Join us for the world premiere of Riana Head-Toussaint’s new choreographic work Guided Wrestling.

"As we continue to witness genocide, colonial displacement, pain and grief all around the world – on our own shores and further afield – many of us become stuck in overwhelm, unable to process our emotions, and further silenced and invalidated by the government, media outlets, our own friends and family, and our peers. Guided Wrestling emerges in response to this. The performers move through their emotions; their actions and offerings inviting audiences to do the same. The felt is embodied, and the embodied is felt. No denial. No approval." - Riana Head Toussaint

The work has been commissioned by Buxton Contemporary for the exhibition The same crowd never gathers twice, which will be presented in the Gallery on July 4, 5, and 6.

Creative Team

Concept, direction and choreography: Riana Head-Toussaint
Performer/collaborators: Jada Narkle, Yvonne Rambeau, Naavikaran, darya tan
Sound design: Michael Stratford Hutch

Performance information

The performance will be 30 - 45 minutes in duration.
It will take place in Buxton’s Heritage Gallery spaces on the ground floor level. Access maps of our spaces can be found on our Visit page.
Audiences can stand, sit and/or move around during the performance.
Portable chairs will be made available for individuals who require seating.
At this stage, the work does not contain any dialogue.
If you have any accessibility needs for the performance, please inform the staff upon your arrival.
The artist is committed to making the process as accessible as possible for everyone. Further adjustments can be made. Please email riana.h-t@hotmail.com with any access questions or concerns.

About Riana Head-Toussaint
Riana Head-Toussaint is an interdisciplinary crip/disabled artist, DJ and curator/community organiser of Afro-Caribbean heritage. Her practice sits at the intersection of creative expression, activism, cultural exchange and disability justice. She has made work spanning choreography, video/film, sound design, installation, and writing; often aimed at interrogating entrenched systems, structures and ways of thinking, and advocating for social change. Her choreographic work has spanned carparks, post-industrial ruins, galleries, theatres and online and digital spaces, and has been presented and supported by a range of institutions and organisations including the Art Gallery of New South Wales, Dancehouse, Carriageworks, The Keir Foundation, Frame Biennial, Arts House, Casula Powerhouse, the Opera House, Performance Space, Critical Path, Pari Ari and more. Riana is also the founder and creative lead of CRIP RAVE THEORY, a club night outside the club fostering more intersectionally-accessible party spaces. Their curatorial practice is aimed at opening up space for greater embodiment, and creating intersectional opportunities for connection between traditionally sidelined communities. Riana lives and works across unceded Darug, Gadigal and Wangal Country.

Event Details and Ticket Types

Thursday 4 July 7.30pm
Audio Description & Pre-Show Tactile Tour available for blind and low vision audiences from 6.30pm - see Access below for more information

Friday 5 July 7.30pm
Audience face-masking mandatory - see Access below for more information

Saturday 6 July 7.30pm

Buxton Contemporary will be open from 7:00pm each night, with the performance commencing from 7.30pm.

Access
Further Details

Buxton Contemporary is fully wheelchair accessible.
Within the Gallery, there are accessible toilets with a baby change table and gender-neutral toilets, but no adult change tables are available.
Further Access information about the venue and our current exhibition can be found here

Thursday 4 July Performance - Audio Description and Tactile Tour

The performance on Thursday 4 July has audio description and Tactile Tour available for patrons, provided by Vitae Veritas.

6.30pm - Audio-Described Tactile Tour of The same crowd never gathers twice exhibition
7.00pm - Tactile Tour prior to the Guided Wrestling performance
7.30pm - Audio Description available during the performance

Describer guides will provide one-on-one tailored descriptions and sighted guidance throughout the performance.

Audio description is the auditory narration of visual aspects of live events, theatre performances, exhibitions, and media such as film and video. It is a key access tool that enhances accessibility to people who are blind or have low vision and can benefit people with Autism, multisensory, or learning disabilities.

Tactile Tours allow the audience to journey around the physical space to understand the dimension, layout, and scale of the production, exhibition, or site; interact with artworks, installations, set pieces, costumes, props, and sculptures; and meet with artists, performers, and designers to discuss work.

Companions and service animals are most welcome.

To book your place in the tours, and/or to request a describer guide, please use the booking button above, email: buxton-contemporary@unimelb.edu.au or phone: +61390359339.

Friday 5 July Performance - Audience face-masking mandatory

For the performance on Friday 5 July, all audience members are asked to wear face masks while in the performance space and foyer, to provide an accessible performance option for those who are immunocompromised or would prefer to take up this offer. Face masks will be provided at the Gallery, or you can bring your own. Please note, the performers will not be masked during the performance.

(Image: Guided Wrestling choreo-lab at Buxton Contemporary, interacting with Yona Lee’s Upper-floor composition, 2024. Photographer: Riana Head-Toussaint.)