The Bicycle Ballet Co Artistic Director outlines some of the ideas behind The Cilia Dance, the day before the pilot project in Brighton takes place
A bit more detail on some of those ideas:
Cilia are microscopic, hair-like structures on the body’s cells, especially the respiratory tract & lungs, in clusters, lines & individually. They are primordial & rhythmic, moving to keep airways clear, allowing us to breathe without irritation. Cilia offer form, rhythm & structure to the overall piece, with a rhythmical walking pattern combined with movements created by participants.
The Cilia Dance is our first piece without bicycles & aims, with the urgency of the climate emergency & need for greater sustainability, to more directly encourage transport behaviour change. Transport is now the greatest contributor to greenhouse gases in the UK. Carbon reductions so far have averaged 0.1%, over the last 30 years, but 17-30% is needed to reach net zero. This sounds huge, but most car journeys are very short & local – 60% are under 5 miles & 40% are under 2 miles – so the piece asks how else can we get around?
It’s not hugely scientific, at this stage but in terms of behaviour change, we’re reframing ideas about travel, within a rewarding & fun, participatory experience. Our ‘messengers’ are other participants who are members of the same, local community & the project aims to interrupt people’s existing habits & routines. We hope to develop these ideas further in the future.
