Level Centre – Derbyshire « Alex Billingham Artist

Level center Derbyshire

During the summer of 2023 I had a residency with LEVEL Centre in Derbyshire UK. I spent the time seeing how my body connected with the landscape and weather. Particularly looking at how Disabled and Trans bodies are often excluded from such places. Considering how we might connect better into the future. I’d expected to be working with the rain and rivers of the landscape but Derbyshire had different ideas and so began 2 of the hottest driest weeks imaginable. The stones had spoken and I’d listened. The film your seeing is only a snippet of my time there but I feel shows how I connected the stones well. A massive thank you to the staff at LEVEL Centre for being wonderfully supportive and creating such an oasis of tea.

Results – Fluid bodies 002

Alex Billingham

12 -23/06/23

The Nine Ladies wait for you.

June 12th – 23rd 2023 I had a residency with Level center in Derbyshire building upon the initial research at Live Art Ireland and moving towards an exhibition / working studio at Brewery Tap Folkestone.

Below are some of my initial reactions to my time there and how the work developed. Going in I had expected water to be the core feature of this residency however the environment was dominated by a blistering heatwave and so I adapted my practice to respond.

Off kilter limbs Dance amongst the ruins of the future,

As the sun scorches our bones we find moments of rest beneath the undergrowth.

Constructing shelter from scraps of ambitions. Rebuilding ourselves with bracken and heath.

Waiting for the Deluge

waiting for the deluge

waiting for

waiting

Limbs twist and reform to taste the sun as tomorrow lingers on the lips.

Here the nine ladies hold the traces of bodies yet to move. Held within the land, where the moss and lichen grow.

Moving

Changing

Living

Trace elements of our tomorrows linger upon the stones.

Bio

Alex Billingham works across Live art / Theatre / Film & Visual arts. Based in the West Midlands they’ve performed nationally and exhibited internationally.

Survival and ideas of sustainability underpin most of their work. With interests in Crip movement / Nuclear heritage / Vintage sci fi flavoring their work.

They’re currently on a summer of residencies exploring the idea of Fluid Bodies with an exhibition at Brewery Tap Folkestone to pull together the initial research. Their work has been acquired by The New Art Gallery Walsall with a major due show in 2024.

They have performed for Tate St Ives / Curious arts Newcastle / Birmingham Weekender amongst others.

For more information visit https://alexbillingham.co.uk/