Rhea Storr approaches carnival as a space of both celebration and protest. Her work explores the social structures, costume and language of carnival (from the Junkanoo parade in the Bahamas to Leeds West Indian Carnival), the visibility of black bodies in rural spaces and her identity as an artist of Bahamian and British heritage.
Programme
Rhea Storr: Junkanoo Talk (2017, 12 mins)
The Adequate Language must be both culturally specific and engage universally. Junkanoo Talk investigates the language of celebration through carnival. It employs the techniques of costume crafting particular to Junkanoo – a carnival of the Bahamas. The sound is produced on the body and takes the rhythms of Rake ‘n’ Scrape music, also specific to the Bahamas. James Baldwin is quoted, speaking of the complexities of being an African American living in France, along with the Bahamian Tourism Minister who speaks of appropriation and the body as a voice.
Rhea Storr: A Protest, A Celebration, A Mixed Message (2018, 12 mins)
Celebration is protest at Leeds West Indian Carnival. A look at forms of authority, A Protest, A Celebration, A Mixed Message asks who is really performing. Following Mama Dread’s, a troupe whose carnival theme is Caribbean immigration to the UK, we are asked to consider the visibility of black bodies, particularly in rural spaces.
Rhea Storr: Bragging Rights (2019, 6 mins)
Bragging Rights explores the spaces and social hierarchies of Junkanoo. An insight into the drive behind the year-long costume production which culminates in the Boxing Day and New Years Day parades every year.