We showed our pieces to a small and modest audience on Friday, a much more distinguished and full audience on the Saturday. On Sunday we talked about the experience from the first day to the last.
Four days later I am still digesting what it is that I made. Although as the famous phrase goes – ‘to travel is better than to arrive’, I feel the process was extremely rich, fruitful and productive and that the piece could never capture that. It is a piece that I never anticipated I would make, but I think this is due to the experimental ethos of Rules & Regs rather than through responding to the rules themselves.
It has been a rich 4 weeks, and I was aware that evaluating the experience you can sound like a moaning, discontented, jaded artist, but despite, the little things, it has been a necessary luxury. To play, to experiment, to not be precious and not to do what you always do, not to rely on the tricks, not to do what you know works – to genuinely take a risk. I hope that I can carry this spirit of experimentation with me into future projects and work.
It was great company and I second Simon’s thank you’s to all the right people.
Thank you.
Thursday, 1 May 2008
Sunday, 27 April 2008
They Think It's All Over...It is Now
Wow!
First of all -
Big thanks to Seth from Rules and Regs, Matt, Alice, Julia, Dave, Simon, Dom and Steph for an excellent opportunity to make new work and show it, and more big thanks to Christine, Eleni, Neil, Bethanie and Simone (& Charlie), lots of genuine care and mutual support, and thanks to everyone who turned up to see the work, and in particular my excellent landladies - Grazyna, for the late night conversations, and Jean for lending me Franz's Accordion.
Just got back, watched the last hour of Miss Austen Regrets, and I keep remembering the sound of everyone's voices, which I hope will keep me going as I try and figure out what next.
First of all -
Big thanks to Seth from Rules and Regs, Matt, Alice, Julia, Dave, Simon, Dom and Steph for an excellent opportunity to make new work and show it, and more big thanks to Christine, Eleni, Neil, Bethanie and Simone (& Charlie), lots of genuine care and mutual support, and thanks to everyone who turned up to see the work, and in particular my excellent landladies - Grazyna, for the late night conversations, and Jean for lending me Franz's Accordion.
Just got back, watched the last hour of Miss Austen Regrets, and I keep remembering the sound of everyone's voices, which I hope will keep me going as I try and figure out what next.
Thursday, 24 April 2008
07_nc: think of the birds
There are birds in them there fingers. So I am told. I must not forget the birds.
I’m sure they have wise thoughts to share.
At this time, one day before the showings, he feels like a folk musician at a noise event, but he could be
a vagrant geographer
a prehistoric entertainer
a stumbling nomad.
All of these and none of these, it doesn’t really matter.
The thought in his head..
‘To be reincarnated as a stone or speck of dust – my soul weeps with this yearning.’
[he thinks the thoughts of Fernando Pessoa]
Time disappears. Mountains become deserts. The earth changes its nature.
And if you don’t sleep he will steel your eyes.
Think of the birds.
I’m sure they have wise thoughts to share.
At this time, one day before the showings, he feels like a folk musician at a noise event, but he could be
a vagrant geographer
a prehistoric entertainer
a stumbling nomad.
All of these and none of these, it doesn’t really matter.
The thought in his head..
‘To be reincarnated as a stone or speck of dust – my soul weeps with this yearning.’
[he thinks the thoughts of Fernando Pessoa]
Time disappears. Mountains become deserts. The earth changes its nature.
And if you don’t sleep he will steel your eyes.
Think of the birds.
Wednesday, 23 April 2008
Sea Hugs
At the moment I know, or think I know, about two thirds of my lines. The structure is down. If somebody asked what the piece is about I don't know what I'd tell them, but thinking it through , it could be about: the rescue of a broken-winged bird; a record I promised not to listen to; a grandfather I never met; my father's, his son's, faded (but still impressive) glories; a quote that I have used several times before and a lot of quotes that I have not, and about that hat.
Bit sad to think that next week I won't have the structure that we have here, good spaces, wonderful (I do mean wonderful) people. Next week I will be missing my fellow Reggers, I'm certain.
Got to get on.
x X x
Bit sad to think that next week I won't have the structure that we have here, good spaces, wonderful (I do mean wonderful) people. Next week I will be missing my fellow Reggers, I'm certain.
Got to get on.
x X x
Tuesday, 22 April 2008
06_NC: critical response at a critical time
Yesterday, we each showed 10minutes of material, some a little more, some a little less. Mr P. came to faciltate feedback using Liz Lerman's method critical response process. I found this extremely useful. I have done versions of this before, but never so structured. I found that when responding to someone else's piece it forced me to be astute and focus what I was really saying. When receiving feedback it meant that I really got a sense of what it was I had made, what it did, how it functioned without being clouded by people's opinions and prejudices. I know that it is not for everyone, but it came at just the right time in the process for me. Now I am left with some questions, some thoughts and interesting problems to solve.
I was unsure of what I had made, it is not a piece I thought that I would ever make, and yet showing something, putting it out there, having a little bit of hindsight and reflection allowed me to see the material more. Now I feel it is a question of eeking out what is already there even more. And so on we go...
In the Nuffield, the space we will show our pieces in. It is very different to the space I have been working in. I am grateful for a week to prepare in this space, get to know it. And so I go...
PS I find the function of the blog has changed, my relationship has changed. I was a virgin blogger before this experience and the idea of putting my writing out into the world is quite frightening. In the beginning, during the research I enjoyed writing, formulating my thoughts for another. Now I find I just need to get my head down, into the piece. All my creative thoughts are on that, and the blog has become a box to tick, rather than a tool as it was in the intial stages.
I was unsure of what I had made, it is not a piece I thought that I would ever make, and yet showing something, putting it out there, having a little bit of hindsight and reflection allowed me to see the material more. Now I feel it is a question of eeking out what is already there even more. And so on we go...
In the Nuffield, the space we will show our pieces in. It is very different to the space I have been working in. I am grateful for a week to prepare in this space, get to know it. And so I go...
PS I find the function of the blog has changed, my relationship has changed. I was a virgin blogger before this experience and the idea of putting my writing out into the world is quite frightening. In the beginning, during the research I enjoyed writing, formulating my thoughts for another. Now I find I just need to get my head down, into the piece. All my creative thoughts are on that, and the blog has become a box to tick, rather than a tool as it was in the intial stages.
It's Tuesday. How it got to the last Tuesday before performances already, we're not exactly sure!?
Yesterday we had showings and feed back, so today we were trying to piece together something that made sense as a whole. We've created alot of material, so it's hard to know what to push and take further, and what to let go of...we have to 'kill our babies' as Eleni says!
We've definitely been working in a different way to normal, spending every day together; working through an intense period, is a long way from what we're used to. We both believe it's been productive for us to work to a set of rules and with a looming performance, it's speeded along our process and given us an urgency to concentrate our ideas. Often our work responds in a much broader way to themes, and in turn gives us a vastness of material which can be hard to know where to start with.
Time seems to be flying by, and it feels slightly odd and sad that this rather luxurious cocoon we've been given to create work in, will soon be over, and the prospect of arranging the next project, finding more work, is suddenly becoming a closer inevitability.
Celebrating a birthday in Blackpool was mildly depressing, candy floss and neon don't exactly drum up the same level of excitement as they did when we were seven. There's something quite touching and engrossing about that cocktail of strife and show time.....or does that sound dangerously patronising and middle class? It's not meant in that way, there's just something fascinating about something that both draws you in and puts you off at the same time, you don't like to look, but you can't help it.
We wanted to go swimming today, but we left it too late.
Tomorrow maybe
Bethanie and Eleni
Levantes.
Yesterday we had showings and feed back, so today we were trying to piece together something that made sense as a whole. We've created alot of material, so it's hard to know what to push and take further, and what to let go of...we have to 'kill our babies' as Eleni says!
We've definitely been working in a different way to normal, spending every day together; working through an intense period, is a long way from what we're used to. We both believe it's been productive for us to work to a set of rules and with a looming performance, it's speeded along our process and given us an urgency to concentrate our ideas. Often our work responds in a much broader way to themes, and in turn gives us a vastness of material which can be hard to know where to start with.
Time seems to be flying by, and it feels slightly odd and sad that this rather luxurious cocoon we've been given to create work in, will soon be over, and the prospect of arranging the next project, finding more work, is suddenly becoming a closer inevitability.
Celebrating a birthday in Blackpool was mildly depressing, candy floss and neon don't exactly drum up the same level of excitement as they did when we were seven. There's something quite touching and engrossing about that cocktail of strife and show time.....or does that sound dangerously patronising and middle class? It's not meant in that way, there's just something fascinating about something that both draws you in and puts you off at the same time, you don't like to look, but you can't help it.
We wanted to go swimming today, but we left it too late.
Tomorrow maybe
Bethanie and Eleni
Levantes.
D-Day approaching
Its tuesday, its tuseday, yes its tuesday and like the rehearsals for the D-day attack at Normandy ( which some of them took place on blackpool beach because of there similarity ) im sure time flew away as fast from them soldiers getting ready to fight them on the beaches as it is for us humble artists in Lancaster. Well not quite the same.
But i have decided that the title for this work that i have been making will be ' Day of Days'.
Day of Days , that is what it means, D Day, the day when the sun keeps rising and setting in the west, of low , high , low , high tides.The ferry Riverdance sits through it all, belly up on her sandbank. Everyday the sea defence wall sees all the comings and goings on that beach. Its a popular spot now that Riverdance is hanging out.
I have decide to go through with making the film at the beach even though it will not be in the live event. It seems to be a relevant part of the process and a context to the rest of what i will be doing. Hopefully i can show it somewhere in the Nuffield building as part of the event.
It will be a long day , filming every mintue of an hour to watch the moving of tides and sun travel ( if you can see the sun).
I should be in the studio, rehearsing my material. I know this experience will be fruitful to me in some way though. I will ask people to dance with me who i meet ( hopefully not in the darkest of hours!). I want to meet and dance with others for Riverdance, for her sake and celebration.
I know the glitterball 'they shoot horses don't they' is just a few miles down on the new sea walls of the south pier. Theres a closed nightclub underneath it, thats why its officially the biggest glitterball in the world, the man at the hotel across the way told me all this, local knowledge.
I am that horse, i am that working dancing horse. Ill think of Jane Fonda while im doing it, i think of dance marathons and ill think of all those amazing ballroom dancers and ill think of how ill never be one of those amazing ballroom dancers. But ill give it a try, i may even have a go at wearing some high heels, just for an extra challenge. Another day to try myself in the world.
But i have decided that the title for this work that i have been making will be ' Day of Days'.
Day of Days , that is what it means, D Day, the day when the sun keeps rising and setting in the west, of low , high , low , high tides.The ferry Riverdance sits through it all, belly up on her sandbank. Everyday the sea defence wall sees all the comings and goings on that beach. Its a popular spot now that Riverdance is hanging out.
I have decide to go through with making the film at the beach even though it will not be in the live event. It seems to be a relevant part of the process and a context to the rest of what i will be doing. Hopefully i can show it somewhere in the Nuffield building as part of the event.
It will be a long day , filming every mintue of an hour to watch the moving of tides and sun travel ( if you can see the sun).
I should be in the studio, rehearsing my material. I know this experience will be fruitful to me in some way though. I will ask people to dance with me who i meet ( hopefully not in the darkest of hours!). I want to meet and dance with others for Riverdance, for her sake and celebration.
I know the glitterball 'they shoot horses don't they' is just a few miles down on the new sea walls of the south pier. Theres a closed nightclub underneath it, thats why its officially the biggest glitterball in the world, the man at the hotel across the way told me all this, local knowledge.
I am that horse, i am that working dancing horse. Ill think of Jane Fonda while im doing it, i think of dance marathons and ill think of all those amazing ballroom dancers and ill think of how ill never be one of those amazing ballroom dancers. But ill give it a try, i may even have a go at wearing some high heels, just for an extra challenge. Another day to try myself in the world.
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