Biography
Theatre graduated Mehdi FARAJPOUR (1980 – Iran) is now considered as a conceptual performing artist. He is holder of several awards and grants. He s got B.A in theatre studies from ?Sureh? Fine Arts University in Tehran 2003.
Generally his main activities are divided in two parts: Creation and teaching. Besides his artistic creations, he is firmly focused on teaching his creative way of dance which is named by him as ?Meditative dance?. Mehdi?s artistic career is wide enough to cover different fields of art such as Literature, Poetry, Dance, Butoh, Photography, Video art, Sound art and Theatre.
In 2002, he launched Oriantheatre Company with few dancers/actors in Tehran. Then he promoted the company on the international stage. Now Oriantheatre Company is based in France but it has still its members in different countries. Oriantheatre?s primary aim was to study on physical acting styles and also the power of concentration ?mentally & physically- while performing on the stage. But it s late target became studying on quality of performer?s presence (both dancers/actors) on the stage.
?The Monk performers? is the title of a book written by Mehdi which was released in 2008. This book is the conclusion of his personal/practical experiences in performing arts.
In 2008, Collaboration with Indian Bharatanatyam dancers could bring him the best prize for modern choreography and creative music from 26th International theatre festival of Iran. On the end of 2008; he was awarded by ?Hooyong performing Arts center? to be Artist in residence in South Korea. In 2009 he was honored by receiving a grant titled ?Orient and Europe? for creation in Poland.
In 2010, He became a member of jury committee of international theatre festival in Minsk, Belarus.
The countries where he has been mostly presented are India, Poland, Iran, South Korea, France, Turkey, Spain, Germany, Sweden, Belarus, Finland, etc.
About the show (synopsis):
?Confession? is a rebellion and compassion at the same time. It s compassion with those women all around the world who are suffering from those clumsy rules made up by men. And it is rebellion against all meaning of violence, whether under religion?s cover or social rules, etc.
The solo performance ?Confession? symbolically speaks about someone?s destiny whose name is not Gulliver!! But the life of that ?someone? has many things in common with Gulliver?s adventures.
However the question is: what can be in common between Gulliver who is coming from a fantastic world and Middle Eastern women who are suffering from realities in the 21st century? The short solo Butoh will slowly show what unifies them.
Text of the performance:
I am someone whose name is not Gulliver. So, there weren?t any voyages since I was born in destination, where I met too many tiny people in my native country. So, there were no voyages, no ocean, no ships but fire. The first image that I?ve seen saw in my life. Because, I was born from the fire, I grew up beside the fire. I am still burning inside of the fire, in Lilliputian?s country, where I was born and I am writing from there,
?NOWHERE?
I should begin to travel.
I should begin to travel.
I should begin to ?TRAVEL?