On Sunday at 3 pm on February 2019, at the Oscar Wilde Temple, Mark Smith will present a talk about his Alan Turing research, funded by Arts Council England.
Booking your seat https://www.facebook.com/events/344491422808181/
In February 2019 for LGBT history Month. Choreographer Mark Smith is researching “Turing’s Law”. Opening doors are supporting Mark to interview Gay men, who experienced life in Britain after partial decriminalisation in 1967.
Choreographer Mark Smith is inspired by Mathematician Alan Turing. He will mix movement with verbatim theatre style to describe discrimination in the sixties and the impact of Turing’s law (pardon) on the lives of older gay men. In 2009, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown made an Official public apology on behalf of the British government for “the appalling way he was treated.”
Later in February Mark Smith’s artistic collaborator, the composer Michael England will mix the audio recordings made at Open Doors and compose a new soundtrack that will expose Alan Turing’s discrimination. Turing agreed to be chemically castrated, rather than go to prison for his homosexuality, causing depression that led him to bite a poison apple.
Mark has explored the artistic side of Turing. Love Letter is about the relationship between Alan Turing and Christopher Morcom. Sadly he died of illness. Mark Smith discovered letters using poetry to express his love for Christopher. It is so beautiful what he wrote. This is the other side of Alan Turing. Mark will incorporate his poetry into sign language into the choreography.
Mark Smith collaborated with Daryl Jackson who brought together Polari and GVS. Polari was spoken to skirt the UK’s strict anti-homosexuality laws. GVS Gay Variable Sign.
Use Sign Language to convey the poetry in Turing beautiful letters that express his love for Christopher Marcom.
Dance Performance
It is hoped that on the 17th February Mark Smith will bring along dancers Gavin Eden and Joseph Fletcher and show audiences how he has to incorporate Alan Turing’s poetry into movement and sign language.
Mark Smith
Trained at Royal Ballet School and London Studio Centre. Choreography credits include Paralympic Opening Ceremony London 2012, Blood Wedding (Dundee Rep), Marry Me A Little, Peter Pan, Just So and Starting Here, Starting Now (Chichester University), As You Like It (Oxford Shakespeare Company), The Threepenny Opera (New Wolsey Theatre/Graeae Theatre) & Reasons To Be Cheerful (Graeae Theatre). Mark Smith is founder and artistic director of Deaf Men Dancing (DMD) gaining critical acclaim. In 2011 DMD were commissioned by Bradley Hemmings in collaboration with Greenwich and Docklands International Festival and Ardent Hare “Alive” toured Without Walls Festival in 2011. 2018 Leeway Productions The Last Five Years.