The Wig Show Workouts (for Covid-time Classrooms) are a romp through unusual voicing, and the ways we can choose and invent our own identities, for children of primary school age. They invite fascination and participation. The voice and movement help us ‘feel’ the choices for identity that we can all make: kids too. They were developed from our ongoing work on Wig Show, a participatory and interactive voice-dance performance for children, which was interrupted by Covid-19. After dialogue with teachers about the difficult circumstances of teaching before full vaccination roll-out, and the paucity of arts experience for children, the workouts were devised as an artistic interruption to the day’s activities that could be used as warm-ups for the voice, playful soul, and wild heart. Like many pieces made during Covid, they were recorded remotely. The videos are below. The Wig Show Workouts formed part of the Voice-Styling research-creation strand.

Made with Tract and Touch. A co-production and co-creation with: Robin Dingemans and Other Birds, Stockholm. Videos performed by Robin Dingemans, Elohor Pedro Knowles, Anna-Helena McLean, Yvon Bonenfant. Capture and editing of videos by Bennycrime. Produced by Mary Paterson. Documentation courtesy the Tract and Touch Trust. Funders: Arts Council England. Stockholm City. Stockholm County. Swedish Arts Council. Supported by venues The Place (London); Weld (Stockholm). Additional support from University of Winchester (UK) and University College Cork (IE). The Wig Show Workouts belong to the Tract and Touch Trust and Other Birds.