H2Dance's immersive STRANGERS & OTHERS to perform for the last time in 2017 this weekend

The new immersive piece from award winning maverick performers and choreographers H2DANCE has its final performances of 2017 at Nottingham Dance 4 Space on 2 December with performances at 3pm, 5pm and 7pm.

This is a performance without performers. Instead the audience are the protagonists in a show that asks how we can come together to co-exist and create understanding and empathy between social groups and cultures? At a time when global events seem to lead to increasingly fractured and isolationist society's, community and integration seem more important than ever.

The audience are invited to put on headphones to receive live instructions from H2DANCE's Hanna Gillgren and Heidi Rustgaard. The pair lead them through a series of choreographed meetings - with permission to look, touch, assume and judge. The trademark humour inherent in most of the company's work is never far away.

Each performance will be different as, alone in their own headphone-controlled world yet moving within a group of strangers, each individual is free to choose how to respond. Witnessed only by the choreographers, appearance, physicality and behaviour will be their sole guides as they cooperate in silence. As the audience moves around they will create a constantly changing physical landscape of shapes and patterns as they come together or shift apart.

Immersed in light and sound, this is an experience of being alone and together at the same time, where the space of the theatre frames the questions; Who takes responsibility and when do actions have consequences? 'We wanted to explore socialisation, tolerance, autonomy and exposure and freedom of choice' said Heidi. 'To see how a group of strangers follow the social codes and play their part' added Hanna.

Strangers & Others is itself the result of international cooperation and collaboration. With the creation process spread across Finland, Norway, Sweden, Iceland and London this is a truly pan European piece. It is a 75 minute participative performance installation suitable for everyone aged 14+. It involves movement & physical contact.

H2DANCE were founded in 1999 by choreographer/performer duo Hanna Gillgren (Sweden) and Heidi Rustgaard (Norway). Together they produce provocative performance work that addresses political issues with humour and emotion. The company works in collaboration with interdisciplinary teams and local communities to create evocative performances that challenge and respond to the audience. Hanna and Heidi have co-created eleven touring shows, of which several were successful high quality participatory dance projects, and two dance films in the UK over the last 16 years.

The show is funded by Arts Council England, Arts Council Norway, Nordic Culture Fund, Region Värmland Sweden, Dance4 Nottingham and supported via South East Dance and Jerwood Charitable Foundation Dramaturg in Residence programme. It is co-produced by Dance4, Metal and Laban Theatre UK, Nordic House Iceland, Region Värmland and Dansens Hus Sweden, Bergen Dansesenter and Liikelaituri Finland.

Choreography and direction: Hanna Gillgren and Heidi Rustgaard
Dramaturgy: Martin Hargreaves
Music composition: Sylvia Hallett
Lighting design: Andy Hammond

Producer: Natalie Richardson for Konzept Arts & Ideas

Tickets £7, Concessions £5 0115 924 2016 www.dance4.co.uk