Megahertz is a visual theatre and scenography company by creative duo Bex Anson and Dav Bernard who have spent over a decade devising performances for theatres, big tops, music festivals and DIY spaces. Since winning the Total Theatre Fringe award with their first show VOID (2016), MHz have carved out a reputation for striking projects that mesh digital technology with experimental choreography, freestyle dance or circus.

The company's work is rooted in site-specific and immersive productions presented at music festivals and city locations to audiences from varied age groups and backgrounds.

MHz are based in Glasgow and mostly work in association with producers FERAL.

Bex anson

Is a visual theatre director, scenographer and workshop leader. Inspired by science fictions, expressionism and lowbrow/ pop surrealism, she likes to make work with non-professional and professional performers, jumble up art-forms and twist audience perceptions of what the live experience is, often featuring physical storytelling and immersive scenography.

A graduate of Glasgow School of Arts Painting dept (2006) she went on to retrain in physical theatre with the likes of Philippe Gaulie, Agnes Limbos, Fabrizio Montecchi and Hillary Westlake.

From 2015-2020 Bex directed shows for Bassline Circus; ranging from outdoor spectacles and music videos to immersive nightclub happenings. 2023 Bex will be taking part in Lou Copes international dramaturgy course, focussing on touring work and running workshops for young people.

www.bexanson.co.uk

DAV BERNARD

Audiovisual artist (working across video, light, sound and set design) and technical director for live productions (theatre, concerts, clubs, and circus) .

Combining new and old technologies, Dav creates distinctive set designs, projection mapping, VJ sets, touring setups and visual installations, and has been commissioned by organisations such as NVA, The Tiger Lillies, Scottish Opera, NTS and Circolombia to name a few.

Dav has a background in musical instrument design and festival organising; his work has been selected amongst the world's 150 most influential practitioners in DFUSE' VJ and AV culture book (2006).

www.davbernard.co.uk

Bex and Dav have worked together as part of:
Lowsalt Gallery (site specific art gallery 2006-2010) - co-curated with Kristy Schindler
85A Collective (celebrated multi-disciplinary arts group 2008-2015) - co-founders and artists
Circolombia (World class circus company from Cali, since 2010) - Prop making/ AV design with touring show Urban
Bassline Circus (High energy festival circus, since 2007) - Show direction/ Visual direction.

CONTACT

email: info@m-hz.co.uk
tel: +44(0)7854860713

“Bex Anson and Dav Bernard push multi-media to the limits.”

— Lorna Irvine The Tempohouse

AWARDS/Support

Lilly, STRUT Cumbernauld
Photo by Brain Hartly

2022 [ON AIR] Four Nations Bursary supported by Surge
2022 ENGINE/ Brittish Council-Chekov Movement Coaching with Anna-Katharina Andrees supported by Momentum
2022 ENGINE Open Fund, Creative Scotland
2022 STRUT Theatre+Dance Touring Fund, Creative Scotland
2021 CROWD_CTRL Stomping Ground-commissioning partnership with DanceXchange, The Place, Tramway and FESTIVAL.org.
2020 Creative Fund, Puppet Animation Scotland
2020 ENGINE Open Fund, Creative Scotland
2020 Sustaining Creative Development, Creative Scotland
2019 KIDX Theatre+Dance Touring Fund, Creative Scotland
2019 KIDX Made In Scotland Award
2018 KIDX/ More Fyah Music Video, PRS
2018 Jerwood Arts Micro Bursary
2018 VOID Total Theatre Award / The Place (dance)
2018 VOID Made In Scotland Award
2017 KIDX Open Fund, Creative Scotland
2017 ACE R&D award

RESIDENCIES
2023 Ormidale with Surge
2023 ENGINE Lanternhouse, Cumbernauld
2022 Crowd_Ctrl, Tramway Scotland
2022 Australia/Scotalnd digital residency
Supported by Feral
2022 Scottish Storytelling Center
2020 Dancebase (postponed), Edinburgh
2020 CCA Lab (postponed), Glasgow
2020 NTS artist researchers, Glasgow
2020 Dundee Rep+Neon festival, Dundee
2018 Transmission Jacksons Lane, London
2018 Stratford Circus, London
2018 Artist in Residence NoFit State/ Old Vic Circus
Village, Newcastle Under Lyme
2018 LAB at Circus Cirkor in Sweden

MHz would like to thanks their funders, supporters and venue partners: Brittish Coucil, Creative Scotland, Arts Council England, PRS foundation, Swedish Arts Council, Tramway, Made in Scotland, Puppet Animation Scotland, Scottish Storytelling Centre, Jerwood Arts microbursary, Cirkus Cirkor, Take Me Somewhere, Manipulate, Neon festival, Platform, NoFitState, Jackson's Lane, Stratford Circus, Circomedia, Assembly Roxy, Summerhall, Festival del Silenzio.

REVIEWS

KID_X

“This is cyberpunk of the social media generation
★★★★ Broadway Baby

“A pumping fusion of sound, vision and bodies in motion ★★★★ The Herald

“a vividness and energy that fairly blows our socks off”
★★★★ The Scotsman

“Slick and contemporary blend of music, circus and physical theatre ★★★★The List

“Visually the whole thing is stunning, perfectly coordinated” ★★★★Edinburgh Festivals Magazine

LIQUID SKY

“Mind-blowing” ★★★★The Scotsman
“Definitely performance art that would appeal to all ages” ★★★★ Broadway Baby
“Timely, powerful and magnificent” Lorna Irvine, The Tempohouse

VOID

“Intelligent, thought provoking.” ★★★★★ The Wee Review
“Beautiful as it is Disturbing” ★★★★★ Broadway Baby
“Punchy, intimate dance.” ★★★★ The Observer
“Dangerous, despairing experimental dance.” ★★★★The List
“Disturbs the senses & the status quo.” ★★★★ Fest Magazine“Truly innovative and compelling.” ★★★★ Ed Fest
“Grounded in authentic experience”★★★★ British Theatre Guide

Bex on the Bassline Big Top, Advertigo tour, 2007

THE HERALD feature (2018)
Is this a new golden age for circus?

“Describing herself as a director/scenographer, Bex Anson worked with AV designer Dav Bernard, to create their show, VOID – an innovative adaptation of JG Ballard's dystopian novel Concrete Island […]

Anson, who originally trained as a visual artist, became increasingly interested in performance after she got involved with Glasgow's site-specific art scene. Then when Bernard, her partner, got the opportunity to tour around London parks in a caravan with Bassline Circus, Anson went too.

So she ran away to join the circus? Pretty much. “When I rocked up there with all these gnarly performers living in trucks and a tent with their kids and dogs I thought – yes, this is my calling.”

“There are so many different styles of circus happening,” she continues. “The kind of work I make is really immersive, audience-centric in the sense you can move through it, we work with lasers and other technology to carve giant digital landscapes. The performers are at the core of it and we're telling a story. Working with a freestyle dancer there's a real element of liveness and generative energy.”