Divided Together reaching the collaborative phase

We have come a long way with Divided Together, starting in early 2017 and continuing through 2018. This year has seen the project move into the collaborative phase between the Dnipro and Donetsk artists, which did not always go smoothly and was met with some resistance, reflecting the dedication and passion of the participants.

Unfortunately, since our team was banned from entering the DPR, we had to work with the Donetsk performers in Moscow, developing their stories into individual and collective sequences, which were filmed and the resulting material taken to the other side. Our Dnipro group then worked on a response by identifying points of contact and difference, and adapting their own expression accordingly. This culminated in another public presentation, where we integrated the film into a live performance.

It has been fascinating to transform real-life stories into abstract choreographed sequences. Even though there is a staged element, it still feels documentarian at core as it's based on each performer's personal vision and is enacted within a real environment, involving the reactions of the passers by. There is still some work to be done to bring each side’s performances together into a unified spectacle, but we are pretty close now. In 2019 we will start 360 filming in both cities and then immerse ourselves in post-production, experimenting with the possibilities of stitching the two worlds into a single experience.