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Black and white photo of Ethan McKenna. Ethan is wearing glasses and a striped top and is smiling at the camera
Black and white photo of Ethan McKenna. Ethan is wearing glasses and a striped top and is smiling at the camera

Residency feedback:

“We are a live artist and a sound designer collaborating for the first time, looking at innovative ways to represent ADHD and physical disability on stage. We’re at the very beginning of making a piece of gig theatre which subverts traditional song structure in neurodiverse ways, and we spent our time at LEVEL having conversations about Disability, writing music and poetry and playing around. Our time at LEVEL was cut short by illness (a common occurrence when working as Disabled artists) and we’ll be coming back to finish our residency later in the year. The time we spent at LEVEL was amazing- it’s a supportive creative space away from the world. The team make you feel part of the family, and we can’t wait to go back! We’ll continue to develop the project over the year, and hopefully tour in 2024.”

Elana Binysh and Jonny Leitch

Elana Binysh
Elana Binysh is an artist working across theatre, live art and sound art. She mainly works as a dramaturg, live sound artist and performer. Her work is unified by a deep devotion to exploring different forms, and a desire to tell contemporary oral histories to people in uncomfortable and tender ways. Her work is raucous, silly and strange. She’s currently being mentored as an experimental writer by Sammy Metcalfe (Sleepwalk Collective), and in the process of writing her first solo project, PISS MACHINE, an unperformable show about invisible disability and waiting, which is posted to your house.

She did an MA in Advanced Theatre Practice at RCSSD (2018). She was a 2022 JMK mentee, and in 2020 was awarded a six month mentorship with Gob Squad. Associated companies include The Yard, Bristol Old Vic & Extraordinary Bodies. Current/Recent work: Arguments in the name of the skies (Arts depot, Bristol Old Vic), AGATHA (Omnibus Theatre) & Don’t Talk To Strangers (The Yard, The Vaults).

Jonny Leitch
Jonny Leitch is a disabled session drummer, sound designer, composer, and aerialist performer. Ever since he started drumming when he was 8, he has been passionate about music and sound design. He has worked with incredible inclusive companies such as Extraordinary Bodies, Paraorchestra and Graeae Theatre Company. Performing at Glastonbury Festival, the Barbican, Royal Festival Hall and National Theatre.

Through his work, Jonny’s intention is to create a new world for each show. He experiments with the relationship between organic sound and digital sound. He makes use of a mix of electronic and acoustic drums in theatre shows, and explores innovative sound design in circus shows and live music events as well.

Images from Elana and Jonny’s residency