08/01/2024
Heartbroken to be saying farewell today to the wonderful Oliver Emanuel (04.04.1980 - 19.12.2023). He was warm, uncompromising, unafraid, endlessly playful, revelling in pushing against the boundaries with us. He would throw in stage directions just to see if we were up for the challenge (He flies over the city...). Friend, collaborator, rule-breaker and an alchemist with words. Words like these (his adaptation of Rumi for Flight)...
Tell your own story, brother.
Wake before the dawn,
notice a bird’s shadow,
cut open a fish to find a gold coin–
but whatever you do:
don’t be satisfied with other people’s stories,
how things were before.
Tell your own story, brother,
simply,
without complicated explanations,
let it unfold
as it will.
Be open.
Your feet may get tired
on the road ahead
but then you’ll feel the wings you’ve grown…
gently lifting.
We will miss you, Olly. More than any words can say.
