+3 Interview: FrontX

Posted in Plus 3 2019 – Features, Written Interviews by

“My shows are all about the edge between the streets and that stage – exactly what I found at the Fringe.”

WHO: Milan Emmanuel: Director

WHAT: “FrontX shows a range of international street artists who combine exceptional energy and resilience. Their fascinating personal life stories are the main theme of the show. As spokespersons of our contemporary society, these performers embody the true sense of integration, since the first meaning of the verb to ‘integrate’ is ‘to make complete, whole’, and, in so doing, build a complete ensemble. What interests us most is highlighting their inner motivations and what pushes them to specialise in their unique techniques. How do these atypical individuals transcend their difficulties through their artistic practice?”

WHERE: Summerhall – Demonstration Room (Venue 26) 

WHEN: 15:00 (60 min)

MORE: Click Here!

Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

Yes, we are really exiting to be there!

This show is about humanity & diversity and we would like to spread it around the whole world.
So here is the best place to begin!

Last year, I went to prospect and I found this festival really exciting. My shows are all about the edge between the streets and that stage – exactly what I found at the Fringe. Finding such a diverse festival that also embraces these interactions correspond entirely with the FrontX spirit.

What’s the biggest thing to have happened to you since Festivals ’18?

After a few years of workshops and reaching out to different performers, I was finally able to create, with them, this show. Years of hardworking and difficult circumstances pushed us, even more, to see this project come to fruition. Since it’s formal creation, we have been touring around Belgium and France, where we have been getting some great reviews. Thanks to this effort, we were approached by the Wallonie-Brussels Federation to accompany them to Edinburgh, where I could put on this show that I feel is really rooted in the core values of the festival. They are helping us achieve the goal I set for our group last year and it is by far the biggest thing that has happened to us since last year’s Fringe.

We’ve played for thousands of young people and engaged with them about the purpose of the show – how to believe despite everything that limits you, how to achieve your dreams when you feel it’s impossible. Even if your dream is to be able to spin on your head!

Tell us about your show.

This show has been years in the making, ever since I met these crazy artists in the streets (some of them more than ten years ago). I’ve listened to each of their stories and was astounded by the way they’ve used dance and art to advance themselves in life, despite their circumstances.

I wrote this show with the help of the performers, all of whom are incredible and unique. We worked together to come up with a script and show that emphasizes each of their journeys.

The show is about their stories and their resilience: How they’ve transformed themselves through artistic practices; How they’ve used their differences and difficulties as strengths.

How Hip-Hop arts can help us to evolve.

Myself and the performers want to discuss how our differences create a better world. After this August, we’ll continue touring Belgium and France and we hope to continue our adventures in Edinburgh next year and then hopefully across the world.

What should your audience see at the festivals after they’ve seen your show?

There are so many great shows I’ve already added to my list! I would be amiss to not mention my personal street show that I’m putting on, “Super Showman”, where I use superpowers to transform regular people into superheroes. I’ll be hard to miss in my bright yellow jumpsuit!

I would highly recommend the other shows the Wallonie-Brussels federation are bringing with them as well: Before the End, Steve Reich Project, Comète, Triple Buse, Buzz, and Are we not drawn to new erA. All of these performers have been putting on great work for the Belgian audiences and they’re really worth the effort to go see them.

And if they’re too exhausted by all the excitement in our show, they can rest and think about what they saw 😉

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