I / AM / THE / ISLAND

CLUSTER BOMB [collective] are a contemporary performing artist collective established in 2009 at Dartington College of Arts & Falmouth University and now based in Hackney Wick, the thriving artistic quarter of London.

We specialise in devising contemporary performances evolving out of a cross-disciplinary, collaborative process that lies between theatre, performance and live art. The [collective] are Associate Artists at ] performance s p a c e [, London.

I / AM / THE / ISL▲ND is a site-responsive performance project inspired by the key themes of the novels of J.G. Ballard and Daniel Defoe to première in October 2014.

Like most of our work - is inspired by the people, places and history of local areas.

I / AM / THE / ISL▲ND seeks to reveal and uncover the hidden and forgotten histories of Hackney Wick.

Ballard's seminal novel Concrete Island is a modern twist on Defoe’s classic Robinson Crusoe. Through a series of devised site-responsive workshops for different generations of “ISL▲NDERS” (the local individuals whom live and work in their own ‘island’ communities in the Wick Ward). the [collective] will develop a creative process exploring both Ballard and Defoe's novels, resulting in a site-specific performance sharing. 

We want to workshop with real, local people of different ages, experience and backgrounds to hear and compare their stories with those of the imagined, fictional characters of Ballard & Defoe's novels.

Inspired by all these shared experiences, we want to weave together the real and imagined past, present and future of this fascinating local area into a new piece of live performance.

This sharing will be devised in collaboration with the ISL▲NDERS, who will be invited as local performance advisors or 'dramaturgs', to develop the [collective]'s performance responses inspired by the ISL▲NDERS' stories, anecdotes, writings and actions drawn from the ISL▲NDERS responses to the key themes of Ballard and Defoe's novels: the power of memory, urban regeneration and social isolation, formed in response to living in pre- and post- Olympic east London. 

Inspired by the differences in scale, we see plenty of parallels in the ongoing changes in the area from the demolition of the Lesney Matchbox toy car factory and the concrete high rises of the Trowbridge Estate, to the construction of the A12 motorway and post-Olympic 2012 regeneration.

I / AM / THE / ISL▲ND will initiate the [collective]'s ongoing relationship between our artists and our surrounding community, gaining a more furtive insight into sustainable partnership and audience development as a local arts group with our locality.

This crowdfunding campaign is a crucial part of our fundraising drive to make I / AM / THE / ISL▲ND happen. Any money raised will go straight towards the basic infastructure of the work - paying for performance materials, workshop spaces, props, filiming and documentation equipment, programme printing costs and covering basic expenses of putting on a work of this scale.

*********************************************************************

A little bit about CLUSTER BOMB [collective]:

The [collective] have developed performance projects on both a national level by Artsadmin, the Victoria and Albert Museum, Battersea Arts Centre, Arnolfini Bristol, Falmouth University, Royal Central School of Speech & Drama, ] performance s p a c e [, and an international level at Kunstfabrik/Flutgraben e.V, and Grüntaler9, Berlin.

What people are saying about CLUSTER BOMB [collective]:

"...an up and coming collective who are not afraid to experiment and whose work is engaging... a unique voice occupying an interdisciplinary performance space as it does.”

“...a level of commitment that makes you sense the philosophies and aesthetics presented are passionately felt among the group.  There was a unity of purpose that’s refreshing, and it’s clear that whatever this all means, they’re totally on board with it.” 

Review extract by London City Nights of Run! City! Run! (2012)

"I have been working with CLUSTER BOMB [collective] since 2010 and have been involved in many of their projects. Always working with the freshest artists and big names of tomorrow, their work is eclectic, fun and un-intimidating to non-artists unlike so many in the Live-Art field...A collective to watch out for!"