Projects

Forum 4Us

April & May 2012

Extant presents Forum 4Us, a forum theatre project for visually impaired young adults aged 15-30, in April and May 2012.

Sheer

Spring 2012

For its 15 year anniversary, Extant, the UK’s only professional performing arts company of visually impaired people, presents Sheer.
Extant takes its company of outstanding blind artists and blends burlesque, comedy and horror, to create a thrilling and unique moment where immersion meets experience.

Visit the micro-site

Youth Theatre

On-going

Four young performers take a bow - they are dressed in sequinned costumes, one with a feathered mask

Extant runs a youth theatre programme for visually impaired young people.

Magic Workshop

July 2011

Extant held a beginners guide to magic on Saturday 2 July 2011 at the Oval House Theatre.

Writing Stage

Autumn 2010

The words of a script can be read on a laptop screen over someone's shoulder in the workshop

In the autumn of 2010 and winter of 2011 Extant ran a 10 week performance writing programme called ‘Writing Stage’, for visually impaired writers at any level of experience.

Dance Stage

Autumn 2010

A series of dance workshops in Contemporary, Flamenco, Tap and Samba for visually impaired adults.

Tandemonium

September 2010

Riding the rhythm on customised tandems, Extant presents a musical theatre performance as never seen or heard before!

The Question

June 2010

Close up of the Haptic Lotus held in a hand

A collaborative immersive theatre research project between Extant, BAC and the Open University exploring haptic technology in relation to navigation, perception and knowledge.

Visit the project's micro-site

Obscurity

Summer 2009

A composite image of the Peter Harrison Planetarium cone, surrounded by reflecting water

A site specific outdoor promenade performance involving story telling, live music, visual art and a 16 speaker spatialised sound scape performed at Greenwich and Trafalgar Square.

Effing and Blinding! Cabaret

2007-9

Silhouette of 3 performers against a black and white grid, their heads lowered, hands joined and arms bent at elbow to create impression of a jigsaw.

A flexible fascinating and fun Cabaret act performed anywhere, anytime for anyone... for a price!

Burlesque

2007

Heather Gilmore, Billy Baxter and Amelia Cavallo in a line singing

Based on an initial six day research and development project into burlesque, Extant is developing a full length show that will merge this style with comedy and visual impairment.

Forum Theatre

2007

Front row of audience at the Oval House with four audience members raising a hand in the air

The first project to fuse Forum Theatre and visual impairment, involving research, devising, performance and presentations.

The Cast Party

2006

Overhead view of audience members looking at scripts. Above, someone speaks into a microphone giving directions

An award winning experimental pilot event, where Extant researched the use of technology, description and navigation, to access a social environment. Supported by Artsadmin, Orange and The Great Eastern Hotel.

Weights

2005

Lynn Manning on stage, his arm in motion across his face

The Premiere UK tour of blind African American playwright, poet, actor and athlete, Lynn Manning in his one man autobiographical show.

Resistance

2005

A German officer snarls, pulling his victim's head backwards

Extant’s ground breaking innovative physical theatre production based on the life of teenage blind French resistance leader Jacques Lusseyran, touring nationally and internationally.

Zeros And Nils

2002

Flyer- a white silhouette at the edge of a stage against a red background. White zeros of different sizes represent an audience.

Extant produces the first-ever use of audio description and simultaneous language translation in their premiere of Croatia’s New Life theatre, who tour the UK in Zeros and Nils by D.I. Harms.

Research

1998-2003

Maria in pool of light raised to sitting with arms extended.

Extant’s formative exploration into stage language and movement.