Something was pushing to breathe, to take shape. Occasioned by a song. “Antonis the boatman” by M. Vamvakaris. A ceremony set up with the aim of initiating the human, whose nature is male, into nature, which is female. A female figure who tries to reconstruct her memory, recomposing the song. Carmen who sings / Mora who remembers. Always having as vehicle the theatrical act, the group attempts to envision a transformation that will take place in the present time, though the final form remains a secret to us. We are, however, invited to unite the moment of the transformation’s conception with the moment of its first breath. Techniques used by the group in the past, are enriched, deepened and lead them to new ones, which are yet to be explored.

Konstantinos Pavlidis is a mixed media artist, graduate of the School of Fine Arts of the University of Thessaloniki, who has exhibited his work at the international centre GLO’ART in Belgium. He mainly focuses on performance and installations, while in sculpture he engages with soft materials, such as wood, creating compositions with abstract tendencies.

Andreas Konstantinou studied Social Work in Crete and graduated from the National Theatre of Greece Drama School. He works as an actor, performer and musician in Greece and abroad (Germany, France, Luxemburg, Spain, Poland, Cyprus, Iran, India). He is the founder of the artistic group θΘ (thetaTHETA).

Costis Kontos is an electronic music composer and sound designer with a PhD in Music Composition from the University of Birmingham (UK). In addition to his personal work, he has participated in various theatrical and cinematic projects.

As part of the group θΘ (thetaTHETA) the three artists have created the theatre performances “Francis Bacon Project” presented at the UKYA festival in Nottingham, “Project Bacchae” presented in Thessaloniki, Athens, Crete and Elefsina and “Moth” presented at the Michael Cacoyannis Foundation.

Zoi Mastrotheodou and Eirini Tiniakou create a performance by engaging in observation and research of the natural and social landscape of Bornholm and Naxos islands. They collect organic materials and relics of human activity that construct an entity of life and death. The entity embodies the falling, the violence, the ludicrousness and a neο-primitiveness. Remnants of the performance can be either picked up or renounced by the participator-viewer.

Eirini Tiniakou (Athens,1993), holds a BFA from the Athens School of Fine Arts (2018) and an MFA from the University of Applied Arts Vienna- Department of Art & Science (2021). Previously, she participated in the workshop “Disappearance” with Omer Fast and Heike Schuppelious and worked as a performer in documenta14 for Ibrahim Mahama. During her postgraduate studies she developed a project with CERN and presented a collective show at the Venice Biennale Sessions (2019). Her practice entails photography, text, and costume-hybrids with a focus on tradition and manual work in the rural and urban environment.

Zoi Mastrotheodorou (Athens, 1993), graduated from the Greek National School of Dance (KSOT) in 2019. During her studies, she collaborated with choreographers such as Anton Lachky, Yannis Mandafounis and Markella Manoliadi on performances in Megaron Athens Concert Hall and in Athens and Epidaurus Festival. In November 2019 she participated as a performer in Athens Digital Arts Festival with the work SYMBIOSIS by Eleni Xynogala. In January 2020 she was a resident of Fire in Kinono Arts Gathering in collaboration with Areti Athanasopoulou. Coming across various techniques, her interests and her artistic research focus on performance, the body in nature, comicality of the dancing body and acrobatics.

The two artists began their collaboration in 2019 on the occasion of a trip to Tinos, where they decided to explore the land and learn from the environment and its residents, thus placing their practices in critical discourse. Their research is based on body performativity and found materials and their work is shaped by the geopolitical landscape that surrounds them during each interaction. With Island Connect (2021) they have the opportunity to present a collective work for the first time.

Through aerial arts and video projection, we place our universe on the wall, creating an island that can move in size and location. We intend to create a unique ecosystem that can include audiences in its perimeter and make them part of an island ecosystem.

Lalla la Courr and Eivind Øverland are who we are and trapeze of all kinds is what we do: Duo, solo, static, and swinging. And exploring all kinds of aerial opportunities. We are on a joyous mission to explore what we can do with our bodies, and what we can make our audience feel. We push our artistic expression, the format of our art form, as well as our physique and level of skill just a little bit further. Together we are Lalla and The Amazing Other.

Norwegian Eivind Øverland, coming from the world of martial arts, moved into the field of contemporary circus. Studying in Norway, Denmark and Montreal. He went through his education pushing boundaries and wowing the established circus community. From specializing in duo trapeze, with a flyer taller than himself to inventing a new trapeze, now being researched by more and more artists around the world. After graduating from École Nationale de Cirque in 2015, he started collaborating with Lalla la Cour, founding the duo The Amazing Other. Working for larger theater production, german variete or co-producing contemporary circus shows, people fall in love with the unique expression Eivind brings to all parts of his versatile repertoire. Always combining as much of his favored things into each project he joins, bringing stage fight, strapeze, duo trapeze, dance and theatre to a party of performative expression.

Lalla la Cour grew up in Denmark, where she quickly became interested in theatre and dance. She fell in love with the circus at AFUK in Denmark and went on to complete a BA honors in swinging trapeze at National Center for Circus Arts in London, 2010. She created her own company, Borderline Cirkus, which toured Scandinavia and Greenland, 2011-2014. She then decided to go freelance and worked as a performing circus artist, festival arranger and trapeze teacher internationally. She also worked for Clowns Without Borders in Uganda and Sweden, and was the daily manager of the circus department of Kulta in Norway. In 2015 she started working with Eivind Øverland and they formed the duo The Amazing Other. With their two full shows and “The High Life” and “The Low Life” plus their variety of acts they have toured the world always looking for new adventures.

The Irish artists Christopher McAuley and Emmen Jude Donnelly will be working on their show “Boys, like us” in Cres, Croatia, thanks to the Island Connect Residency.

A tentative waltz between two male performers, “Boys, like us” addresses the physical characteristics presumed of males and aspects of habitual binary conditioning. This project is an ambitious insight into their individual experiences as men explored through an introspective narrative with an immersive display of physicality through circus disciplines.

Christopher McAuley

Christopher, 28 years old and weighing a whopping 58kg, began his circus adventures in Northern Ireland in a social circus direction. Now having devoted 4 years to Codarts University, Rotterdam, Christopher has graduated as an award-winning aerialist and has begun his search for rigging points throughout UK and Ireland. Lover of all things nerdy and absurd, he likes to incorporate his queer identity into his work in an array of styles. Having worked internationally on a variety of creative projects showcased in solo and group performances, Christopher is ready for his next adventure.

Emmen Jude Donnelly

Emmen is a consummate aerial performer and credited circus mentor. His diverse practices strike a balance between the understanding of physicality & an unabashed sense of whimsy, layered with the experienced handling of their technique. His work takes a confident creative stride towards exploring new methodology with aerial and acrobatics, unashamed of his fierce playfulness and untamed curiosity. Emmen cuts an impressive physical presence on stage and is highly respected for the use of his studious and personable creative skills.