Sea AiR: Blue Wave — Co/Lab Sunderland

Partner Organisations: University of Sunderland, Friends of the Drop in for Asylum Seekers and Refugees (FODI), The North East Migration Project, Sangini and National Trust, South Tyneside Council, Hartlepool Council.

Creative Practitioners: Constance Humphries, Bettie Hope, Maggie Hsaio, Abi Santos, Tracey West, Lijie Zhang

Researchers and Experts: Naomi Austin, Eric Wilton, Sarah Campbell

Participants: FODI, Sangini, The North East Migration Project, Hartlepool Sewing Group

Co/Lab Curator: Dr Suzy O’Hara

Documentation: Colin Davison (photography), Alan Fentiman (videography), Lottie Steele (audio).

Blue Wave

Blue Wave is a dance project that seeks to co-create an authentic connection between coastal communities and their natural marine heritage through dance. Blue Wave was co-created with female members of Friends of the Drop in for Asylum Seekers and Refugees (FODI) and Sangini (a BME-led, multicultural women’s arts organisation) and the North East Migration Project (NEMP).

The dance project drew inspiration from what can be seen, heard and felt at the coast, from the movement of waves to the flora and fauna that call it home. Participants were supported to explore their own relationship with their coastal environment and how this connection can be expressed creatively through dance.

Blue Wave

Blue Wave is a series of all-female, site-specific, improvisational dance performances delivered in various coastal locations along the the North East seascape. Between 2021 – 2023, lead artist Constance Humphries led two phases of Blue Wave. The first project collaborated with members of FODI and Sangini and performed a final dance on Roker beach. Having successfully secured further funding from Arts Council England and support by National Trust the project expanded to include dancer Tracey West,emerging creatives from within each participating community and members of the North East Migration Project. Participants celebrated their diverse cultural identities through a variety of activities including creating visual journals, and sustainable costume-making. A second co-created Blue Wave dance, based on their experience and their unique relationship with our North East seascape was performed at Tall Ships Hartlepool .

Blue Wave, Podcast

Constance Constance Humphries and Naomi Austin share their reflections on Blue Wave and the time they spent with the participants.

Activities included a coastal walk, making a visual diary, and constructing and dying a costume, directed towards the creation of a costume for the final dance performance.