Claire Cunningham presents the UK premiere of Songs of the Wayfarer

Claire Cunningham, one of the UK’s most acclaimed and internationally renowned disabled artists presents the UK premiere of her new solo Songs of the Wayfarer, on Wednesday 4 – Friday 6 December in the Lilian Baylis Studio, co-commissioned by Sadler’s Wells.

In this new piece, Cunningham returns to the Lilian Baylis Studio to examine the act of journeying, drawing comparisons with the world of mountaineering and taking inspiration from Gustav Mahler’s ‘Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen’ (‘Songs of a Wayfarer’). In the work, Cunningham also re-engages with her past as a classical singer, by singing Mahler’s piece live to reframe our vision of journeying, craft, and outdoor encounter through a Crip* lens.

Claire Cunningham said: ‘I am very excited to bring my new work, Songs of the Wayfarer, developed with the support of Sadler’s Wells, to London. It’s been a decade since I made and performed a solo, and eight years since I last performed in the Lilian Baylis Studio. I’m really looking forward to the opportunity to connect with new audience members and those who have continued to follow my work as it, and I, have evolved over the years. Songs of the Wayfarer sees me navigating the two performance careers I have had in my life: as a singer, and as a dancer, and it’s fascinating to me how these two skills and identities come together in this work. I look forward to folks joining me on that journey in December.’

Cunningham is a performer and creator of multi-disciplinary performance based in Glasgow, Scotland. In October 2023, Claire joined the Inter-University Centre for Dance (HZT) in Berlin as the Einstein Professor of “Choreography, Dance and Disability Arts”.

Cunningham’s work is often rooted in the study of Crip & disabled experience, practices of care and questioning societal ideas of knowledge and value. A self-identifying disabled artist, Cunningham’s work combines multiple art forms and ranges from the intimate solo show ME, to the large ensemble work 12 made for Candoco Dance Company.    

Claire Cunningham’s Songs of the Wayfarer will be at Lilian Baylis Studio, Wednesday 4 – Friday 6 December. Tickets are £17. Book now at www.sadlerswells.com

*Crip is a political and cultural identity embraced by some disabled individuals.

Claire Cunningham’s Song of the Wayfarer, Photo by Sven Hagolani