A critical analysis of UK performance company Bodies in Flight’s work and collaborative methodology, including archival images, text extracts, reflections by collaborators, arts professionals, performance scholars, providing a context for small-scale performance making and insights into devising methods and key questions.120 b&w, 14 col. illus.

ABOUT BODIES IN FLIGHT SIMON JONES   MARKING THE TIMES: EXPERIENCING BODIES IN FLIGHT FOREWORD BY ANDREW QUICK   UNCONCEALING THIS MAKER’S VOICE SARA GIDDENS   1989-1995: THE FIRST SERIES: PERFORMANCE AS ENERGY, IDEAS AND PROVOCATION DEADPLAY (1989)   PLAYING DEAD … BECOMING PROFESSIONAL RACHEL FEUCHTWANG   EXHIBIT (1990)   CONTROLLED CHAOS BARNABY POWER   LOVE IS NATURAL AND REAL BUT NOT FOR YOU MY LOVE (1990)   MY (OTHER) OTHER COLLABORATOR: PHILOSOPHY ALONGSIDE PRACTICE SIMON JONES   iwannabewolfman (1991-92)   WORKING ALONGSIDE SARA GIDDENS   ROUGH (1992-93)   FROM FAN-BOY TO PROGRAMMER – MEMORIES OF A RELATIONSHIP WITH BODIES IN FLIGHT RICHARD DUFTY   AS IF FOR THE FIRST TIME GRAEME ROSE   SPEAKING IN TEXTS: WRITING BEYOND MEANING SIMON JONES   BEAUTIFUL LOSERS (1994)   HEARING BODIES IN FLIGHT DARREN BOURNE   LITTLUNS WAKE (1995)   1996-2009: THE SECOND SERIES: PERFORMANCE AS (NON-)COLLABORATION ACROSS MEDIA DO THE WILD THING! (1996)   THE MAGNIFICENT MINUTIAE SARA GIDDENS   CONSTANTS (1998)   SET-UP AND SITUATION – DRAMATURGY AS TRANSFORMATION SIMON JONES   DELIVERUS (1999-2000)   A DIALOGUE AT THE GLOBE THEATRE (LONDON) POLLY FRAME in conversation with SIMON JONES   DIALOGUES & DUETS JOSEPHINE MACHON   DOUBLE HAPPINESS (2000)   BEAUTIFUL LOSERS RE-WORKED KAYLENE TAN   FLESH & TEXT, a document (2001)   SKINWORKS (2002-3)   BEING IN-BETWEEN: COLLABORATION AS NON-COLLABORATION SIMON JONES   WHO BY FIRE (2004-5)   WHO BY FIRE: VERY SLOW DECAY SLEEPDOGS: TANUJA AMARASURIYA and TIM X ATACK in conversation   TRIPTYCH (2005)   THE TRANSMEDIATED IMAGE TONY JUDGE   THE SECRECY OF SAINTS (2006)   MODEL LOVE (2008-11)   RENDERING VISIBLE PAUL GEARY   FINDING SUSPENSION SARA GIDDENS   PERFORMANCE/ PHOTOGRAPHY/ PHOTGRAPHY/ PERFORMANCE [AND ON/ AND ON] EDWARD DIMSDALE   HYMN (2009)   2009-PRESENT: THE THIRD SERIES: OPENING OUT TOWARDS CO-CREATING THE PORTFOLIO WORK DREAM→WORK/ DREAM→WALK (2009-16)   GYMNAST (2011-13)   A PLACE THAT IS INTELLIGENT, A LITTLE BIT PUNK EVEN … BUT ALWAYS HUMAN SUZANNAH BEDFORD   MAYFEST AND MAYK: FROM FESTIVAL TO CO-CREATION MATTHEW AUSTIN in conversation with SIMON JONES   DO THE WILD THING! REDUX (2012)   STILL MOVING: MOVING STILL (2012-18)   DEVELOPING A PORTFOLIO SARA GIDDENS   LIFE CLASS (2019-22)   MAKING AND BREAKING, FAILING AND FAKING MORVEN MACBETH   THE DARE OF OTHER VOICES – FROM VERBATIM TO CO-CREATION SIMON JONES   UNBOX ME! (2023)   AFTERWORD PAUL RUSS   POSTSCRIPT SIMON JONES INDEX  

Bodies in Flight make performances where flesh utters and words move, challenging and re-energizing the relationship between audiences and performers, as well as audiences and place. An inspiration to emerging artists, this collection covers key themes for any maker of contemporary performance and includes selections of scripts and archival material from thirty years of making devised theatre and performance in the UK and internationally.     'This book reveals the wonderful particularities of the work of Bodies in Flight in an intimate sharing of their making processes, producing and thinking. Multiple voices and perspectives nestle, resonating with their contemporary performance practice, whilst remaining distinctive. Delightful.' Professor Vida Midgelow, Professor of Dance and Choreographic Practices, Dean of Doctoral School, University of the Arts, London 'The DNA of Bodies in Flight’s live performance soaks across the pages and seeps into the imagination of the reader, compelling, moving, provocative and inspiring. It will live in the hands of devisors for many years to come, in the way that Certain Fragments was never far from my own fingers or thoughts as a young experimental performance maker.' Dr Joanna Bucknall, Lecturer, University of Birmingham     Simon Jones is a theatre director and writer. Simon is director of Bodies in Flight and Emeritus Professor of Performance at the University of Bristol, UK. Sara Giddens was a choreographer and theatre director. She was also Professor of Choreographic Practice at the University of Central Lancashire, UK.