Strangeness, dislocation, complexity, displacement, belonging - real and imaginary stories of arrival and departure

Meet Priscila Da Cunha, the co-founder and producer for D.I.V.E. Theatre Collective. Priscila is a contemporary physical theatre artist, who has been teaching, performing and devising collective-driven work since 2008. Her research interests lie on political & physical theatre and the boundaries between theatre, literature and dance.

 Tell us about the show in 100 words or less

Inspired by the stories of local migrants, EXODUS is a collectively-devised contemporary physical theatre performance that focuses on real and metaphorical migrations and raises the questions: what unites people who decide to leave their native land?

In different languages, real and imaginary stories of arrival and departure are woven together to capture the essence of the authentic and metaphorical migrant experience: strangeness, dislocation, complexity, displacement, belonging. From mass migrations of people to the bewilderment experienced by a new immigrant arriving in new territory, the show depicts characters who leave physical and imaginary lands and reunite in the poetic sphere.

Exodus revisits episodes in the history of migration in Australia, questions the meaning of the exodus and examines the dreams of those who undertake the transit journey.

Anywhere Festival takes place anywhere but a theatre. Tell us about your venue. What is it about your space that adds to your audience experience?

We are performing at Cotton Tree Park, in Maroochydore, a public park facing the river and the sea. There is no way we can tell a story about migration without the sea as our background. This is a wandering show where the audience will follow the performers through different areas in the park. 

What is your creative process like?

We are a collective of theatre practitioners, from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, based in the Sunshine Coast, QLD. We investigate, experiment and create work in contemporary theatre integrating different areas of knowledge, art and philosophy that, once touched, transform and reconfigure the theatrical scene.

We believe in collective creation, exchange of experiences and research, which open doors that make possible the encounter between the old and the new. By exploring themes such as belonging, cultural identity and displacement from our personal experiences, combined with research into physical theatre, dance, literature, visual arts, music, digital media, philosophy and other sources, our goal is to generate new possibilities and meanings in performing arts.

Tell us your origin story. How did your collaboration start?

D.I.V.E. Theatre Collective started in 2017 out of the dream of three migrant artists (one French and two Brazilians) in the Sunshine Coast who were looking for a way to express themselves in a theatrical language nobody seemed to speak or understand in our local area. We also wanted to bring our background experience and knowledge in training, which includes Augusto Boal's Theatre of the Oppressed and Meyerhold's Biomechanics.

Who is your perfect audience member? Who is going to LOVE this event?

Our show asks questions about migration issues and opens the possibility for discussion and dialogue. Anyone who believes in theatre as a tool for reflection and social change would love our show. 

Is there anything else we simply MUST know about the show?

EXODUS is inspired by the stories of local migrants, who were interviewed by our collective. 

D.I.V.E. THEATRE COLLECTIVE presents Exodus as part of Anywhere Festival on the 7, 14, 15, 21, 22 May 2021 at Cotton Tree Park, Maroochydore, Qld (Sunshine Coast).