastage, collateral damage and failure.
This night is BYOB and we invite all curious and inquisitive attendees to ask questions to the artists about their works and interdisciplinary practice as we go through the night. This night is about crossover, community and curiosity. Get your tickets here.
Our Vision
Bonjour Claude aim to connect experimental artists working across various disciplines in Manchester. Inspired by and in association with eavesdropping in London, we are looking to create a culture of regular sharings, conversation, and interdisciplinary support for each other. Our vision is to hold three initial scratch nights (September 27th 2024, January 31st 2025, and May 2025) before holding a festival in Autumn 2025. We want to open cross-disciplinary dialogues in experimental performance, building community for the fragmented network of experimental artists in the north of England. There is inadequate provision for artists like us to perform locally and little connection or conversation between artists within or across disciplines. We would therefore like to provide regular opportunities for experimental performers to get together and share their work, building an interdisciplinary network of creativity and inquiry.
If you would like to help us achieve this vision, please contact us to see how you can get involved.