Matthew Linley Eastern Angles/Former Unity Theatre Artistic Director
Dora Colquhoun is a neurodivergent theatre maker and performer based in Liverpool. Dora has a wealth of varied experience as a theatre maker and entertainer she graduated from Dartington College of Arts in 2011 with a first class BA Hons in Contemporary Performance Art Combining Community Practices. She also has a Masters in Applied Theatre at Royal Central School of Speech and Drama (2019) She is an incredibly versatile performer who is interested in making bold funny brave work. Dora is a storyteller at heart and uses many artistic forms to create performance that moves people to tears whilst also keeping them in fits of laughter.
Dora has worked with Wild Rumpus, Liverpool Biennial, Action Transport Theatre, Cocoloco, Altru, Cbeebies, Directors: Sue Hill (Wildworks) and John Wright (As Told By An Idiot)
Dora Colquhoun was commissioned by DASH arts and supported by the Liverpool Biennial to take part in WAIWAV. Colquhoun is one of 31 artists who created an intervention on the 2nd of July to celebrate 102 years of the first ever Dadaist exhibition in Berlin.
Colquhoun created the fictional NBFS The National Bureau For Sitting. The intervention involved assessing members of the public to see whether they can take a seat in a very comfortable chesterfield chair.
The concept behind ‘Would You Like A Seat?’ Is about access. Looking at archaic systems that enables some to thrive and some to survive. In the past 10 years there has been an increase in slanted benches, barbwire in shop fronts and intentional gaps in bus shelters. This is to discourage a person shelter and a spot to rest. It is saying ‘you are not welcome.’ Colquhoun wants to take the mundane everyday action of sitting, and frame it as a prestigious act of luxury.
The NBFS will assess people in the same way a person may be assessed for PIP or be assessed to seek asylum, or the many other systems we have in place to assign meaning and value to a person. The NBFS is a body of professional seat sitting assessors. Let’s regulate sitting one cheek at a time!
View 'Would You Like A Seat?' Image Gallery
In January 2021 Dora was funded by Arts Council England to develop 'ADHD The Musical: Can I Have Your Attention Please?'. Working with a Neuroscientist from Goldsmiths University to inform the research process the outcome of the project was a musical comedy lecture about navigating a late ADHD diagnosis in a world designed for a neurotypical brain. With the help of Dolly Parton, Julie Andrews and Cher the piece addresses feelings of shame and attempts to unpack feelings of failure. The piece was selected for the Liverpool Theatre Festival 2021 and will be performed again in November supported by Creative Arts East.
A beautiful, poignant, moving and incredibly important ride from start to finish. The humour, songs, dancing combined with the gorgeous rawness and honesty was truly special. You had me laughing then crying and then a combination of both. Thanks for sharing your heart and soul and boundless talent. I learnt so much and resonated with so many topics and emotions.
The shame bear was genius and involving us in your story and songs made it our story, a universal sharing of being a human being and trying to tackle the confusing thing that is life and trying not to take it all seriously.
Review Liverpool Theatre Festival
Her talents as a performer, with her showcasing some nifty dance moves along with some strong vocal talents. And she has the ability to have audiences laughing one minute and almost wiping away tears the next. A show like this needs a versatile performer to tackle a serious subject with a mix of humour and candour. And that’s what Dora achieves here.
Mark Armstrong Writebase
So relatable, so moving, and it gave me the validation I needed to know I'm not alone in this no matter how much judgement I receive I AM ENOUGH. Thank you
Audience Member
Funded by the Liverpool Culture Without Walls Fund (2020) Performed at Bluecoat Garden devised in collaboration with Izzie Major and Jonathan McGuire. First developed in collaboration with On The Verge Festival 2015
Flowerpot women a dark absurd comedy described as "Becket mixed with french and Saunders on acid’ about the pitfalls of Eddie and Garlands time in the garden together. A charming absurd piece about friendship, fauna and “getting on”
Collective Encounters commissioned 10 new works by emerging artists. The commissions formed part of their Above & Beyond project, and responded to themes of “community power” and “community action”.
Creative responses took a variety of forms from illustration, poetry, short films and music.
Dora Colquhoun and Jonathan McGuire created a collaborative music piece exploring The Overview Effect; a theory used to describe the awe inspired feeling astronauts experience when viewing the Earth from Space.
An all female satirical sketch show supported by the Unity Theatres ‘Make Art fund and ACE funding. Directed by Mat Rutter and Brian Desmond.
