First Macho, now Suitcases

Published: 15 June 2021
Reporter: Peter Lathan

Catherine Muckle, Jackson Watson, Cora Jay Williams, Jordan McGowan and Phoebe Dodd Credit: Anna Miller

NE-based Hit the Ground Running Dance Theatre follows its online première of Macho last month with a new production, Suitcases, the second of its trilogy of films exploring mental health stigma.

In 1995, 427 suitcases, which had previously belonged to patients of the Willard Asylum in New York, were found in an attic in 1995 by Massachusetts-based photographer, Jon Crispin, who is collaborating with Hit the Ground's artistic director, Michael Heatley.

“I began research on this project in 2017”, said Heatley, “and it’s something that I have found incredibly fascinating, not least because it tells the real human stories of many forgotten people.

“Working with Jon Crispin has proved invaluable, as he has a huge wealth of knowledge spanning many years’ work relating to the suitcases and the people who once owned them. They have been beautifully preserved and are a poignant reminder of the lives once lived and lost to mental illness.”

The film focuses on five of the suitcases, bringing to life their owners’ possible stories and experiences. The project was commissioned by Newcastle's Dance City in 2019 and, in March 2020, Arts Council England provided further funding to enable a North East tour, which had to be cancelled because of the pandemic. It is now hoped that the live tour will take place in 2022.

The online event will open with a short documentary from American filmmakers Peter Carroll and Deborah C Hoard who will introduce the audience to the Willard story through on-location filming and interviews, including talks with Michael Heatley and Jon Crispin. Then the recorded performance by five professional North East dancers and actors (Catherine Muckle, Jackson Watson, Cora Jay Williams, Jordan McGowan and Phoebe Dodd) will be shown, followed by a live Q&A with both Heatley and Crispin.

The online Suitcases event will be available to watch on 26 June from 7:30PM. Tickets cost £9.50 / £8.00 (students) and are available to book on the Dance City web site.

Due to the subject matter, it is recommended that viewers are aged 12+.

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