Ignition – a 3 month long residency that invited all of Shetland’s inhabitants to explore our bittersweet relationship with the automobile – how it shapes us, defines us, supports us, frees us, challenges our attitudes towards our dwindling resources and, sometimes, kills us. Set in three locations across Shetland, the site-specific Ignition performances took audiences on shared car adventure experiencing stories  through exhilarating drive-in theatre, the movement discipline of parkour, music, hitchhikers, dance and text.

Movement Direction:  Janice Parker

As part of Ignition Janice was also artist-in-residence over the 3 winter months in Wastview Care Home. Taking time to get to know everyone on their own terms and in their own time, she collected life-stories, organised a variety of events in collaboration with residents and staff, took and printed hundreds of photographs of places residents suggested she visit – bringing the outside in, learned that many people knew Shetland by sea and boat, not by road, so understood the map differently, met a man who had memorized the number-plate of every car he had ever known, met a woman that she walked with, danced with and looked at the flowers on a daily basis and met a wonderful woman who could knit and dance at the same time. The verbatim life-stories were scripted and recorded and formed the sound-track for part of the Ignition live performance

A National Theatre of Scotland production in association with Shetland Arts with support from Creative Scotland.