TITLE: Insubordinate Costume

Defiant, rebellious and unruly, Insubordinate Costume is a protagonist; it is not dictated to by a narrative requirement of the text, it does not bow down to the demands of a director or choreographer, nor is it defined by practicalities.

My research is located within the context of historical and contemporary examples of performance-defining costume which include, among others, Loie Fuller, Oskar Schlemmer and Leigh Bowery, as well as more recent examples that illustrate the blurring of boundaries between the disciplines of fashion, performance and theatre in the 21st century.

The flat-pack modular pieces I created for my Insubordinate Costume research are simple repetitive shapes that can be assembled to create various three-dimensional forms, in much the same way as children’s construction toys.

Over the last two years, different performers have been invited to construct and play with the modular costumes in order to produce a final performance. The rule of play is essential to the approach to the costumes, both in the playful essence of the costume and in the way the body interacts and plays with it. Although the modular pieces are always the same, the resulting sculptural forms created by each performer have always been unique, as have their performances.