H – Cirque du Soleil

“H – Cirque du Soleil: When a Show Raises Awareness” is the title of my thesis project and represents one of my greatest efforts, as it is the result of an entire year of work. “H” is a performance inspired by several writings on the relationship between disability and photography. I directed the show and designed its sets and costumes, seeking to present my own artistic vision capable of awakening the audience’s perception of “difference”.

The show was divided into four fundamental scenes, based on the four visual rhetorics identified by Dr Rosemarie Garland-Thomson, a scholar who, throughout her career, has investigated the different ways in which able-bodied people react when viewing photographs of people with disabilities.

This led to the creation of four scenes, or tableaux: The Wondrous, The Exotic, The Sentimental and The Realistic. These are different situations in which the audience can observe Cirque du Soleil performers and athletes with disabilities working together in a moment of complete inclusion.

From the very beginning of the design process, several issues were addressed, mainly concerning the structural scale of the proposed ideas. These challenges were resolved through extensive technical and mechanical research.

The show was created inside the Han Show Theatre, a building specifically designed for circus arts and located in Wuhan, China. The venue is capable not only of accommodating large-scale engineering structures, but also of enhancing the provocative tone of this project.

A distinctive and innovative project that combines a sensitive concept with complex stage requirements.