Dance / The Mount Without
Impermanence announces busy winter schedule at The Mount Without
It has been a year of continued evolution at The Mount Without – the once abandoned, now restored church tucked back from the road on St Michael’s Hill, with a history dating back 900 years.
The space has undergone nothing short of a rebirth, and is now home to Impermanence, as well as host to a multitude of arts and cultural events, and a plethora of weddings, too.
The company gained charity status in 2023, and is reliant upon the generous support of donors, as well as organisations including The Jerwood Foundation and The Grateful Society in order to expand their programme, create new work and provide opportunities for the development of emerging talent.
A new season of dance is now underway at the venue, with a double bill from prominent black-led company ACE Dance and Music already gracing the stage.
Kennedy Jr. Muntanga in Akropolis I
On November 11, Zambian-born choreographer Kennedy Junior Muntanga will be performing the first of three nights of his solo piece Akropolis I, which is the opening part of a trilogy examining “fractured identity, intergenerational legacy, and diasporic memory” within a postcolonial context.
In it, Muntanga will inhabit the separate identities of the Hare, the Lion, Eva, and the Commander, demonstrating a blend of “fierce physicality, dynamic theatricality, and bold storytelling”.
Roseanna Anderson as Mary Richardson in Venus 2.0
Returning to Bristol on December 16 for a final run of shows following a UK tour, Venus 2.0 features an ensemble of six dancers – Ben-Tovim and Anderson among them – on a time-travelling cabaret that charts the birth and evolution of Fascism.
Characters represented include Mary Richardson, once a suffragette, who later joined Oswald Mosley’s British Union of Fascists.
Ensemble, Venus 2.0
The final performance in the run will comprise part of a special Winter Gala in the approach to Christmas, which will also feature acts including Caspar Lench of The Royal Ballet, and a cocktail reception to open the evening.
Another visitor confirmed to appear at The Mount Without is Colette Sadler, who will be bringing her ‘post-human dance fiction’: Learning from the Future to the stage in January.
The show invites the audience to consider the idea of “a post-human future where human bodies are on the verge of disappearance”.
To coincide with autumn and the encroaching winter, Impermanence co-artistic directors Roseanna Anderson and Joshua Ben-Tovim have also announced the return of The Social Club, a cabaret lunch for people over 60, aimed at tackling loneliness and isolation.
The popular monthly outreach event is a cabaret lunch preceded by a glass of fizz.
Kennedy Jr. Muntanga: Akropolis I is at The Mount Without on November 11-13 at 7.30pm.
Following a UK tour, Venus 2.0 is on December 16-20 at 7.30pm.
The Winter Gala, featuring Caspar Lench of The Royal Ballet and the final performance of Venus 2.0 is on December 21; doors from 5pm for a 6pm start, with a free cocktail on arrival.
Colette Sadler: Learning from the Future is on January 14-16 at 7.30pm.
For people over 60, The Social Club will run on November 18, December 4, January 6 and February 4, from 12pm-2.30pm. Entry is £5 (with a limited number of free places available by request) and can be reserved by emailing [email protected].
For the full social and dance programme at The Mount Without, visit www.impermanence.co.uk.
All photos: Impermanence
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