Family Portrait
Family Portrait is an interactive video installation work, combining striking imagery and
choreography, capturing Barrowland Ballet’s Artistic Director, Natasha Gilmore, and her three
children in an intimate portrayal of family life.
Audiences will see the family through choreographed sequences and more candid, natural ‘off camera’ moments as they encounter and embrace the many different landscapes of Scotland.
With space to roam, the children encounter rabbit skulls, converse with spiders, make war paint with berries and discover the fun of burying their mother in bark.
The work takes us on a geographical and emotional journey, giving the audience an in-depth insight into what it is to be a mother and a single parent to three young children. With humour and candour, the work shares an honest depiction of what family really is – responsibility, joy, balance, intimacy and, most of all, love. A celebration of getting out into nature, it invites you into an intimate journey of family relationships with all its relentless and glorious chaos!
Post-show activity gives time and space for you to explore and re-enact moments from the work, inviting you to create your own family portrait to be included in our Family Portrait Gallery.
Watch ‘How to Make your own Family Portrait’ here
Family Portrait is captioned and audio-described throughout. You can access our introductory audio-description here.
Creative Team
- Performers
Otis Bazie Gilmore, Inigo Bazie Gilmore, Frieda Bazie Gilmore, Natasha Gilmore
- Co-Creators/Directors
Natasha Gilmore and Robbie Synge
- Text
Otis Bazie Gilmore
- Music and Sound Designer
Davey Anderson
- Editor
Robbie Synge
- Support Editor
Monika Smekot
- Choreographers
Natasha Gilmore, Aya Kobayashi & Robbie Synge
- Cinematographers
Robbie Synge, Monika Smekot, George Cameron Geddes & Elga Dudareva
- Designer
Emily James
- Video Consultant
Tim Reid
- Captioning
Natasha Gilmore and Monika Smekot
- Audio Description
Natasha Gilmore
- Audio Description Advisor
Sally Clay
- Chaperone
Molly Danter
- Producers
Jo Walmsley, Belinda McElhinney & Raw Material Arts
- General Manager
Nicola Denman
- Production Manager
Craig Fleming
- Scenic Artist
Martha Steed
- Scenic Construction
Perth Theatre
- Chaperone
Molly Danter
- Thanks to
Take Me Somewhere, Natalie and the team at Sloans, National Theatre of Scotland, Perth Theatre, Suzie Normand, Rock at Warpro Production Services, Barrowland Ballet Board of Trustees.
Reviews
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"It is as pure a picture of joy and love as they come." ★★★★★
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"charming, funny and touching. A heart-warming family portrait which will bring tears to your eyes. ★★★★★
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"dazzling and full of depth... a powerful narrative, through images and movement, about motherhood and creativity, and the relationship between the two” ★★★★
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" this heartwarming video installation takes us to the heart of our natural world." ★★★★
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"beautifully clear, crystal sharp cinematography...the audience member quickly becomes immersed in a joyful, quirky, sometimes contemplative and inventively original audio-visual experience"
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"poignant, playful and heart-warming. The experience was completely engaging and we came away feeling uplifted and a bit teary."
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"it makes you want to get out into the woods and play with sticks and mud and moss and all the things you used to do as a child. It's a really beautiful portrait of family life"
Gallery
Tour details
If interested in programming Family Portrait please email info@barrowlandballet.co.uk