Arts organisation Arts Catalyst in collaboration with No Bounds festival is set to host new experimental opera ‘Dead Cat Bounce’ for an immersive performance experience like no other.
The creative piece is the collective work of artist and writer Gary Zhexi Zhang and experimental music collective Waste Paper Opera, taking place at Soft Ground on 12th October. It will feature a choir of local singers forming a chorus alongside the cast of performers and musicians.
Exploring interweaving realities and entangled histories, the piece draws parallels between environmental and financial catastrophes across time and space, staged within a sculptural installation. The opera takes the form of a baroque oratorio, which tells a sacred narrative using instruments and voice.
Unfolding across five vignettes of past and future, the work spans 2016 China, 1788 Versailles, 2027 Miami, 589 BC Jerusalem and 1855 Japan, with each story uncovering the events of pre-emptive chaos. These narratives explore the intersection between capitalism and ritual, finance and nature, belief and manifestation, and the unmaking of reality in the wake of catastrophe.
Following the live performance, Dead Cat Bounce will continue as an exhibition at Soft Ground, featuring a multi-channel audio installation for visitors to experience amongst the sculptures and structures of the space.
Tickets for Dead Cat Bounce on 12th October are included in the weekend festival pass for No Bounds, available here. Tickets can also be purchased for the performance via Eventbrite.
Words: Ruby Deakin
Top Photo: Tom Platinum Morley
