Week three/four documentation by Claire
After playing with squirrels, finding Adam and the Montief’s graves the video was produced which played with focus and zoom in order to highlight issues such as The Field and the Forest – where one element is of interest and draws you to a place or situation within – and possibly to echo Bourrai’s notion of islands and archipellago also.
The question became how to present.
Considering the liminal once again and rites of passage it felt right to present our liminal space to the ‘youths’ ie the group as if they were discovering the experience themselves. Turner considers that youths break away on partially during their walks and rites of passage as their social codes and engrained notions of being are maintained throughout their passages.
In order to show this physically, the performance would make use of the live body – not our own but the ‘youths’ tracking our movements in the grave. They were to be given instructions in envelopes which gave a found experience for them, and collectively – with everyone performing their task – would reinforce visually the scattered but somehow uniformed notion of the liminal. The video would play at the centre and a soundtrack would accompany.
Gradually the idea of shifting locations occured; our sites reflect the passage of life with a playground, hospital and graveyard to consider. Perhaps the ‘youths’ could walk to find the liminal space..
..once sitting in GL3 the idea was confirmed. The space, which so neatly overlooked the graveyard, would become the liminal and unknown site for the ‘youths’ to experience the piece. The ‘youths’ would be lead out of the Boiler Room, into the library where they would receive their envelopes. The video would play and the group would then have the graveyard revealed to them by one of the group members, where Louise stood still as our bodies moved back into the frame..
Perhaps there were technical issues but the piece eventually worked as a useful and insightful piece for the audience. Feedback was positive with comments such as ’social experiment’ perhaps echoing the rites of passage and socio-cultural roots of the piece. Others found the space they were placed in to be a sacred area, which may reflect our new sense of ownership and respect for the graveyard. Perhaps frustration but also friction and performative tensions came out as the group wanted to see everything. I personally think that they couldn’t reflects our sense of authority, as directors of work and also our position as ‘elders’ in the work.
The question became how to present.
Considering the liminal once again and rites of passage it felt right to present our liminal space to the ‘youths’ ie the group as if they were discovering the experience themselves. Turner considers that youths break away on partially during their walks and rites of passage as their social codes and engrained notions of being are maintained throughout their passages.
In order to show this physically, the performance would make use of the live body – not our own but the ‘youths’ tracking our movements in the grave. They were to be given instructions in envelopes which gave a found experience for them, and collectively – with everyone performing their task – would reinforce visually the scattered but somehow uniformed notion of the liminal. The video would play at the centre and a soundtrack would accompany.
Gradually the idea of shifting locations occured; our sites reflect the passage of life with a playground, hospital and graveyard to consider. Perhaps the ‘youths’ could walk to find the liminal space..
..once sitting in GL3 the idea was confirmed. The space, which so neatly overlooked the graveyard, would become the liminal and unknown site for the ‘youths’ to experience the piece. The ‘youths’ would be lead out of the Boiler Room, into the library where they would receive their envelopes. The video would play and the group would then have the graveyard revealed to them by one of the group members, where Louise stood still as our bodies moved back into the frame..
Perhaps there were technical issues but the piece eventually worked as a useful and insightful piece for the audience. Feedback was positive with comments such as ’social experiment’ perhaps echoing the rites of passage and socio-cultural roots of the piece. Others found the space they were placed in to be a sacred area, which may reflect our new sense of ownership and respect for the graveyard. Perhaps frustration but also friction and performative tensions came out as the group wanted to see everything. I personally think that they couldn’t reflects our sense of authority, as directors of work and also our position as ‘elders’ in the work.
Leah P Lewis (London) wroteat 06:08 on 03 November 2009
I’ll add my group feedback from Thursday’s scratch performance too (29/10/09).
Common themes from the group:
- Assumption (some of the group assumed that everyone would have the same instructions)
- Obedience ( this was discusses at large; how obedient should the individual’s be? should they take the written instructions quite literally or should they challenge the boundaries set? this ties in to the next point..)
- Frustration (those who weren’t instructed to watch the film were frustrated by this & felt isolated, some watched it regardless of what they were instructed, others were battling between feeling annoyed & confused)
- Music – atmospheric, was able to transport the group to ‘elsewhere’
Common themes from the group:
- Assumption (some of the group assumed that everyone would have the same instructions)
- Obedience ( this was discusses at large; how obedient should the individual’s be? should they take the written instructions quite literally or should they challenge the boundaries set? this ties in to the next point..)
- Frustration (those who weren’t instructed to watch the film were frustrated by this & felt isolated, some watched it regardless of what they were instructed, others were battling between feeling annoyed & confused)
- Music – atmospheric, was able to transport the group to ‘elsewhere’
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