MAN A/ DOG:      Feel like what?
MAN B/ BABY:     Like I’m being left behind.
MAN A/ DOG:      Behind?
MAN B/ BABY:     Yes.
MAN A/ DOG:       Behind who?
MAN B/ BABY:     Just… you know… you, them…
MAN A/ DOG:      Everyone?
MAN B/ BABY:     Everyone seems to be taking the next step whilst I feel like…
MAN A/ DOG:      What step?
MAN B/ BABY:     You know… the one after this.
MAN A/ DOG:      Right.

Taking its title from a new 3D film work produced for this exhibition, The Next Step centres around a seemingly aimless sprawling conversation about relationships, aspirations and life decisions as a baby and a dog advance towards the audience. Through this conversation, a combination of language play, moving image and installation, Theobald explores conflicted feelings about societal conventions, the repeated cycle of human existence, and the ways that received wisdom about life, love, death, freedom and personal growth feed back into daily life through depictions in film, television and music.

Alice Theobald’s practice encompasses live performance, video and installation to explore the parallels between stage and life and the discrepancy between expression, appearance and feeling. Frequently working with a cast of “non-professional” actors, Theobald shifts between the role of stage director, choreographer, narrator and performer.

This exhibition is the second in a programme of exhibitions and events at Two Queens across 2016-18 and will be accompanied by project space commissions from Oliver Tirre and James Parkinson. The exhibition will also run during the inaugural Leicester Art Week (4^th – 12^th November) a programme of visual arts activity across the city. The project is kindly supported by public funding from the National Lottery through Arts Council England, Leicester City Council and De Montfort University. The film ‘The Next Step’ was produced with additional support from Primary, Nottingham through their artist residency programme.