TrapLord of the Flyz

Presentation

TrapLord of the Flyz explores how socially disenfranchised young black men grapple with some of the biggest philosophical questions of our time on their own terms. It reflects their experience of feeling trapped in a dead-end system and being distracted by false identities and illusions of power.

Driven by frustration at the stereotyping of black men in contemporary society, artist and choreographer Ivan Blackstock developed TrapLord of the Flyz in response to themes in Plato's Allegory of the Cave, William Golding’s Lord of the Flies and Franz Kafka’s Metamorphosis. Mediated through the influences of trap, grime and hip hop, the piece uses a raw and confrontational style of dance, movement and spoken word to explore hard-hitting and blisteringly current issues, from police brutality to gang culture.

Artistic Team