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Potato Farmers
By JAGA-EMOTE!
What is a potato? Can it be eaten? Can it be a toy? How do potatoes move? Can potatoes actually move..? What if we can learn from the common potato - to roll when above the ground, tremble when placed in hot water and sprout when hidden away? In this installation-based performance, children will get to learn more about the humble potato and relate the versatility of the unassuming underground root to the many different kinds of ways we can be.
Like how we are all unique individuals, there are many types of potatoes - with the use of immersive props, bite-sized science and potato-inspired movement, we learn how to accept ourselves as we are, roll away from scary situations, sprout new eyes and embrace that we are all more than the sum of our parts. It is okay to feel like some days we just want to be a couch potato gradually becoming mush as we get mashed by difficult feelings, and maybe sometimes all we need is our loved ones to give us space, and then put us back together again when we’re ready. Perhaps it is only with time and care that we can all find the best version of a potato we can be.
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About the artists
JAGA-EMOTE! is a portmanteau of the words “jagaimo” and “emote”; the former refers to potato in japanese and the latter highlights this notion of us as a collective being emotive in our works. “Jaga” in malay, also translates to “take care”, which is what we aim to do: to make work for children that comes from a starting point of tenderness, to encourage them to take notice of their emotions, and to take care of themselves as they navigate new feelings that may arise. The themes of body safety/ autonomy, self-care, acceptance and growth are particularly important to us in our working process.
The collective is made up of Neo Jialing, Lynette Quek, Chew Shaw En, Nathanael Ng (Nat) and Tau, all unique taters in their own fields, coming together to form a multi-disciplinary amalgamation of dance, music, costume/ set design and technical production. Like a potato gratin, we hope that our layered and flavourful approach towards making an experience for children and their caregivers incites an eagerness to explore the world in a tactile and imaginative way. We believe in being led by the inherent curiosities every child has, and are likewise inspired by them to approach making and performing with a playful, child-like mindset.
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