Unspoken Spoken

“The cookie-cutter shapes burst their banks. The floor turned into a river, the river into a dragon, the dragon spilt out of the classroom and lit up the sky.”

We exist within a world of rules. Rules we impose upon ourselves, rules others impose upon us. Sometimes they are unconscious, sometimes hidden, often unspoken. Angry, frustrated, confused, awake. Why does it take so long to realise all these rules are here? Can we accept them? Should we? And what do we do now?

Fin Walker’s Unspoken Spoken for Candoco Dance Company exposes the potential that exists when we dare to challenge the rules. We encounter five characters, each with his or her own rules to question, to surrender to, to fight against. A story told through BSL, voice and movement, Unspoken Spoken is performed by a cast of disabled and non-disabled dancers. Some younger, some older, they ask us to look deeper, to explore our own boundaries. What changes if we face up to what is holding us back?

Created and filmed with support from digital commissioning body The Space, Arts Council England and the BBC, Unspoken Spoken seeks to raise awareness of Candoco’s work amongst a digital audience for the first time. All versions and edits of the film are available to screen at festivals and events. For more information, please email our Head of Programme, Lucie Mirkova, at lucie@candoco.co.uk.

Unspoken Spoken – the full film (17-minutes)

Unspoken Spoken – the full film (17-minutes) audio described by Fin Walker

Unspoken Spoken – Alice’s Story (3-minute short edit featuring 14-year-old Jess Dowdeswell)

Unspoken Spoken – Once, At School (3-minute short edit featuring Jemima Hoadley)

Go behind the scenes with dancer Dan Daw. This film was created during filming by Canvas Arts