Behind the Scenes: Vidya Thirunarayan, dancer and potter

We caught up with Vidya Thirunarayan, who is bringing her unique performance combining pottery and dance to St Ann's Wells Gardens for its world premiere at Brighton Festival, as part of A Weekend Without Walls.

"I want people to leave feeling energised by the inimitable creative force of women."

A Weekend Without Walls will bring communities together to enjoy pop-up performances from some of the UK’s most innovative outdoor companies – from hip-hop dance theatre to contemplative audio tours, including many free events. This year, the programme will expand beyond Brighton and Hove to partner on events with Crawley Borough Council with additional programme supported by Creative Crawley and Crawley Town Centre BID.

Where did the inspiration for Lives of Clay come from? 

I am a professional Bharatanatyam dancer (Indian classical dance) and a potter. I was curious to see if I could bring my two passions together to create a new performance language. This was the impetus that triggered this exciting journey! 

How would you describe Lives of Clay in three words? 

Vivid, vital and visceral. 

What do you want people to take away from your performance? 

I want people to leave feeling energised by the inimitable creative force of women. I want my audience to discover the extraordinary within the ordinary and get a peep into the vivid world of Indian land and mythology. 

Are you looking forward to being part of Brighton Festival 2022? 

We’re really looking forward to presenting the world premiere of Lives of Clay in Brighton, it’s a festival with such richness of artists and audiences, with a great tradition of outdoor arts. 

Any other interesting facts to share? 

A huge range of instruments from around the world are being used to create the music score for the show; it will sound as beautiful as it looks. 

Lives of Clay 14-15 May, St Ann’s Well Gardens

Part of A Weekend Without Walls

Visit brightonfestival.org/whats-on to find out more.