Bella Lane is originally from the Amazon, and came to the UK to study embroidery. She makes artworks which respond to the Indigenous stictching traditions of Peru. This interview was sadly cut short, and so does not really cover her work with Border Crossings, which included the design and creation of the floorcloth and the Paracas Mantle for THE MOUTH OF THE GODS (2024). The mantle, recreating ancient shrouds, was subsequently included in an exhibition in the Paracas Museum. The interview deals mainly with Bella's Amazonian background, and her growing understanding of emboridery as an art form.
Salomón Bazbaz Lapidus is a producer and cultural activist for Indigenous Mexican arts. In 2015, Salomón led the journey of the Voladores de Papantla to the ORIGINS Festival in London. In 2021, he worked closely with Border Crossings to commission TOTEM LATAMAT from Totonac artist Jun Tiburcio. This extraordinary artwork was brought to Britain by sea from Mexico, and toured through the country, culminating in its presence at COP26 in Glasgow. Salomón discusses the importance of these projects, laying a particular emphasis on spiritual regeneration and the value of Indigenous cultures. He also describes the impact of ORIGINS on the Indigenous artists themselves, and their communities.
Siliga Sani Muliaumaseali'i is a Samoan singer, writer, and director of the GAFA Arts Collective, based in London. Sani created GAFA: A FAMILY CALLED SAMOA, which featured in the 2013 ORIGINS Festival. His play KAVA GIRLS was part of the 2015 Festival, and his children's piece aboyt environmentalism, BABA THE BAD BABOON, was shown in 2017. Sani and GAFA also led 'Ava ceremonies for the opening event at several festivals. In this interview, Sani discusses his Samoan cultural background, the way it is reflected in the work he has created, and his relationship with Border Crossings' ORIGINS Festival.
José Navarro is a Quechua theatre-maker and puppeteer from the Peruvian Andes. José has had a longstanding involvement with Border Crossings, particularly in relation to the ORIGINS Festival, where he has presented work including AYAHUASCA, MAN OF THE ANDES and AMAZON VISIONS. He was also the lead puppetmaker and puppeteer on THE MOUTH OF THE GODS in 2024. The interview deals with José's Indigenous culture and background, his relationship with Border Crossings, and some of the specific projects they have undertaken together. He discusses THE MOUTH OF THE GODS from 32-26 minutes.
Rosanna Raymond aka Sistar S'pacific, is a Samoan artist who was Indigenous Associate on the earliest ORIGINS Festivals curated by Border Crossings. The interview explores the initial consultations that led to the Festival being founded, the involvement of Pacific communities in London, the creation of appropriate welcoming ceremonies, and her ongoing work in the vā.
Johnny Figueroa Rodriguez is a multi-instrumentalist. Originally from the Andes, Johnny became involved with Border Crossings after seeing CELEBRATING PERU at the British Museum, working with Rafael Montero on the opera "Loyola" at the Arcola Theatre. He played percussion and traditional wind instruments alongside baroque musicians in THE MOUTH OF THE GODS (2024). In this interview, he discusses the duality of this experience: the performance both recounted colonial histories through Christian music and reclaimed both for Indigenous artists. He relates this to the research element of the project, when he visited the stores at the Horniman Museum to engage with treasures from his own culture. Johnny also discusses his visit to East 15 Acting School as part of the CHECKPOINT project, and his ongoing relationship with Border Crossings.
Jun Tiburcio is a multidisciplinary artist from the Totonac people of Mexico. This interview is conducted in Spanish, with English subtitles. Jun was commissioned by Border Crossings' ORIGINS Festival in 2021, to carve TOTEM LATAMAT: a powerful Indigenous artwork that would travel from his home to COP26 in Glasgow, where it would make an artistic plea on behalf of Indigenous people who were unable to come in person. In this interview, Jun discusses the ideas behind the totem, and the iconography through which they are expressed, emphasising the spirituality of his ecological thinking.
Torgeir Vassvik is a Sámi musician from Norway. Torgeir first became involved with Border Crossings when he appeared in the play JUST ANOTHER SÁMI at the 2015 ORIGINS Festival. He returned in 2018 for a special event when ORIGINS was involved in the opening of the new Pacific and Arctic galleries at the National Maritime Museum, and then again for ORIGINS 2019, when he performed with his band and contributed to the talks programme. In 2020, it had been intended that the band would play for an ORIGINS event at the British Museum's Arctic exhibition, but because of the Covid lockdown, this was transformed into an online event, MAGNETIC NORTH. In this interview, Torgeir recounts these experiences, discusses the background of Sámi music (particularly the yoik) and places his work in the wider context of change for the Sámi people.
Nathan Woodworth is a member of the North American Karuk tribe. He is also an actor and writer and has worked as a cultural consultant. During 2022, Nathan was in London on a Fulbright scholarship, and contacted Border Crossings. This led to his involvement in the BOTANY BAY project, including a short film made at the American Museum in Bath, on the theme of SPRING, in which he dialogued with curators about Karuk artefacts in the collection. The interview explores Nathan's family and tribal history, looks at his work around interscetions between Karuk stories and Shakespeare, and delves into questions around the relationship between Indigenous people and museums. Nathan also discusses how being Karuk and learning the Karuk language have influenced his artistic practice, and the responsibility towards the tribe that he feels as a result.
