Humetheus and The Quest for The Bronze Cloak

Humetheus and the Quest for the Bronze Cloak is a timely and resonant digital performance growing from a fruitful collaboration between disabled artist Hugh Malyon and neurodivergent artist Steve Sowden.

Our island nation may be unwell; our politics is a quicksand, our communities grow rife with discord and disillusionment.

Torbay, where Hugh and Steve make their work, is a southwest holiday destination synonymous with the classic iconography of deckchairs, seagulls, beach huts, ice cream and slot machines. In this performed postcard, as memories of holidays fade, a story of human connection and meaningful homecoming unfolds.

This piece merges classical Odyssean myth with English seaside landscapes, stories of epic battles against cultural ‘othering’, social isolation and other colossal hardships. The quest will see Humetheus in jeopardy on Paignton Pier, encountering obstacles real and mythical, a tyrant king, intoxicating madness and myth-driven fate. Our hero’s all-consuming quest to prove his worth may prophesise the downfall that prevents him from ever seeing home again. What if he gets stuck in the loop of trying?

Layering personal narrative with experimental aerial filming, subverting the hero’s journey to the dreamlike sounds of sampled arcade machine riffs and unsaid things, this immersive and emotionally authentic experience takes us to the end of the pier and back again, asking: have we been here before?

Humetheus and the Bronze Cloak is a 20-minute digital performance.

ABOUT THE ARTIST

Hugh is a disabled artist whose practise bridges the space between digital and live performance. His creative work aims to directly disrupts categorisation, shifting perceptions of disability towards positive identity, from the mundane to the theatrical.

Steve is a neurodivergent, multi-disciplinary artist working with live or recorded soundscape, music & voice to find multi-layered stories where he lives & in connection with the people who live around him.

Their responsive collaborative practise transcends dialogue, digital and live performance, challenging hegemonic narratives around ‘otherness’, class, rural community, access, equality and voice. Their work showcases impaired bodies and minds with beauty, care and empathy. They are interested in the flow between performance, place and digital space – a dynamic approach to exploring, understanding, questioning and fostering meaningful connections. Layering live performance, workshop, experimental film/sound, process and protest, the stories they tell are contemporary, personal and universal.

September 14-24, 20 min. duration, PWYC