Scottish – Egyptian Audio Visual Collaboration – I was in the tide, the tide was in me
6 – 21 May, 2023
UK Premiere of I was in the tide, the tide was in me at The Pipe Factory , 42 Bain St, Glasgow G40 2LA
The new AV collaboration by Egyptian artist Ghada Eissa and British vocalist Nik Rawlings uses film and music to explore experiences of bipolar disorder, memory and neurodiversity
Created following residencies in both Glasgow and Egypt the new artwork will also host two live performances from Nik Rawlings on 7 and 20 May
The co-commission between B’sarya for Arts in Alexandria and Glasgow’s Cryptic will run at The Pipe Factory Glasgow 6 – 21 May following its World Premiere in Egypt
Glasgow producing house Cryptic and B’sarya for Arts in Alexandria will present the UK premiere of their co-commission I was in the tide, the tide was in me at The Pipe Factory Glasgow from 6 – 21 May.

What happens when time breaks, loops, blends into itself; when the experience of oneself no longer fits into common-time? Experiences of neurodivergence or mental disorders can contribute to an experience of temporal dissonance, making time feel more fluid, unbalanced; heavily reliant on internal perceptions of oneself.
I was in the tide, the tide was in me is a new audiovisual installation featuring vocals and music by Bristol-based counter tenor vocalist, composer, artist and DJ Nik Rawlings and visuals from Egypt-based audiovisual artist, photographer and filmmaker Ghada Eissa. The work is an exploration of the numerous experiences of time, especially relating to bipolar or neurodiverse experiences and issues with memory, self-perception, internal narrative and (dis)continuity. Collaborating artists Ghada and Nik both live with diagnoses of bipolar disorder and found common ground within their shared experiences of trialling different medications, forcing themselves to readjust to new and ever-changing experiences of themselves. I was in the tide, the tide was in me was co-created by the artists during residencies at Alexandria in Egypt and both Glasgow and Cove Park in Scotland and features footage of some of Scotland’s most striking locations, including Hamilton Mausoleum.
Alongside the installation, Nik will perform live at The Pipe Factory on 7 and 20 May.

I was in the tide, the tide was in me is kindly funded by the British Council’s International Collaboration Grants, which is designed to support UK and overseas organisations to collaborate on international art projects.
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