May I Take Your Arm?

May I take your arm? A Theatre Passe Muraille and Red Dress production co-production with the support of Common boots theatre. Image has a red background and an image of Alex smiling

Blind artist Alex Bulmer takes the arm of people in her new neighbourhood. Together, they walk, listen, and share life stories — an architecture of place emerges. Experience their journeys through these multi-sensory moving-portraits that consider the past, illuminate the present, and evoke possible futures.

Originally created in 2018 as a live, interactive, performance installation, May I Take Your Arm? has been re-imagined into a 7-part multidisciplinary follow-at-home experience. 

About the Books

Designed by Anna Camilleri

A limited edition series of 200 handmade pocket accordion books are similar by design and different by dimension and material application.

Techniques include | Paper cutting and decoupage | Paper and thread weaving, wrapping, and stitching | Botanical dyeing  (I gathered Black Walnut and Sumac from the Don River watershed to produce botanical dye extractions “fixed” with salt and vinegar  Dyed papers have an earthy and faintly acidic scent.) | Embedded foraged botanical elements (Silver Birch and Grey Birch bark, Eastern White Pine needles, Tansy, and Rosehip).  

top right corner of the accordion book we can see a foraged pine image tied with natural strings. It site behind a botanically dyed paper against sunny grass

From the artist | I’m grateful to Katie Yealland, Annanda DeSilva, Sierra Sun, and Rhekia Fahssi for bookmaking production assistance.

Audio promo

Credits

Poster of May I Take Your Arm has a bright red background with a greyscale image of a hand holding an arm. The poster is lined with two white vertical lines, and "May I Take Your Arm" written in the centre of it.

Co-Creator & Performer

Alex Bulmer

Co-Creator & Environment Designer/Maker

Anna Camilleri

Co-Creator & Sound Editor/Dramaturge

Tristan R. Whiston

Co-Creator & Live Video Animation

Katie Yealland

 

Creative Access Support & Audio Description

Becky Gold

Website Designer

Wy Joung Kou

Sound Consultant & Field Recording

Charles Ketchabaw

Video promo

Video by Hoffworks

Visual description: An image of two white hands gripping the top of a white cane are overlaid with images of Riverdale Park in autumn.

The image tilts up and widens to reveal Alex Bulmer wearing a black leather jacket and mint green sunglasses. With a casual smile, she adjusts her hands – overlapping them on top of her cane. A man in a dark grey shirt enters the frame and stands next to Alex, slowly extending his bent arm toward her. The overlaid image of autumn trees is now especially vibrant against their dark clothing. Alex reaches back behind the man, gently holds onto his elbow, and extends her cane in front of her.

A final close up of Alex’s face overlaid with images of autumn trees. Her cane outstretched, arm in hand – Alex and the man walk out of frame together. The image fades to black and credits appear.