Tell me your story in this room / One-to-one (On-going)
Through poetic manipulation of languages, the intimate interaction between the performer and audience construct a novel and safe space, allowing us to fully recognise one as a unique individual.
This is a study to see what languages do to us. This is an investigation on how to be free from ourselves. This is an on-going trial to eliminate discrimination.
John performing "Thousand Papers" at CCA Goldsmiths, photo taken by Jeffrey Choy
John Chan
is an artist, activist, researcher and social entrepreneur working in the art and cultural
sector. His focus is on developing strategies for decolonising mainstream narratives through delivering cultural programmes telling stories of migrants, refugees, queer people and other marginalised groups. He mainly collaborates with Ghost Chan as Ghost and John and is one of the six co-founders of Hidden Keileon CIC, an artist-led social enterprise.
John is currently a fellow at Civic Futures with Greater London Authority, a programme on questioning, rethinking and reimagining how our systems and structures serve us and enable everyone to flourish.
John is also currently an artist researcher at Moving Margins Chapter II, a project facilitating the development and sharing of dance practices dealing with decolonising the family dance history and moving artefacts from the margins of dance archives into accessible score and formats - a programme in partnership with Internationales Theaterinstitut and Kunstraum Bethanien, Berlin.
John's works often involve investigating contemporary crisis through the lens of history and folklore, questioning his personal identity of being a Hongkong queer migrant artist and challenging new forms of arts, His works include, Meniscus, Can I Tell You Something?, I'm not sure about you, but I need to eat, and more.
“(His work) addresses a lot of the political issues of our time in a playful, but also an emotional way.”
- Dr. Guy Cools, renowned Dance Dramaturg
John is also a versatile performer who works across dance, movement, acting, voice and more. His performance has been seen across Hong Kong, UK, Austria, Germany and more, from small pubs and clubs to major theatres and galleries, including Hellerau Dresden, TD Berlin, CCA Goldsmiths and more.
John was trained as a biologist (BSc Biological Science, HKUST) and has completed MA Contemporary Dance with distinction at London Contemporary Dance School (The Place). He was trained under Siu Wan from SHOW DANCE and Tsang Wing Fai back in Hong Kong.
He was an ATLAS young choreographer at ImPulsTanz - Vienna International Dance Festival 2019. He was an artist-in-residence at Live Art Development Agency, London and an artist fellow at Hong Kong Dance Alliance. He is an artist member of Chisenhale Dance Space, London.
Instagram: francisjohncyc
Twitter: francisjohncyc
LinkedIn: John Chan
CV available on request. Please contact us through john@ghostandjohn.art.
