About me, Flavia Bertram
I am theatre maker, facilitator & community producer with roots in physical theatre, clown and participatory processes. I host workshops, performances and conversations, that seek to invigorate the imagination and deepen interconnection between humans and the world we inhabit. Regardless of the field I operate in, my work is grounded in a commitment to play, empowerment and a just, fair ecological transition.
I have trained in costume, physical theatre and clown. Between 2013-2020, I ran my own company HOAX and developed 5 carbon neutral shows which toured in UK, India, Paris, the Czech Republic and Canada.
Since then, I have been building on 20 years of creative engagement leading a number of different projects at Moseley Road Baths, The MAC, Kew Gardens, Moseley Hive, and across SE London with South East London Community Energy.
Why this project?
This is a selection of work in progress images that integrate images from across my life and from the 1867 Barkerville Book. I am beginning from the visual and will work outward to the participatory.
I was born in Canada to an immigrant mum from Ealing with parents both Irish and a dad who’s family has six generations of history in Canada. In fact my great-great-great grandfather was in the first Canadian government. He quit after one term as he saw his parlilmentary colleagues as criminals and swindlers, and moved north and ran a mill on stolen Anishanabe land. For a while the Bertrams were quite influential in Canada being heavily involved in the lumber trade and boat building.
I grew up with stories and histories that erased the complexity of my position, and as more and more work is being done in Canada to expose the theft, abuse and genocide carried out by ‘Good Canadian society’ the more I become aware of the secret toxic underbelly of settler mythologies I bathed in in my very happy childhood.
This project is an attempt to chronicle and reconcile myself to these contradictions. And importantly, instigate honest conversations about how to take responsibility for the consequences of this experience, whatever they may be.
About the book & Barkerville
The Barkerville book is a selection of images gifted to my ancestor – E. Hodges – by his friend – A. McPherson – an enthusiastic photographer, as a moment of the time they spent together as clerks working in for the various different gold mining companies in Barkerville, British Columbia, Canada. This book is a record of ecocide, not dissimilar to that which we see in the Amazon today.
The town burnt to the ground two years after the book was created. And it is now a historic town, filled with historical reenactments, TV and webseries.
“Billy Barker’s legendary gold strike on Williams Creek triggered a multi-billion dollar industrial revolution that literally built a province. Today, the extraordinary historic town of Barkerville stands as a living testament to BC’s golden beginnings. With its unique streetscape of more than 125 heritage buildings, period displays, satellite museums, restaurants and shops there is still so much to explore.”
Recent & Featured Projects.
Festival of Retrofit, Producer & moderator (2024-2025)
Ceremony of Self, Lead artist & facilitator (2022-2024)
HOAX, Co-founder, producer & performer (est. 2014)
Artist CV.
>> Education
On-going training John Turner of Manitoulin Centre for Creation and Performance in Pochinko Clown/ physio-vocal with Lynn Simmons.
2020-2021 MA in Applied Theatre (with distinction), Goldsmiths College, University of Arts London, UK
2009-2012 Theatre de L’Ange Fou/International School of Corporeal Mime, Diploma in Corporeal Mime
2004-5 Ontario College of Art and Design, Foundation Year: Design Stream
2000-03 McGill University B.A: Double Major in English Literature and International Development Studies
1984-2000 Toronto French School, IB Diploma, OSSD
>> Facilitation, Teaching & Workshops
2024-2025 Lead Artist Ceremony of Self, Workshops for women to play creatively through unsung change
2023-2025 Workshop and event design and delivery, energy advice and domestic retrofit, South East London Community Energy
2023 Assistant to John Turner and Jenny Hazelton, ‘Baby Clown’ 15-day intensive in Pochinko Clown, One North Clown and Creation
2022 Lead Facilitator & Assistant Producer, ‘Ceremony of Self’, Hope & Gather, Moseley Road Baths, ASIRT, for Birmingham 2022 Festival projects part of the Commonwealth Games
2022 ‘People’s Art Market (Imagination Factory)’ market stall at OffBeat Oxford
2022 ‘Together’ at Hayes Day Centre with Spare Tyre Theatre and Jacksons Lane
2021 Theatre Troupe at Pheonix Place, a girls pupil referral unit in Southwark
2021 Workshop lead The Gallery of Infinite Possibility
2021 Outside eye/direction ‘Three’ Musical at Goldsmiths
2017-19 Outside eye & directorial support, Inda Pereda for ‘Trapped’ and ‘Lubbert’
2018 Movement direction and outside eye, for ‘Terebac’ produced by Vanessa Hammick January 2018, Workshop “From Idea to Performance: Practical Tools for Making Theatre”, University of Lincoln, NewVolutions Festival
January 2014-April 2016 Play worker/programme lead, Westminster Society for People with Learning Difficulties, London, UK
January 2014 Mime Workshop for University of Kent Physical Theatre Students
2012 Corporeal Mime, NODA Summer School, Warwick, UK
2009-2011 Arts Leader/Play worker, Westminster Society for People with Learning Difficulties, London, UK
2008-2009 Teaching Assistant, Arts Express, London, UK
2004 –2006 Teaching Assistant Pottery/Mixed Media/ Fashion, Avenue Road Art School, Toronto, ON
2003 Head of Arts and Crafts, Camp Oconto, Tichbourne, ON
1998-2000 Assistant to Instructor, “Saturday Morning Club”, Royal Ontario Museum Toronto, ON
>> Production.
Ongoing. Freelance production clients include South East London Community Energy, Pacha People at Museum of the Home/Bernie Grant Arts Centre, Dance Research Studio/Jacky Lansley at Modern Art Oxford/cell project space, Proactive Dance #catcallcounterattack flash mob, Theatre Re/Vocal Eyes at London Mime Festival, Noh Budget Films at Janus Day Centre, Twisted Hip and OneTaste Cabaret at Secret Garden Party and the Roundhouse.
2015 Artistic direction and creation at HOAX, www.hoaxtheatre.com (lead creative/producer on 5 productions VAULT festival, ONCA Gallery, V&A museum, Theatre Olympics Touring in Delhi & Bhopal, Mimesis Festival at the IVT in France)
>> Performance.
2023 A Case for Sherlock, Croydon Cycle Theatre/Stanley Arts Centre
2019 BRIGHT RAVEN! HOAX, ONCA Gallery/Cockpit Theatre
2016-2020 Red Queen, Penguin (large scale puppet), Jingle Bells (large scale puppet), Creature Encounter, UK
2017- 2018 3, stuck, HOAX, ONCA Gallery/Hackney Showroom/Buxton Fringe Festival/Voila Festival
2014-2018 Lady, The Lonely Room, HOAX, VOILA / 8th Theatre Olympics, Delhi, India/ Mimesis, France / Mimetic Festival UK/ Unscene199, UK/ Blue Elephant Theatre, UK/
April 2017 The Captain, The Three (a site-responsive experiment), HOAX, London
2016 The Lion and The Baby (bunraku puppet), Hysterical, HOAX, Vault Festival, Brighton Fringe/ Stories of Being Festival
2015 The Nurse, Dr. Leon: Neural Enhancement, Performer, Run Horatio, UK
2014-2015 Sharlene, Tack On Tours Present the Ugliest Buildings in London, HOAX, Associate Artist at the London Festival of Architecture 2014/2015 & IN TRANSIT Festival
2015 Prince , Veil of Mab, JackDaw Theatre’s Tell Tales, RichMix, UK
2013 Chorus dancer, Buster’s Silver Screen Daydreams, One Taste Theatre, Happy Days Enniskillen International Beckett Festival, UK
2011-13 Chorus dancer, OneTaste Cabaret, Secret Garden Party, Huntingdon, UK/ Bedford, London, UK
2013 Dancer, Perambulations, Perhaps Contraption Music Video, UK
2013 Jimmy, Tina in the Green Dress: The Experience, Twisted Hip Experiences, The Roundhouse, London, UK
2010-2012 Various characters, Mister, Sir; The Trial of Mister Punch; Do You Remember? ; Wernicke, Herr Doktor’s Dilemma, International School of Corporeal Mime, Pleasance Theatre, London, UK
2011 Goodnight, Mr. Wernicke, International School of Corporeal Mime, London, UK
2010 Mater Supirira Vision, London, UK
2010 Calendula, Lauren Rae Mace, London, UK
2008 Supernumerary, Tosca, Canadian Opera Company, Toronto, ON
>> Design.
2019 Costumes for Bright Raven, HOAX, ONCA Gallery Brighton Fringe
2018 Set for Bon Ami, All In Theatre, Brighton Fringe/VAULT
2017 Set & costume design and fabrication, Hysterical, VAULT/Brighton Fringe/Stories of Being Festival
2016 Set for Nadja, Voila Festival & IMPfest
2015/2016 Set & Costume Design Hysterical, HOAX
2015 Design The Lonely Room, HOAX
2014/2015 Tack-On Tours: The Ugliest Buildings in London, HOAX
2014 Laurelie Falls: A Photographic Novella, with Robert W Mason London UK
2013 Costume & Special Effects, Station of Thriving Shadows, filmed in London, UK
2013 Costume Direction & Projection, Buster’s Silver Screen Daydreams, Happy Days Enniskillen International Beckett Festival
2012 Costume Direction, OneTaste Cabarets I & II, Secret Garden Party, Huntingdon, UK
2008 Prop, Set and Puppetry Team, Christie and Ossington Neighbourhood Centre, Toronto, ON 2003 Sewer, Into the Woods, Questor’s Theatre, London, UK
2003 Costume Design & Construction , Risk Everything, TNC Theatre,Montreal, PQ
2002 Milliner for Amphitryon, Theatre Dennis Pelletier, Montreal, PQ
2002 Milliner for The Sea, Moyse Hall Theatre, Montreal, PQ
2002 Assistant to Designer, Medea, Player’s Theatre, Montreal, PQte new pages for your content. Have fun!
