Garden Unlocked at Bloomsbury Festival, October 2022. Photos: Dimitri Djuric
In Garden Unlocked, a group of dancers and musicians takes audiences on a journey through sites that aren’t normally open to the public. Starting in an enclosed space (indoors or under a roof), the performance continues and finishes outside, in an open space such as a garden or courtyard, giving people a breath of fresh air.
Garden Unlocked at P.A.R.T.S., Brussels, August 2022. Photos: Marc Philippe Legein
Developed in residencies at The Horton (Epsom) and P.A.R.T.S. (Brussels), Garden Unlocked combines site-responsive choreography, semi-aleatoric music and structured improvisation. The performance encourages people to go for walks and explore the outdoors to support their mental health and wellbeing.
As they move in the relatively confined space, both Thiran’s choreography and Owen Ho’s music has a lovely breathy quality.
David Mead, Seeing Dance
It was very engaging! I loved that you could feel the group working together, and yet everyone’s personality emerged (both dancers and musicians).
Audience member Bloomsbury Festival (2022)
Wonderful dance and music – I am feeling much inspired
Audience member Bloomsbury Festival (2022)
Garden Unlocked at The Horton, Epsom, June 2022
Production Credits
Choreographer: Yanaëlle Thiran. Composer: Owen Ho. Dancers from Company Concentric: Francesca Matthys, Miles Chai and Yanaëlle Thiran. Musicians from Ensemble Matters: June Lee (violin), Kosuke Shirai (clarinet), Josh Law (viola) and/or Sarah Ovenden (flute).
Performance Dates
- 10/10/2023 Performance at The Horton, Epsom (UK)
- 19, 20, 21/10/2022 Series of 3 performances at Goodenough College, London, as part of Bloomsbury Festival
- 19/08/2022 End of residency sharing at P.A.R.T.S., Brussels (Belgium)
- 16/06/2022 Cultivate Scratch Night at The Horton, Epsom (UK)
Yanaëlle Ritter 