Tadhi Alawi ( Tanzania) performs “Wild Heart” by Suzy Wilde, Anika Johnson and Barbara Johnston ( Canada)
Nick Green’s Social Distancing Festival launches “Long Distance Art”
The last few months have presented a multitude of challenges for artists all over the world. Gigs canceled, contracts terminated, and forced isolation due to Covid-19 has left may of us feeling uncertain about the future and frustrated by not being able to express ourselves in the ways we normally would. But slowly, I’ve watched friends and creators start to think outside the box and over the past few months, there has indeed been a great deal of new art being generated, often in unexpected forms, and some real artistic visionaries have started emerging- they are helping us define what it means to be creators in 2020. One such visionary is my friend Nick Green, who launched The Social Distance Festival right when social isolating was starting to be practiced across Canada. Nick’s online platform has brought artists together from all over the globe to celebrate the arts at a time when we need them more than ever.
Today, Nick launched a brand new project called “Long Distance Art”, which partners creators in different parts of the world, and offers them an opportunity to make something together. My two long-time writing partners Anika Johnson ad Barbara Johnston and I were approached by Nick not long ago to partner with Tadhi Alawi, a brilliant choreographer and dancer from Dar es Salamm, Tanzania. Tahdi has choreographed and filmed a breathtaking performance to our original song “Wild Heart” and it is absolutely magical. We are beyond thrilled to be collaborating with Tahdi and are honoured to have been asked to participate in this groundbreaking initiative. The world just got smaller!
Composers Suzy Wilde, Barbara Johnston and Anika Johnson
Choreographer, Tadhi Alawi
