Charlien Adriaenssens and Louis van Waal created a boxing ring and invited two local boxing clubs to a creative stand off during the Hull residency. Local hero and Olympic medallist Tommy Coyle came down and joined in the fun, even creating some artwork as well as giving a talk to the boxing club youngsters and WORM workers. The original promotional text is below.
“Who would have thought that
When they came to the fight
That they would have witnessed
The launching of a human satellite!”
(Muhammad Ali)
The Ancient Greeks used the term ‘talent’ as a measurement for weight. No need to tell a boxer, they know all about the meaning of the term, especially the fighter in the ring! A good fight is as difficult as writing a poem or painting a masterwork, every step, every training, kick or knock, needs a well-trained mind, strong muscles and a soul that knows how to deal with pain, misfortune, chaos and all what embodies the unknown. The unsuspected moves of a fighter that, just like artists, can give form to what has never been told, or shown before.
We at WORM believe good boxers have the skills to be great artists.
In Hull, WORM will create a live installation and show, every day, built up through workshops, bringing the seemingly incompatible forms of art and boxing together, discovering what shape the perfect match actually is. Are you a poet, a boxer or a painter-boxer, or a singing boxer or an opera-fighter or none of them? If not, you may well become one in less then 3 days. What’ you waiting for?
High five in the face!
Louis & Charlien
Partners:
WORM will be working in Humber Street Galleries with the following partners.
Vulcan Boxing Club and Learning Centre
“I don’t like it when things come easy”. Vulcan Boxing Club and Learning Centre keeps the kids off the streets and teaches them respect whilst keeping them fit and giving them a goal to achieve. The club has trained two national finalists, one national champion and a significant number of regional champions. Here you can find boxing kids, teenagers, seniors and…theatre makers. Vulcan Boxing And Learning Centre also helped Hull Truck Theatre for their new play “Mighty Atoms”, a celebration of womanhood and community.
East Hull Amateur Boxing Club
East Hull Amateur Boxing Club is proud to have coached two girls (Leah Steel (15) and Charan Dhesi (13)) who won national titles in the same season. “Boxing is a confidence-building sport and a sport that drives an individual to do well for themselves if nothing else.” Sean Ross, Head Coach at the club, spoke to WORM: “I was always in fights at primary school, I was disruptive and generally a bad lad. I went through some very tough times at home and it effected my day to day life until I watched ‘Rocky’. I had finally found my sport; boxing.” Ross continues: “We are so proud of all our boxers, they have hearts like lions and all will go very far in life as I always stress in training. You get out what you put in, and that goes for anything in life in everything you do give 100%. There are too many kids hanging around our streets with nothing to do, I know from personal experience how kids can learn so much about themselves from boxing and that this helps them to move their lives in the right direction, staying out of trouble and gaining confidence.”
The club currently has 200 members with approximately 70 members per day attending boxing training, seven days a week.