Stasiland - broadening the creative scope
TRAILER…
Stasiland is a dance-theatre piece set in the shredded document ruins of East Germany. Delving into a world of total surveillance where anxiety is the regime we explore the stories of East Germans living under the eye of the Stasi and their informants. We watch as through the reconstruction of documents left in the wake of the police state the characters discover the secrets of their own lives revealing their poignant stories of connection and loss.
Inspired by the book Stasiland: Stories from Behind the Berlin Wall by Anna Funder & designed in the round for audiences in Galleries, Libraries & Theatres.
OUR CAST & Co-CREATors
OLIVIA WALLIS JACKSON - CHOREOGRAPHER/PERFORMER
Olivia Wallis Jackson is a British-German Contemporary Dancer, Choreographer, Photographer, Teacher, Rehearsal Director & Administrative Support Worker currently based in Hampshire and working across the South and in London.
As a dance artist with an exciting blend of technical and explorative movement, she uses her unique performance skills and intellect to collaborate deeply with other artists. She strives to understand choreographers’ artistic aims and processes, fulfilling their visions to make work that is impactful and meaningful to a wide range of audiences.
Throughout the course of her training and career she has worked with artists and companies such as Luke Brown Company, Amy Foskett Dance, Stefan Puxon and director Polina Kulbachevskaia, DownTown Pompey, Tom Weinberger, Michael Getman, Jonathan Fredrickson, Samm Anga, Morvell Dance, Charles Linehan and Alleyne Dance.
Mandy is a contemporary dance artist and educator from Singapore. Her distinct movement style — a continuous flow of energy threading each move into the next — draws influences from her early years of training in classical Chinese Dance and Ballet. Infused with acrobatic skills and floorwork techniques, she brings a blend of elegance and athleticism into every aspect of her artistic practice, from her performances and choreographies to her classes. Since moving to London in 2021, Mandy has been performing and creating dance works for stage and film, alongside leading classes in her local community. She is currently performing for Sonia Sabri Company under The Place's Playground Tour 2024.
Mandy tan - dancer/PERFORMER
jonah wigley - dancer/PERFORMER
Jonah is Dancer, Choreographer & Graphic Designer, working & living in London. Originally from the South Coast, he has worked with artists such as Luke Brown, James Cousins, Sung Im Her, Motionhouse, Rubberband & Avant Garde Dance and launched his own company Ino Dance in 2024 with his first professional work ‘Where You Held Me’. His background in dance is eclectic working with styles such as contemporary, street, hip-hop, popping, isolations, breaking dancing, floor work and acrobatics.
Kai is a dancer & choreographer based in London, originally from the South West. He has recently graduated from Rambert School & in now working as a freelance dance artist. He has previously worked with Russell Maliphant Company, Arthur Pit & Robbie Ordoña. He specialises in contemporary dance, focusing on continuous & flowing movements.
Kai harvey - dancer/PERFORMER
Portuguese violinist Joana Ly started playing violin aged 4 and soon joined the Aveiro Conservatoire of Music where she studied until finishing school. After that, her violin studies took her to Lisbon (ANSO), London (RCM) and Rotterdam (Codarts), thanks to the support of the Gulbenkian Foundation. During this time she was lucky to be part of some fantastic training orchestras such as Gustav Mahler Jugendorchester and Southbank Sinfonia. Currently her orchestral work is mainly in the UK with ensembles such as Philharmonia, Garsington Opera, Opera North, Nothern Ballet, London Mozart Players, Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, Britten Sinfonia, and she recently joined the English National Ballet Philharmonic Orchestra. Chamber music plays a big part in her life, having been part of two string quartets and currently managing her ensemble Artisti con Brio. This has led to playing at numerous festivals around Europe, and co-creating her own festival - Islington Festival of Music and Art.
joana LY - MUSICIAN/PERFORMER
Bailey is a Creative Artist, primarily an Actor. Recently, he finished a play with National Youth Theatre titled Our Epic Future. Also, Bailey has just wrapped on a drama comedy short titled Small Plates. Prior to this, Bailey starred in a one man play titled Anorak, performed at York Theatre Royal as apart of Next Door But One’s Yorkshire Trios.
After positive responses to Anorak, Next Door But One invited him to be apart of the pre-production team, becoming attached with a production titled Hospital Doors. During the research and development for this, Bailey grew a huge passion for discussions about effective storytelling, other strands within the industry and having a valued voice that tailors the journey of the production. As a result, Bailey has blended his knowledge on acting and incorporating his dance degree from Northern School of Contemporary Dance and began playing with Movement Direction for the tour of How To Be A Kid in Spring 2025. Other creative roles Bailey has dabbled in is: Producer, Assistant Director, Choreographer and Script Editor. Credits within these roles include: Hoo Hah House, York Theatre Royal, Cakeshed Productions, Blackbird North Films and OJ Productions.
Excited to build on his skills as a dramaturg, Bailey believes this mentorship will allow him to shape narrative arcs with more knowledge and clarity. Stasiland will help Bailey gain a further understanding of how stories can translate through other mediums outside of plays and drama. Equally, this project will blend his dance knowledge with his passion of storytelling with accuracy and delicacy, allowing to bridge the gap and help Bailey take his directorial skills and voice into other mediums of art, such as dance.
BAILEY DOWLER - DRAMATURG
SYNNE LUNDESGAARD - COSTUME DESIGNER
Synne Lundesgaard is a Norwegian dance artist and costume maker. Since graduating from London Contemporary Dance School in 2019, she has worked freelance both in the UK and in Norway. In “Stasiland” she will be creating the costumes. Previous works include "Bodies of Water" and part of Totally Thames Festival, "Still Changes", inspired by Ovid's Metamorphoses, and "Beat", a situation-specific piece performed in the crowd during a DJ-set. As a costume maker sustainability is central to her process, and she works with reused or biodegradable materials. With her background as a dancer, she has a lived understanding of how to create costumes that aids and expand the movement possibilities of the performers.
Previous work
In 2024 Olivia launched her own company Premier Dance Theatre, creating her first work Stasiland with the support of Arts Council England, Thrive (Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music & Dance) Luke Brown Company and generous donors. Premier Dance Theatre strives to make works that can be situated in multiple environments, allowing outstanding dance-theatre work to be accessible to communities across the UK and internationally.
Previously during her time working on Downtown Pompey’s Sticky Floors and Palm Trees, an immersive theatre show, utilising dance, theatre, cabaret and drag she was given the role of Movement Assistant in which she was responsible for choreographing sections of the show and leading the movement team. Please see below the letter of support for this project from Downtown Pompey’s Artistic Director Josh Breach & Creative Producer Courtnee Mitchell.
olivia wallis jackson
This video & the previous trailer was shot at the end of July/beginning of August 2024 at Trinity Laban’s Creekside Building. We had the pleasure of being joined by videographer Georgia Aiken & Photographer Grace Richardson as we developed Stasiland.
This creation period was supported by Arts Council England, Thrive (Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music & Dance’s development programme, our generous donors, Luke Brown Dance & Leesland Infant & Junior Schools who donated the shredded paper for our set.
PREVIOUS WORK
Synne lundesgaard
Previous work of Synne’s that inspired Olivia to approach them as a co-creator for broadening the creative scope of Stasiland. That and their approach to using recycled materials to create such incredible designs.
Joana ly
Please see examples of Joana’s previous work performing with other musicians, including in her chamber music quartet & accompanied by pianist. Joana is an incredibly talented musician & an excellent co-creator as she has experience working with libraries, galleries & museums for Islington Festival, of which she is a co-organisers.
Partners.
