Artist Talk: Yos Clark In-conversation With Dwayne Church-simms

Ivorian multidisciplinary artist Yos Clark joins Transition + Transit Curator Dwayne Church-Simms for an insightful discussion around their work The Ideal Life; an autobiographical dance performance exploring themes of queerness and belonging whilst feeling at times an outcast to their Côte d’Ivoire heritage.

Yos Clark is an Ivorian artist working in dance, fashion and photography.

Growing up in Côte d’Ivoire, Yos nurtured a passion for ballet from an early age. An unpopular art form in the country, Yos was a self-taught ballet dancer until they found a teacher on Facebook who gave them online classes for 2 years.

Yos has since been on TV shows like Africa’s Got Talent, interviewed by BBC Africa, and performed in shows where they were spotted by the British ambassador to Côte d’Ivoire who offered them a scholarship to study in the UK.

In his first year at KS Dance in Warrington in 2018, Yos developed a growing interest in other genres such as contemporary dance, flamenco and jazz. After obtaining the Global Talent visa in 2020, Yos decided to broaden their focus, from collaborating on other artists' projects to creating their own work.

Yos' work is autobiographical, telling their story as a cultural outcast who strives to belong in Ivorian society as a gay man but whose interests differ from the common Ivorian people.

Yos has appeared in "Those Who Inspire, Côte d’Ivoire “ alongside former Chelsea footballer Didier Drogba, retold their story all over the UK alongside the screening of “The Red Shoes" by Powell & Pressburger; danced in the latest Vivienne Westwood campaign and other fashion shows; was in Harvey Nichols window display as part of London Fashion Week for designer Roksanda; and appeared in Vogue Italia in 2020, amongst many others.

Most importantly Yos has made 3 dance films: The Other Side, based on a letter to his mother that they unfortunately lost in 2018; We Need It ft cellist Hoda Jahanpour based on the idea of a need and desire; and The Ideal Life, their latest work, performed live at MayFest and Mind Your Head.

Dwayne Church-Simms serves as Curator and Producer for the Transition + Transit programme as part of the Transform Citywide Takeover.

Dwayne is a Nottingham-born artist, curator, and cultural producer boasting a rich background in dance and choreography. Notably, his insightful writing has graced the pages of esteemed publication, Hidden Movement: Contemporary Voices of Black British Dance. Having served as a maker, performer, and educator, he currently leads the program for FABRIC’s Centre for Advanced Training in the East Midlands, nurturing both his dedication to the arts and the advancement of arts talent in the region.

Dwayne crafts immersive atmospheres that effortlessly connect audiences and nurtures genuine human interactions through the art of storytelling imbued with profound emotion. With this he excels in leveraging the transformative power of storytelling, archival exploration, healing practices and embodiment. Dwayne has and continues to make indelible contributions to international dance festivals and actively collaborates with organisations from across the UK.

Access:

This event will be held in The Space.

This event is wheelchair accessible.

If you have any questions around access or have specific access requirements we can accommodate, please get in touch with us by emailing [email protected] or phoning 0115 948 9750.

Co-Presented with FABRIC