She loves telling stories, and 'Ukulele Dream Girl' will be an example of this. In a world where the digital reigns supreme, it's hard to remember love goes beyond the 'honeymoon' and 'summer love' phases. Phi is here to remind us of that.
Here, Phi pens an open letter about love, and the show being presented at Feast.
I invite you to join me on an exploration of distant love in my new show: 'Ukulele Dream Girl: Love At A Distance'.
As an artist I love sharing stories that don’t always get heard. When I found myself in a long-distance relationship I began to investigate different perspectives of love. This investigation reminded me: We all seek connection, love and intimacy in different ways. We all speak different languages of love and, most importantly, we all deserve love. All of our love stories are valuable.
I can hear you thinking 'but, why another love story?'. . . Sure, the market is absolutely over-saturated with books, films, music, etc. about love. But 'Love At A Distance' isn’t your typical love story, it’s not tragic star-crossed lovers or love at first swipe. It’s a poetic journey into mental health, disability, attachment, communication, and intimacy.
Distant love exists in many forms and we live in an increasingly complex world. This adds distance to our lives through travel, work, mental illness, social isolation, and people seeking asylum. But, this brave new world also helps connect us too. We use dating apps, FaceTime and social platforms to find new communities and feel heard.
Image © Jewel Chenoweth
Some folks aren’t interested in hearing a long-distance lesbian love story (I mean, it’s a bit of a stereotype), but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t tell it. Nor should we shy away from sharing stories about the racism and profiling that can happen on dating apps. It can be hard to discuss the unrequited love felt when caring for someone with a complex mental illness, or a condition like dementia.
However, these are all important love stories to share.
'Love At A Distance' is about human connection and the different ways we love, but, it’s also about my girlfriend and me forging our own relationship somewhere between Adelaide and Brisbane. The more we bring our stories to the surface and discuss the challenges that distance can bring, the stronger we can become, in all of our relationships – whether they are romantic, professional, familial, or platonic.
I look forward to hearing about your love story soon. In the mean time, why not send me a love letter?”
