As part of DAWTA, an audio visual performance of the project was commisioned by Flatpack Festival, to develop the project further from it’s beginnings at Supernormal Festival.



                  
          
Funded by Arts Council England and produced by Abigail Addison of Animate Projects, the performance saw Ashman play live with drummer and visual artist Bimpe Alliu, playing the roles of ‘elder’ women, guiding Dawta to a utopian planet for Black, non-binary and trans women. Taking on concepts of time travel from Octavia Butler’s novel, ‘Kindred’, the live performance explored ideas of what a paradise for Black women could look like as well as enaging with ideas of the ability to harness collective/inherited trauma into an energy for hope. 

The premiere performance took place as part of Flatpack’s September 2021 edition of their festival. The second and final performance took place at Cafe Oto with Jenny Moore, in February 2022.


CAFE OTO PERFORMANCE W/JENNY MOORE, FEB 22





Photos by Florence Bass

FLATPACK FESTIVAL PERFORMANCE, SEPT 2021


Photos by Katja Ogrin


A live documentation of this performance, filmed by Angelika Winnet and mixed by Kyle Acab was also filmed at Vogue Fabrics Dalston, to provide a legacy and archival document of the project. 



An EP of the project, collecting songs from the performance/short film is avaliable to buy online at Ashman’s Spirit Sigh Bandcamp

Guitars, vocals, lyrics, synths and production: Jessica Ashman
Drums: Bimpe Alliu
Recorded, mixed and mastered by Mark Estall at Marketstall Recording