Art and sound have always existed in dialogue. One echoes in the other, producing textures that extend beyond the ear or eye alone. When sound contracts, it creates tension; a sculptural density in the air. When it harmonises, it dissolves boundaries, carrying bodies, movements, and meanings. This interplay between contraction and harmony becomes not just a metaphor but a methodology: it is how bodies of work are built, how environments are shaped, how shared experiences take form. One such evolving body is All Terrain Training [ATT], a long-term research and performance series by the London-based choreographer Will Pegna (PGNA).

Pegna has built a practice that spans movement, design, and collaboration. Known for merging athletic functionality with themes of spirituality and artificial harmony, his work challenges how groups move, learn, and form together. Since founding ATT in 2020, Pegna has taken his research to international audiences in Berlin, Milan, Seoul, and The Hague, whilst development continues through revolving performances within the UK.

His projects have been platformed by the likes of Nowness, Saatchi Gallery, and Geoscience Communication, and supported by one of London’s leading curatorial collectives; fynn studio. Alongside this, Pegna has forged a wide-reaching collaborative network across sport, fashion, and performance, working with brands including côte&ciel, adidas, J.L-A.L, Vibram, and Johanna Parv, each partnership serving to extend his choreographic inquiry into new cultural terrains.

The latest chapter of this research is Parasound, invited to exhibit at London’s Whitechapel Gallery as part of the prestigious “London Open Live” programme. Here, Pegna and his collaborators push ATT into a new realm of “athletic expansion,”. The one hour performance set within a modular metal frame, introduces 6 hybrid beings tasked with collecting sound using unconventional methods. The piece uses architecture, sonic language and detailed movement to investigate human behaviour, collective potential and digital dissonance.

Integral to this performance is the collaboration with côte&ciel and London-based designer Joel Wilson, who together created three bespoke “Sonic Bags” for the performers. côte&ciel, known for their explorations of form and function through travel-inspired design, proposed a solution that resonated with Pegna’s themes of mobility and transition. Having already collaborated before with Pegna, on a past performance titled COURIER in Cologne, it was a perfect full circle moment for both parties.

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20250730 - ATT + WCG - Louis Flashman - Final 56 copy.jpg

Supplying Wilson with an archive of scraps, webbing, hardware, and fragments of their iconic bags, using these materials, Wilson spliced, reworked, and morphed them into three one-of-a-kind objects, fusing fragments of the brand’s past into something entirely new. Each bag unique, adapted for their user, helped to amplify the world building Parasound was developing.

They will never be sold or reproduced, existing solely within the history of Parasound. As such, the “Sonic Bags” become anchors of the performance’s world: not only practical vessels for sound, but symbolic carriers of memory, process, and collective experimentation.

We were lucky enough to speak to Will to get an even further insight into his vision, the ‘sonic bag’ collaboration, and speak about what could be next for him and his ATT platform.

About the Concept

Thank you so much for taking the time to speak to us. Can you first kick us off by telling us a little bit about yourself?

Thanks for having me! My name is Will. I’m an artist and movement director based in London. I’ve been working with movement in different capacities for the best part of 20 years. In the last 7 years, however, I’ve made a shift from dancer to director. My early experience started with Circus, but that eventually evolved into Breaking. Even though I was motivated by competing against others, it was my involvement with training that sparked an obsession with the process of individual (self) movement creation and codification, which I went on to study at university through the lens of conceptual art. As an artist now, I’m interested in how movement can be framed to elevate or uncover narratives that reside in multiple contexts at once. For me, it’s about connecting the dots between topics that can allow us to view our collective existence differently.

Could please summarise what your All Terrain Training project [ATT] is in your own words?

ATT is a research series I founded in 2020 that explores our connection to the environment using expanded athleticism. Over the course of the project’s existence, we’ve been using performance to formulate a conceptual identity that combines sport, fiction, nature, and art. In its early years, ATT investigated a notion of relentless energy, tasking seven dancers to remain in engaged contact for three hours. By blending sounds of seismic vibrations and glacial collisions with endurance training, the exhibited research provided our first insight into a non-competitive,communal objective: All [Collective] Terrain [Landscape] Training [Movement].

In 2025, ATT has been evolving within these parameters to offer new perceptions for reflection and response. Our latest show, Parasound, went one step further, asking questions about landscape in a digital and synthetic sense. It explored memory and behaviour, which were really exciting topics to bounce off the DNA that makes up ATT.

Lets talk about Parasound, it feels like it lives between sport, spirituality, and technology. What was the first seed of the idea for this piece?

I think the very first seed was this idea of combining function with fantasy. Over the course of the show, the dancers reassign the use of climbing equipment to create sound. The wires that hold the dancers together in counterbalance provide tension that is then played on with violin bows. There is a kind of sonic calibration or frequency harvesting that takes place. Using connected movement, each stroke of the bow is a result of collective weight distribution; a sonic event powered by interdependence. The sounds emitted as bowstrings glide over the industrial wire evoke gothic, elegiac tones - more reminiscent of a monolith in a sci-fi film than a classical instrument. So, yes, there is something ritualistic, not only in their interaction with the equipment but also in how important we understand the yield of this ethereal sound to be for this peculiar set of individuals. It was a lot of fun exploring the surreal yet functional themes that coexist in this iteration of ATT.

You’ve described ATT as investigating “athletic expansion.” How do you define that phrase, and how does Parasound push it further?

In my work, I find myself gravitating toward the re-appropriation of sporting activities in order to shift the perception to that of elevated resonance. A three-hour-long rugby scrum that highlights the Earth’s ongoing tectonic activity, or, in this case, climbing equipment that strengthens the bond physically and symbolically between a team, who then use it to transcend its purpose into collective instrumentation. ATT’s moral core lies in the power of creating something greater than the sum of its parts, which, in so many words, is the general psychological glue used when developing any high-performing sports team. I seek to explore how this can be presented while bending the boundaries of athleticism.

The performance builds from artificial soundscapes toward natural ones. Do you see this progression as a hopeful gesture about human connection — or more of a cautionary one?

I think it’s both. The show wasn’t meant to be a direct comment on the implications of AI, but the arc of the performance does support the narrative that the real-life connections we have with one another and the environment are the most important. The dancers start lifeless and segregated from each other, understanding very little about themselves and the world, as if their hard drive has been wiped clear. It takes them interacting with each other and learning one another's movement to become human. This slow process is reflected in the soundscape and hopefully guides audiences to a sense of resolve at the end.

Collaboration & Aesthetic

Your work often blends art with brand collaborations — côte&ciel, adidas, Vibram, etc. In Parasound, how did working with côte&ciel and Joel Wilson influence the storytelling?

The characterisation of the Parasound team pursues a slightly surreal vision: a special unit that embodies an altered sense of practicality. It’s as if this collective of workers had been out in the terrain for weeks, on some kind of pilgrimage, carrying their equipment to get to this moment. When Stan (Stanley Everest) and I started the conversation with Cote&Ciel and Joel Wilson, we wanted this identity to follow through into the design language and sensibility of the collaboration. We wanted individual, unorthodox silhouettes that represented a slightly off-centred utilitarianism. Cote’s existing designs, which are already quite fluid, were the perfect genesis for Joel to articulate his style around. I like the idea that Joel is one of the members of the Parasound team back home, a master craftsman who forges their equipment ready for their next voyage. The playful use of binding and cinching, followed by a hand-dying process by Stan, really shows how much we enjoyed creating these items to live in the world.

Can you dive into the process of these sonic bags further? What was the brief?

So, before the performance even begins, the Parasound dancers, positioned in a clustered formation, slowly push through the queue of people outside the gallery space. I wanted a way to attach sound to the dancers to announce their arrival, and it made sense to revisit a concept I worked on with Cote&Ciel before: placing portable speakers inside the A/W24 bags during a performance. It’s a simple but effective device that creates an almost disorienting surround-sound effect, especially when you can’t immediately tell where the sound is coming from. The challenge for this collaboration was to evolve the idea so it maintained its function while also integrating seamlessly into the narrative of the show.

You mentioned working with côte&ciel before, for their COURIER project? A similar contemporary and experimental movement performance. In what ways does Parasound build on what was discovered during that occasion?

Yeah, exactly. One of the themes in Parasound is this pursuit of harmony between “the natural” and “the synthetic,” a concept that was realised during a work I initially created for Cote&Ciel in late 2024 called COURIER. I’d just come off the first production of Parasound in collaboration with Adidas in Berlin. The show, at that point, was exclusively functional, focusing mostly on equipment. I knew I wanted to dive deeper into narrative and storytelling, so when Cote&Ciel approached me with an invitation to create a movement project, it was a really great opportunity to scratch a conceptual itch. Cote has “horizon” as its creative thread: “between the coast and the sky,” if I remember it correctly. I was interested in highlighting the paradox that while a horizon seems like a final destination, it always recedes as you approach it. In this sense, we are forever in pursuit of it. We know it’s unobtainable, and yet we continue to move forward anyway. I believe this forms the movement intention for what Parasound is now: an internal dialogue oscillating between searching and arrival.

The costumes sit between sportswear and workwear [GR10K, TMS Site]. How important is it for you that the performers look like a team before they move like one?

So I work closely with Stan on costuming for All Terrain Training. With each show, there are quite a few processes we go through in order to arrive at our approach; not just in terms of the show’s narrative and identity but also contextually, considering how it presents itself authentically in the world as an art series that leans into fashion. Working with GR10K and TMS Site was truly the best input we could have asked for. Taking into account the show’s thematic DNA, it made total sense to engage with both brands, who I feel really champion elevation in their design, and researched vision. I think the challenge we are continuously presented with in ATT is how brand interaction can really elevate the performance both visually and on an imaginative level. With both GR10K and TMS Site being firmly rooted in their own identities, we felt honoured to let their designs place these characters in a world that leaves no doubt about what kind of people they are. That said, for me, there was a sense of both cohesion and individuality between the styling of the dancers, which reflects the team’s relationship to one another and the message of unity that the show proposes.

The modular structure by Daryan Knoblauch physically separates and then reconnects the dancers. How much did the architecture dictate the pacing of the choreography?

For the first section of the performance, we wanted to present people with a feeling of isolation. Gallery Two at Whitechapel is this vast, open space broken up by four pillars. It’s a listed room, meaning we couldn’t work into the walls or floor at all. Creating any type of segregation or privacy would mean creating something free-standing, which is where Daryan comes in. I came to him with a few sketches and the objective of breaking the room up into adaptable, smaller spaces. The metal structure he designed actually mimics the dimensions of the four pillars already in the room; a really nice nod to how much mimicry we use throughout the piece itself. The structure holds up a light, synthetic fabric supplied by Cote&Ciel, which was used to prevent the dancers from seeing each other. This section is a slow burn, created to allow audiences to become accustomed to the detail of movement articulation up close. It serves as a starting point that starkly contrasts with the dynamics presented by the dancers after the curtains are eventually pulled back and they learn how to apply more life into their bodies.

On Movement & Sound

The violin bows on industrial wires, the sonic backpacks, the field recordings — sound is a co-performer here. How did your collaboration with Max Frimout shape the choreographic choices?

Well, firstly, working with Max is always such a pleasure! From the outset, we spoke in depth about the overall feeling we wanted to create. The sonic offering started out very sparse when we first performed this work in 2024: Lots of long, droning tones that gave a feeling of uncertainty and comfort at the same time. When I told him about the injection of synthetic, humanoid characterisation, he shifted the accompaniment into this rugged, intricate dimension of texture. It’s dark and luminous at once; anchored by deep, visceral bass vibrations that rumble through the space, punctuated by these brittle feedback sparks that feel both electronic and organic.. From there it just came down to play. Trial and error to find the combined features of the world. On a dynamic level, both Max (using a modular synthesiser) and the dancers are improvising within the rules we’ve set. No two shows will be the same in that capacity, which makes the live movement discoveries feel more authentic. We had four days to really pin down the rules of the improvisation, and when you have strong dancers in the room to collectively explore those boundaries with, everything fuels itself. That connection between musician and dancer is really special to see snowballing in-front of you. Big love to Lea, Delilah, Arran, Connor, Aicha and Sari who make up the current Parasound team.

Within Parasound you re-purpose functional, even industrial, equipment into ritualistic or poetic gestures. What draws you to these materials?

It’s more about the juxtaposition of what kind of movement we partner the equipment with to re-purpose the meaning of it, rather than the material itself. I like that these items are built in a way that creates a sense of safety when it comes to physical extremes. Take away the element of danger and redirect the usage toward creating sound or connecting people together, and there’s a peculiarity to purpose-built hardware, more aligned with robustness, that when combined with contemporary movement, can provide an opportunity for ethereal resonance instead.

The dancers begin isolated, programmed by artificial data, and then gradually become more “human.” How did you work with the performers to embody that transformation physically?

In short, the structure moved through three stages: Independence, Mimicry, and Collective. Each represented a phase of self-realisation, with the dancers gradually striving to become more “human”. Once the dancers have passed this phase of understanding that they inhabit the vessel of their bodies, they start to relate to each other. The aim during the R&D was to try and find moments of intimacy or relatability; vignettes that we (the dancers and the audience) recognise as familiar actions or interactions - like resting your head on someone’s shoulder, for example.This begins as copying each other, stealing movements in order to gain experience. When the dancers go on to use contact, it triggers a memory of themselves and of each other. At all times, however, they are moving through an internal dialogue of natural and synthetic. These hopeful moments of togetherness are broken, as they are unable to maintain the sincerity of movement. And so the cycle starts over. Over time, we do see human nature override “the system,” but you’ll have to watch the show to find out what happens next.

Process & Philosophy

ATT began with research into glacial and tectonic vibrations — a very physical connection to the earth. Now you’re exploring more abstract, “ethereal” ideas. Do you feel the project is moving away from the natural, or are these still parallel threads?

The common denominator still remains terrain, but in Parasound the focus switches to a technological or digital landscape. Previous shows have had a direct connection to global energy and vibration frequencies. This time we focus on the characters; a product of their artificial landscape, altered and unresolved. That said, I’d like to think there are other interpretations of where this work takes you. A recent comment described this collective of humans as geographical researchers deployed to extract the sound of the mountain. Their kit, requiring both functional and spiritual attributes to obtain such a treasure.

Your work questions vulnerability and connection within a framework usually associated with strength and competition (athletics). Why do you think sport is such a fertile ground for that exploration?

Sport is such an important vessel to learn about life. There are so many sub-narratives happening within sport and athletics, many of which teach us more about ourselves, our behaviour, and our moral integrity. Support, determination, discipline, rivalry, care, ego, collaboration, strategy.. the list goes on. I suppose by extracting these byproduct themes out of their existing contexts, but still acknowledging their origin, I can shift the focus and share their message elsewhere. That’s the goal, anyway.

When you imagine the audience leaving Parasound, what kind of questions or feelings do you hope they carry with them?

I hope that people feel transported and present at the same time. I really try to hold a note within my work, if that makes sense. I want people to feel like they are suspended in the scenario we present - whether that’s through tension or meditativeness. Once you’re in, you’re locked. The work, whilst being theatrical, will always be rooted in delivering a message in sensibility. So if it can get people to reflect on themselves and our connection to each other then I’d be really happy. Hypnotism with moral undertones, basically.. haha.

Personal & Forward Looking

Whitechapel Gallery’s London Open Live has launched major artistic careers. How did it feel to situate Parasound in that lineage?

Truly an honour. I hope I can do my predecessors proud by continuing my career like they have. Shout out to Whitechapel gallery for having us!

What’s next for ATT?

We’re currently developing a new show called Scout, which will premiere at the start of October in London. Following that, Parasound will have some performances across Europe in 2026. It would be incredible if we could also take it further afield. I have no doubt that audiences in Japan, for example, would find this work really compelling.