Windows of displacement – Akeim Toussaint Buck
Jamaica – UK
Issues surrounding migration, home, borders, and identity pose some of the biggest questions of our time. Akeim Toussaint Buck addresses these and more in his timely, dance theatre solo show: Windows of Displacement. Through the contextual lens of imperialism, colonialism and global displacement, he weaves a story that speaks to the lived experiences and human lives that are entangled in the politics of power and oppression.
It always sounds a bit pompous to describe a show as being ‘important’, but that’s exactly what Windows of Displacement is. The fact that it manages to deliver its message while still being accessible, thought-provoking and immensely uplifting is a tribute to its creator.
John Murphy, taken from a review written for Exeunt Magazine 2018
Using his own journey of migration from Jamaica to the UK as a catalyst, Akeim Toussaint Buck brings together dance, spoken word and song to tell a story that is both deeply personal and universal. Through delving into his own journey, the audience is presented with a recent history of humanity. In this way, Toussaint Buck presents the threads connecting oppression, from the Transatlantic Slave Trade to the current mining and exploitation of the Congo, from the micro to the macro, from the past to present.
Credits
Written and Performed by Akeim Toussaint Buck.
Dramaturge and Co Writer: Zodwa Nyoni
Gold Dust Director: Amanda Huxtable
Sound:
Akeim Toussaint Buck: Maroon (voice)
Otis Jones: Congas
Dizaya Khupe: Child (voice)
Otis Jones: Guitar
Furaha Mussanzi: Congo (voice)
Burning Spear: Jordan River
Visual Designer: Akeelah Bertram
Lighting Designer: Mark Baker & Matthew Rose Radway
Duration: 54 min.
Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qt91e2s32zU&t=1s
Akeim Toussaint Buck
Akeim Toussaint Buck is a multifaceted performer and maker, born in Jamaica and raised in England. Graduating from Northern School of Contemporary Dance in 2014, Toussaint Buck has been involved in many cross disciplinary projects working with a range of artists and communities from around the world. His focus as a maker is to combine expressive skills such as: dance, poetry, beat-box, singing and acting to deliver experiences that move people. The work aims to challenge, enlighten and entertain the spectator and participant. Audiences are not just observers; they are implicit in the experience. The work aims to reflect on reality, looking at ongoing socio-political situations with a humanitarian intention. Akeim’s choreography and performance work includes: Snakebox’s PLAY, Windows of Displacement, Reckoning, Sib Y Osis, Beatmotion and Souls & Cells. Film work includes Galvanise& Displaced etc. Movement Director credits include Far Gone, Carnival Chronicles, Idol, High Rise Estate Of Mind, Nine Night. Curated events Snakebox & Friends and Radical Visions.
www.toussainttomove.com