As I am Naturally by Tania Camara at The Lowry
Kristy Stott, Theatre Editor
Be transported from the urban landscape of Salford to the African island of Cape Verde this autumn when Manchester-based interdisciplinary solo performance artist, Tania Camara brings the world premiere of her latest work – As I Am Naturally – to The Lowry.
As I Am Naturally is an autobiographical performance exploring the artist’s own experience of self-discovery and reclamation. Created from a selection of poems and stories that challenge notions of femininity, gender fluidity and inner beauty, As I Am Naturally blends hypnotic storytelling with movement and live music, inspired by the traditional Cape Verde song and dance style, Batuku.
“The river calls to me, calls me to this place. To wash, to give, to surrender. The river flow washed away what had become of me and then I stomped the violence. I opened my hip, and my torso became loose, unhinged. My voice became free, I broke the silence and my voice echoed. My cry became a song, my stomp the rhythm; I became me… As I am Naturally.”
Described as “a future star in the making” and “utterly compelling” (by The Grouchy Critic for her previous show, Oreo at HOME), Camara is a versatile contemporary artist working across devised theatre, dance, site-specific, live art, installation, video and photography. She has showcased work across several arts festivals including SPILL Festival of Performance and HOME’s Push Festival.
In October 2022, Camara was invited to join The Lowry’s esteemed ‘Developed With’ programme, and As I Am Naturally has been commissioned by The Lowry (with additional support from Arts Council England, LusoConnection UK and hÅb) as part of this project.
