The Weight of Water

Dynamic, unpolished and at times spectacular, but also vulnerable and intimate. Panama Pictures makes performances on the cutting edge of dance and circus in which the disciplines blend effortlessly with one another and personal stories literally start to move. A new universe is created for each performance. Dance and acrobatics intertwined with classical music, electronic beats and vocals. The company draws its audience along with it into a sensory and physical story about universal themes. Choreographer Pia Meuthen finds her inspiration in literature and philosophy, translating her sources of inspiration into poetic images. The work touches the audience with its great physical impact and the underlying humanity throughout. She depicts worlds that are recognisable to the viewer, but also allow for their own interpretation. The performances are created through improvisation on the basis of thorough research and carried by the personalities of the charismatic performers; an international cast of dancers and circus artists with varying ages and backgrounds.

Promotional photography will take place at this event.

If you do not wish to be featured in our content, please ask one of our volunteers (easily noticeable, in their pink t-shirts) for a no photography sticker.

Inspiring Change 

Through The Weight of Water, both Panama Pictures and Greenwich+Docklands International Festival seek to add our voices to the urgent call for global action to combat the climate crisis through artistic inspiration and positive action. 

Panama Picture’s Environmental Intent  

The focus of Panama Pictures is on the position of humans in the world and how we relate to our environment. We interrogate how we interact with each other in these disruptive times of climate emergency.
Through The Weight of Water, we make the vulnerability of existence tangible: we show people who are at the mercy of uncontrollable forces and have to relate to a changing world, echoing climate injustices. Spectacular performance is a vehicle to enable us to respond to and platform conversations about the environment, but it cannot be separated from the fragility of the individual, mutual dependence and collective responsibility for a greener way forward.  

The Panam Pictures team consider environment across their touring model by prioritising train travel, land travel, and work with a vegetarian rider. We re-use our sets and costumes, as much as and when practically possible, to contribute to a circular green economy.  

GDIF’s Environmental intent 

Greenwich+Docklands International Festival employs sustainable practices festival-wide. As a free arts event and non-profit charity, we acknowledge the complex connections between the changes in the world’s climate and the subsequent environmental and social challenges that many people across the world are facing. We recognise our responsibility in reducing our carbon and environmental footprints, in line with scientific evidence and sector guidance, in order to play a full role in tackling these challenges. 

We aim to use policies and procedures that will ensure the conservation of natural resources while minimising any adverse environmental impact from our operations and ultimately reduce our C02 emissions. 

You can read GDIF’s full statement of environmental responsibility, and find out how we remain accountable, here. 

Sustainable Presentations in the UK 

To make the UK premieres of The Weight of Water more sustainable, it is touring through the Global Streets Consortium, seeing the work presented at both Strike A Light in Gloucester as well as Greenwich+Docklands International Festival as part of the same tour leg. This allows for a model of touring which reduces emissions and the carbon footprint of presentations of Weight of Water, consolidating road/sea freight (no air freight) which is shared between the partners, and reducing the need for doubling up on international artist travel journeys.   

A power management plan is in place at GDIF to ensure the power requirements for the site have been carefully considered and an appropriately sized power source is utilised throughout the site. When not in use, generators are turned off and back-up power supplies only utilised when the primary power source is un-useable. 

As with all GDIF shows, we encourage audiences to walk, cycle or take public transport to our events, ensuing that there is a blue badge offering or drop off point close to site. 

Environmental data, including waste, energy and water usage are reported on for each GDIF event using Julie’s Bicycle CC Tools. This helps us build a picture of our CO2 emissions year on year and helps us to set targets and find new ways to reduce our carbon footprint.