“Turn your face towards the tombstone blues of left over time, forever, nowhere, nothing time, the crumbling perpetual of graveyards and ashes. Step lightly into long time, still time. Turn up the music and begin a slow dance. Welcome the pale grey, the shivering grey of a longed-for landscape, cold, silent, beautiful, like snow on hills under a darkening sky. Connect with me here, embrace me there, enmeshed, in a dance of twists and turns, like the underground roots of a trembling forest.“
Future Ritual is pleased to announce The Trembling Forest, a live art ballet created by emilyn claid, in collaboration with Martin O’Brien. The work draws on the spontaneous physicality of live art practices together with the scenic, choreographic structures of balletic traditions. Encounters between this company are staged amidst a forest of queer people, each painted with clay, who crack, shiver, tremble and decay. The Trembling Forest evokes a macabre, surreal, grotesque and beautiful world, where life force and death drive intertwine.
The Trembling Forest is produced by Future Ritual and will premiere at our forthcoming festival, with performances on Wednesday 23rd and Thursday 24th April 2025.
> Early bird tickets available now
> Full week festival passes
The Trembling Forest is produced by Future Ritual and will premiere at our forthcoming festival, with performances on Wednesday 23rd and Thursday 24th April 2025.
> Early bird tickets available now
> Full week festival passes
Collaborators
The Trembling Forest is choreographed and directed by emilyn claid in collaboration with Martin O’Brien.
The project is produced by Future Ritual.
Design by Shanti Freed
Sound design by Lottie Poulet
Lighting design by Rachel Shipp
The Trembling Forest is choreographed and directed by emilyn claid in collaboration with Martin O’Brien.
The project is produced by Future Ritual.
Design by Shanti Freed
Sound design by Lottie Poulet
Lighting design by Rachel Shipp
Enquires
For press matters, please write to abstrakt@abstraktpublicity.co.uk. For all other matters, please write to producing@futureritual.co.uk.
Further Info
> Future Ritual: emilyn claid
> @emilynclaid
For press matters, please write to abstrakt@abstraktpublicity.co.uk. For all other matters, please write to producing@futureritual.co.uk.
Further Info
> Future Ritual: emilyn claid
> @emilynclaid
Call out for Volunteers
We are seeking volunteer performers to join the Chorus for The Trembling Forest. The performance envisions a Chorus of queer people, undressed and painted in clay, collectively creating a metaphorical image of a decaying interconnected forest. Each member of the chorus will work with emilyn on a simple action-based score that requires no specific professional skills.Deadline: 28th February
> more info & callout
> expression of interest
Funders and support
The Trembling Forest has been produced by Future Ritual, London and co- commissioned by Wysing Arts Centre, Bourn, and Future Ritual. The project is supported by Arts Council England and Knotenpunkt.
emilyn claid, The Trembling Forest, 2025. Still from video by Baiba Sprance and Marco Berardi.Letting go of things
an intensive workshop with emilyn claidemilyn will lead an intensive movement workshop titled Letting go of things. The workshop is open to people, across arts and theraputic disciplines, who enjoy exploring movement and improvisation, individually and in relation, and who are attentive to queer sensibilities.
Mon 17th - Fri 21st March, 10.30am to 5pm, Stanley Arts (South Norwood, London)
> More info
> Booking link (Sold Out)
emilyn claid. Photo by Henri T.