You Can Take Me Home Toni

YCTMHT is an autobiographical performance project led by personal stories that explore Lorraine's connection to 80s pop icon Toni Basil and her Word-of-Mouth video album. At the heart of the work is the concept of shame and how those we idolise can empower us to embrace our past transgressions and embarrassing moments, explore our identities and achieve self-acceptance.

The work fuses physical theatre, spoken word, unique wearable art costumes/set, live art, lip synching, and audience interaction. Audiences will be equally entertained and challenged by outrageously honest (at times taboo breaking) personal stories relating to vaginas, sexual assault, queer experiences, self-exploration, transformation, and acceptance.

This project continues Lorraine’s research into costume performance (the impact of costume on performance), audience interaction and autobiographical explorations into the themes of Identity and Feminism.

Project funding:

-Early-Stage Commission, Dance City (2021)
-Arts Council England National Lottery Project Grant (2021)
-Arts Council England National Lottery Project Grant (2023)
- Impact Acceleration Account - impact study funding (2023)

Project partners:

Teesside University
ARC - Stockton Arts Centre
York St John University
MIMA - Middlesbrough Institute of Modern Art
Pineapple Black Gallery
Curious Arts
Middlesbrough Town Hall

PROJECT ACTIVITY

PERFORMANCE:
-DANCE EDITS, Dance City (10/2021)
-YCTMHT LIVE ART PERFORMANCES, Pineapple Black Gallery (11/2021)
-OPEN PITCH, Dance City (11/2021)
-WE THE QUEERS, ARC Stockton (03/2022)
-ART+SOCIAL NO.9 LIVE ART PERFORMANCE, MIMA (02/2023)
-THE WORD LIVE ART PERFORMANCES, Pineapple Black Gallery (05/2023)
- GATORLAND (live art performances), Down The Rabbit Hole, Netherlands (30/06-02/07/23).
- STOFF 2023, Telephonfabriken, Stockholm Fringe Festival 2023 (30-31/08/23)
-YCTMHT UK PREMIERE, Creative Centre - York St John University (11/2023)
- GOSFORTH CIVIC THEATRE IS CURIOUS, Gosforth Civic Theatre (30/11)

WORKSHOPS/TALKS:
-COSTUMED LIFE DRAWING, Pineapple Black Gallery (11/2021)
-PRO ARTIST WORKSHOP & TALK, Dance City (02/2022)
-COSTUMED LIFE DRAWING, Base Camp Boro (02/2022)
-TVNC COSTUMED LIFE DRAWING, ARC Stockton - live online (01/2023)
-STAYING OUT COLLAGING WORKSHOP, ARC Stockton (01/2023)
-SIRF COSTUME PERFORMANCE WORKSHOP, ARC Stockton (03/2023)
-TVNC COSTUME PERFORMANCE WORKSHOP, ARC Stockton (03/2023)
-CURIOUS YOUTH GROUP WORKSHOP, Newcastle Theatre Royal (05/2023)
-COSTUME PERFORMANCE TALK, York St John University (09/11/23)

EXHIBITIONS:
-THE WORD EXHIBITION - Middlesbrough Art Week 2023, Pineapple Black Gallery (28/09-07/10/23)

Project Collaborators:
Lorraine Smith (Director / performer), Daphne Karstens (Costume designer), Peter Heselton (Sound Artist), Patricia Verity Suarez (Interactive stage manager / Dramaturg), Emily Bailey (Visuals / projections artist), Moving Art Management (producing company), Rachel Deakins (Photographer), Davey Poremba (Fly Films – filmmaker / editor), Caroline Ryan (BSL interpreter), Jennifer Essex (Dramaturgical advice), Alyssa Lisle (R&D performance assistant), David Tufnell (R&D mentor), David Griffiths (R&D photographer)
Testimonials:

“Brave, bold, uncompromising, daring, innovative, Avant Garde.” Angeline Lucas FRSA (Founder/Director - North East Dance Co-operative, Member of the Board of Trustees Queen's Hall Arts)

"Highly visual & personally powerful yet playful interactive performance.” Phil Douglas (Founder & Executive Producer - Curious Arts, Programmes Director - Yorkshire Dance)

"You Can Take Me Home Toni is a brilliant whirlwind of a performance. The audience is at first charmed by the raucous dance performance of ‘Hey Mickey’ by Toni Basil and the fabulous hand crafted costumes, only to be quickly pulled back to earth by an intimate monologue that discusses sexuality, femininity and personal trauma. The piece was a wonderful fit at our queer cabaret and alt-drag show 'We The Queers' due to its fantastic and unique blend of high energy dance and lip sync performance and thought provoking dramatic monologue." Andy Newcombe (Creative Producer - Bordello Collective)

ACE funded live interactive autobiographical performance project, including delivery of theatre, cabaret and live art outcomes, and outreach activities.

The project explores audience interaction, autobiography/memory and costume performance via the themes of Shame, Identity and Feminism. The work fuses physical theatre, spoken word, unique wearable art costumes/set, live art, lip synching, and audience interaction.