Graduation performance by graduated Master DAS Theatre student Billy Mullaney nominated for the AHK Eindwerkprijs 2019

Photos by Thomas Lenden

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The graduation performance Never Never Never Ever Never Never Ever Never Ever Ever EVER Ever EVER Give Up Unless It Gets Too Hard by Billy Mullaney is nominated for the AHK Eindwerkprijs 2019. The preformance is contender in the category master projects. Billy’s graduation performance has a chance of winning a cash prize of three thousand euros. The winners will be announced on November 25. 


Never give up 
Billy Mullaney (graduated Master DAS Theatre): 'Never Never Never Ever Never Never Ever Never Ever Ever EVER Ever EVER Give Up Unless It Gets Too Hard was inspired by the ways in which we curate and “perform” flattering versions of ourselves online, through social media platforms and beyond. I began by analyzing trends in contemporary live performance marketing, specifically the emergent use of promotional trailer videos. As someone whose own work does not lend itself well to a trailer, I was interested in critiquing such promotional practices through the language of theatre. Beginning with the trailer I WISH I could make, as a storyboard, the performance consists of the trailer’s staging, filming, and editing. The process lasted 14 hours over the course of two days, and audience was invited to leave and return whenever they liked to check in on progress.' 


From the flyer: this is not a performance. This is the filming of a promotional trailer for a performance. Trailers endure longer, reach far more people, and ultimately garner much more cultural capital than any given live performance. As with Facebook friendships, milestones, achievements, and most meals, a performance takes on value today when it can be shared as brief, digestible audiovisual content online. Beyond a mere marketing tactic, trailers stand in as web presence for the artwork and moreover for the artists themselves. Therefore, we must produce art, and indeed live and die, with the resulting trailer in mind. 

Vote for Never give up 
On Monday November 25 the jury will announce the winners during a festive ceremony at the Conservatorium van Amsterdam. For more information, please visit www.ahk.nl/eindwerkprijs. Here you can vote for the audience prize.

Photo by Thomas Lenden

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