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Benched

Tink Flaherty

An image of Tink Flaherty sitting on a wooden bench in a council estate, facing the camera. They wear double denim, white socks and black loafers, and have a boxing glove on their right hand. Their brown hair is short, and falls slightly over their right eye. Around the bench are a pair of trainers, a glove, and a packet of Twinkies
Benched, Tink Flaherty. Photo by Christa Holka

Since 2018, Tink has been taking their bench out to public locations across the country & inviting strangers to sit with them, in quest to find authentic forms of connection.

Benched is a unique exploration of human relationships, the formative and defining relationships with those close to us, and the incidental meetings with strangers that have the potential to stop us in our tracks. Created from a queer autistic perspective, the work aims to expand performance tropes and work against compulsory neuronormativity.

Skipping effortlessly between rawness and impulsion, and softness and attentive consideration, Tink is direct yet gentle in their confrontations with intersecting issues of class, gender, neurodivergence and marginalisation. The work is a tender and humorous multi-sensory experience, engaging touch, texture and smell, in order to understand Tink’s world and the people in it.

Created and performed by: Tink Flaherty

Also featuring: Abra Flaherty

Directed by: Rosana Cade

Mentor: Katy Baird

Sound editing by: Jo Jackson

Sound mixing by: Liz Helman

Movement director: Frauke Reinhardt

Dramaturgy: Daniel Oliver & Libro Bridgeman

Access Support: Catherine Hoffmann

Produced by Artsadmin

Commissioned by Cambridge Junction

Supported with public funding from an Arts Council England’s Project Grant

Find out about accessibility at Colchester Arts Centre here

Date and time

26 April 2023
8–9pm
Pay What You Can

Please note
This is now a past event.

Venue

Colchester Arts Centre
Church Street
Colchester
Essex
CO1 1NF
UK

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