No Place Like Home:
Stories of Queer/LGBTQ+ Displacement

2022-2023
Location: Manchester, UK
Collaborator: LEGATO -Eureopean Association of LGBTQ+ Choirs

Film/Artist: Jez Dolan
Composer: Michael Betteridge
Producer: David Dolan Martin

“Internally displaced person or groups of persons who have been forced or obliged to flee or to leave their homes or places of habitual residence.”

Throughout time and place gay people have been, due to their identity, driven from their original homes and places they come from, often to pursue saver places seeking acceptance in new Homes. This project aims to explore histories of gay displacements through interviews and available data which then will inspire new sonic/visual short film with poetic nuances to further help its audience understand peoples’ desires and fundamental need for a sense of home and belonging.

Project Development
During April to June 2022 artists Jez Dolan and Michael Betteridge met to discuss and develop ideas for the project. Basing ideas of previous projects they had done together they decided on a starting point of the project to be Letter Writing. Ask people from around Europe to hand write a letter on what Home means to them. They started by writing a letter themselves to explore how best to engage with participants and what to ask of them.

Partnership with LEGATO

We decided to contact LEGATO - European Association of LGBTQ+ Choirs to help us develop our engagement and ask to the project participants and with their extensive network of LGBTQ+ community across Europe they would be the perfect partner to help identify interesting stories and participants from across the continent. LEGATO’s President Martin Brophy and their board was keen to take part in this project with the aim of sharing stories and leaving a legacy of the subject of Home and Belonging within the LGBTQ+ community.

Our Proposal to prospective participants:

Letters of HOME

Through the LEGATO Network we got in touch with a few choirs around Europe, including the only active Queer Choir in Ukraine, Midnight Decant. We received several letters and images of Home, portraying what it meant to them, in past and future. These letters were given to the artists to read and have had a massive inspiration on the artistic approach of the film and the music.

NO PLACE LIKE HOME CASTING CALL

No Place Like Home is a short film by artist Jez Dolan and composer Michael Betteridge produced by David Dolan Martin for Curated Place. as part of a wider European project: Moving Classics: Sonic Flux. The films will be premiered at Spectra 2023 in Aberdeen. The film is a non-narrative experimental film which explores the migration of queer /LGBTQIA+ people, and notions of ‘home’

PERFORMER
Male, any ethnicity, playing age 21 – 30 will need to be interested in improvisation, working with non-narrative / live art / performance work. Some dance / movement / physical theatre experience would be beneficial. Queer / LGBTQIA+ people especially welcomed.

FEE/DATES/INFO
We anticipate the schedule will run as follows:
Rehearsals with performer: w/c 28th November
Filming: w/c 12th December
We anticipate that some degree of flexibility will be required with these dates
Fee available: £750 for a maximum of 7 days work during these dates. Work will take place in Manchester / Greater Manchester

To apply please email relevant information / showreel etc. to: david@daviddolanmartin.com
Deadline for applications Tuesday 15th November 5.00 pm

No Place Like Home ARTISTS

We are thrilled to have fantastic artists join us for this Project.
Jordan Rising: A super talented actor based in Manchester, full of character and northern charm has been selected to play the character of Johnny.
Lee Baxter: Manchester based videographer will be capturing Jez’a vision in the different northern locations.
KANTOS: For Michael’s musical vision we are thrilled to have Manchester based chamber choir led by Ellie Slorach

Production

During the months of December 2022 and January 2023 filming commenced in Manchester, Blackpool and Derbyshire with music being recorded with Producer Brendan Williams at 80Hertz Studios in January.

Recording with KANTOS

In the early days of January 2023 we recorded Micheal’s music with the amazing KANTOS who are the only professional choir in the North West of England. Conducted by Ellie Slouch the 17 person choir gathered in Manchester’s 80HZ recording studio for the day and brought Michael’s sonic visions to live. Producer Brendan Williams was on hand recording and mixing the music with his amazing skill and collaborative approach.