Tom Cassani is a performance maker working in choreography, theatre, cabaret, Live Art and circus. His ongoing artistic exploration draws on an expanded approach to magic. He uses strategies of Live Art, techniques of circus-sideshow and methods of illusion to create almost impossible images. Using his body as a site of deception Tom hangs from his hair, swallows swords, crawls through broken glass and performs almost-miracles with everyday objects. His illusory texts, imagery and physical skills expose the body as an unreliable measure of truth. Awarded the Birmingham European festival first prize in 2018 he toured his solo show ‘Someone Loves You Drive With Care’ across the UK, Spain and the Basque country in 2019. From 2020 to 2022 Tom was a participant in the first BETA Circus programme, developing contemporary magic across Europe with artist from 12 different countries. In 2022 Tom was selected by Florentina Holzinger as mentee to develop his Expanded Magic research project for the Berlin based Forecast Platform resulting in the creation of two new works ‘Iterations’ and ‘The Perpetuation Series’. Tom has recently completed a Masters by Research with a focus Examining Body-Based Performance Magic as a Live Art Practice where he developed his performance A Show of Hands. Tom also works internationally as a consultant and dramaturg specialising in inter-disciplinary deceptive practices.

 

Tom regularly performs his unique cabaret work under the title Strange Boy and has an ongoing collaboration with performer and drag artist Thom Shaw. They together perform as Tom Thom and Simone Simone and Eros.

 

To read about Expanded Magic visit Forecast HERE

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