Performance experiments - electives assignment

Blog assignment - Performance art practice as research elective

Welcome

Here I am sharing my thoughts, process and plans to carry out a series of performance experiments in a major gallery in Nottingham UK and to meet the learning outcomes of the module. I am building on the elective:

Trust in Change: On world politics- overcoming structural political boundaries by thinking with the body VestAndPage.

I am an older female artist. I work with four alter-egos who make performances artworks using different media. In my practice I explore ideas of agency and becoming, in both a personal growth sense and at a political level, I want to become the person the universe needs me to be. In the experiments my 4 alter-egos will perform in response to a major art/science exhibition, Cosmic Titans. This is an exciting and daunting opportunity.

What are the given practice as research approaches and methods I am choosing to explore? How have I applied this method / how it resonated with me?

Approach 1:  Rhizomatic research methods

This method was introduced to us during the elective and the technique was used when we undertook many exercises, particularly i) global political institutions and ii) climate change.  

In the elective we looked at rhizomatic research (concept from Gilles Deleuze and Félix Guattari) using data, memories, conversations, evidence from different sources. I  expanded and widened my approach to researching a performance in a non-linear way. For example: opening 50 tabs about blackhole mergers, flicking through them superfast for gist, connections, words jumping out, I brought back memories of space education, approached baffling scientific documents as a strange language and watched endless clips of stars collapsing.

I’ve attended two lectures by internationally known physicists, had lunch with astro-physicists who work on art/science collaborations and met one of the artists whose work the alter-egos are responding to and researched others. I’ve tried to look at the research through a diffractive lens, noting on-going differences, interferences and experimenting with what that might mean for the performance. It made me think differently about data collection and documentation e.g. experimenting with slow-motion filming to draw out nuances, audience and scientist feedback.

Also… another method we used in the elective was creative writing. I found this helpful, particularly writing from different perspectives (as in the global politics exercise where we were writing then embodying /speaking the words.) I very rarely write with/through my alter-egos,  as they don’t have scripts, however I am using this method in one of the experiments below.

 Approach 2: Site responsive

In the elective, Ethan Sammons Ericson invited us to perform with him in response to the trees in the Sonsbeek Park. The tree attunement process we undertook was a fluid interaction between us as artists, individual and groups of trees (more fluid than a site specific response might be.)

I had done a site responsive performance before but found this new method which comes from a folkloric / mythic tradition to be very useful in its stepped attunement process using multiple sensory inputs. The method invited us to connect to and reflect on different levels, the individual trees , the types of trees / genus / wood and the broader geographic political social context, all this added complexity.

Applying this method gave me new insights into the extent to which I was telling the story of the place /trees? In relation to my performance experiments in Cosmic Titans what was my own narrative about the artist’s work I was responding to – as well as the alter-egos? I asked myself about where the agency was in the space and why that mattered.

Photo from Ethan Sammond Ericson

Other methods: i) creative writing. In the elective I found writing from a different perspective helpful. In the global politics exercise we were writing then embodying /speaking the words. I very rarely write with/through my alter-egos, as they don’t have scripts, however I am using this method in one of the experiments below.

ii) Also I am aware I’m using another method highlighted in the elective: guerilla tactics. I am inserting my body (and characters) into the exhibition space, and responding to it. Although its legal, I have permission, my alter-egos do not necessarily behave in a controlled way or would like the work.

 What questions am I looking to investigate in the experiments?

·       How can I use my emerging practice framework (see diagram below) for my alter-egos (e.g. Tatyana Bogdanova my gymnast alter-ego, Donnah, and Doris – in her new iteration) who will be in intra-action in the museum speculative space at the same time? 

·       What forms and methods of documentation would allow me to clarify learning and generate data.

·       How can I work in this context with an audience, considering addressivity and working on how I know what is being received?

·        How is it for my alter-ego to work with other artist’s work?

·       In what ways is this space speculative? Traces / spectres of what’s gone before?

Below is my emerging practice methodology - I developed it as a result of the Body in Performance Module – I’ll also be testing / using this for the first time in designing the experiments. It includes theoretical and artistic references.

The performance experiments – where they will take place / context?

Cosmic Titans: Art, Science and the Quantum Universe

At Lakeside Arts, the University of Nottingham’s public arts centre. The performance experiments will be made in response to a major exhibition - the Cosmic Titans.

https://www.lakesidearts.org.uk/exhibition/cosmictitans/

I choose this exhibition because of the direct connections to the BID module performance and essay. Artists included in the exhibition have used concepts from Karen Barad, her work on entanglement and quantum identities and the work of Ruth Gregory on superposition (the idea of particles being in two places at once / multiverse etc) . I felt the exhibition missed the body and the human. I asked the exhibitions curator and the scientific advisors if they would allow me to carry out a series of experimental performance and they agreed.

Sketch out the performance experiments based on the methods / approach?

What are the performance experiments?

·       5x 20minute performance responses to the artworks in the exhibition – plus 5minute transition time = duration 2hrs (2hrs 15mins) 10am-12.15pm 8th April 2025

 ·       There are 4 alter-egos: Doris, Donnah, Tatyana and the little one – each alter-ego responds to one artwork and will walk around the space.

 ·       At the end of each of experiment / sketch there will be a collapse which mirrors cosmic events in the universe that collapse and re-form as something else.

 ·       Each alter-ego will respond in the moment, a broad outline will be in place but it will be live and exploratory.

 ·       There is also the experiment as a whole, the gallery is open to the public.

 Communicate and articulate artistic decisions in the experiments  

Artwork: Ringdown by Conrad Shawcross

Alter-ego – Tatyana – will respond in her own way exploring concepts of discipline and control in a cosmic setting. She will look at the science, taking the time constraints and sound as the  frame from the artists work. Based on the rhizomatic research she will use her ribbon skills / technique to interpret the phenomenon of the black holes merging and synthesize this with her gymnastics discipline.

Artwork: Blind proliferation by Conrad Shawcross

Alter-ego - the little one – key operation here is play – the alter-ego would moving between three locations, next to and under each of the desks in the physicists’ desks, actions include shining a torch, using her magnifying glass, throwing dice and sitting on the floor by the edge of the light cage.

I am choosing to film a rehearsal of the alter-ego and project it under the table, giving the opportunity for playing with the projection, mirroring and differing.  This operation is new to me, it connects to ideas and emotions of awe, wonderment and curiosity prompted by the piece; it engages with ideas of the multi-verse and quantum identities being present live. It works with the Shawcross’ notion that children are good at sensing when things are not what they seem, there is never a sense of completeness and so unease is also present. I want to explore the tension in response.

Artwork: An Early Universe by Alistair McClymont

Alter-ego Donnah will respond this piece, she will move around the dark / loud environment. She chooses to move through three phases of the creation of a new universe… chaos, fluctuation, stasis. Donnah loves the chaos, rolls with fluctuation but stasis is new for her. She will intra-act with 3d printed sculptures (prototype models made by the scientists in dialogue with the artist. These are magical objects I am currently exploring.

Artwork: Begriff des Körpers by Daniela Brill Estrada and Monica C. LoCascio

Alter-ego Doris – will respond to this exhibition, the key notion here is of comprehending the body in space. Exploring spacetime as it curves around objects, and particularly as it curves around the heart. In this experiment I am writing creatively from alter-ego Doris’s perspective, not my own.

Identify and manage risks when engaging with the given methods / approach?

Isn’t performance art always a risky business?  I feel vulnerable every time I perform. In this case in a serious art centre, I am finding it daunting.

General risks

The artists involved might not have given permission. I managed this by producing a detailed proposal and reaching out to them individually. Being specific about how and where I might use their work (as it will inevitably be in the documentation / film of my performance experiments.

I am dealing with 3rd party intellectual property and binding my performance to it in a way I haven’t done before. I managed this by doing research, talking to other artists and being clear about how I present the work.

i) Rhizomatic research – One risk and real nervousness of mine, is that taking a fluid, non-linear approach to researching the topic is that the response it seen as trivial or pseudo-scientific. I had to accept the overwhelm. In managing it I have been explicit in my programme notes that I am using the physics / science as a metaphor, allegory, aesthetic interpretation.

ii) Site responsive / guerilla tactics – risk of the alter-egos in this space. Whilst they perform in the public space some of the alter-egos have not intra-acted before with an audience, one is pretty much always very angry and often destructive.  I am managing this through briefing the invigilators and relying on them enforcing agreements /  commitments in my proposal. Or on the other hand, there’s the risk that the alter-egos do not behave as themselves, constrained by the formal environment / over-controlled and the work suffers. .    

Note: The final space for the blog will be given to the feedback on the experiments after I have completed them.

Are my alter-ego's real? They think therefore they are....

When Donnah one of my alter-ego’s smashed up an old colonial tea chest with a pick axe in a public square, the deputy manager of Specsavers opticians called the police. Her customers were scared. Despite the presence of a camera operator and support person explaining the nature of the performance, and the fact I had (sort of) permission, I chose to stop the performance and tried to explain. But Donnah did not want to stop, and carried on. I know there was part of me in that scenario thinking why should I stop, but had it been only people pleasing Dawn, it’s highly unlikely I doubt I would have continued.

A few people have asked me questions about the alter-egos, are they “taking over” and when is it really me “just acting.”? I would usually say something about the feeling in the moment, and the concept of a pendulum swinging in and out, sometimes slowly so there are longer periods when I feel totally immersed in one of the alter-egos and other times when Dawn/I are very close to the alter-ego and there are rapid and fluid transitions. (This is more in the realm of a “persona,” a constructed public face or role that blends the performative and the personal.) But it also depends on the alter-ego, how long i’ve worked with them, is it the start of the process and what they are doing and where. In the studio or my local park there where I am very comfortable, I can lose Dawn for hours. Although “I” am also always there.

This rings true, as my audience they know it’s not entirely Dawn they are watching but also it clearly isn’t….

This work with alter-ego’s has a long history with some fantastic artists I really admire (more on this later) there is a lot to learn from. Richard Schechner’s book mentioned in the previous blog and above , shares some relevant distinctions between the “make believe” - where an intentional boundary exists between the performance (on a stage for e.g.) and the everyday reality, and “make belief” where the performances intentionally blur the boundary. This rings true, as my audience they know it’s not entirely Dawn they are watching but also it clearly isn’t. My alter-ego’s have costumes but sometimes they don’t wear them.

My alter-egos are secondary identities that i’ve constructed, they allow me to explore facets of identity that are markedly different from me, they are deliberately crafted, sustained and experimental, they play with different normals. Like Lady Gaga I have an approach that links to the idea of a networked self/ selves. There isn’t one individual self, I distribute multiple potential selves across different fields / variations. You might meet Doris, Donnah, Tatyana or the little one in many different forms and contexts, thinking about different questions, making artworks in different forms, feeling themselves… in a non Cartesian dualistic way :)

Before the beginning... MA Performance ARTEZ Netherlands

The instant gratification monkey has been bane of my life in the run up to starting my MA in the Netherlands. Suddenly there’s only 2 weeks to go and the monkey in my brain is presenting me with all kinds of distractions - going for a bike ride, searching for new tracksuits online, watching the clouds roll in on what was a beautiful morning. Fortunately no visits (yet…arrrgggh) from the monkey’s mate - the panic monster.

I’ve known about the requirement to start a blog for months and this, my first post as an art student, has been a task I just couldn’t tick off. I’ve never found myself procrastinating before so Tim Urban’s TEDtalk on the subject was super helpful and its meant that here I am, writing.

Before we start the course, there’s been a summer reading list and lots of re-training my brain to read academic articles. I’m treating the list as a gift, some really interesting/dense stuff and it’s also forced me to practice reading on a screen. I usually need to print out difficult texts and scribble all over them but that’s not practical when you’re studying abroad and you can’t take reams of paper with you. I’ve reflected a lot on my writing and my art practice and am already starting to understand more about what I do and how it fits within a performance framework. Here’s one of the key texts that I’ve stuck with and will post more about that next time.

So just need to press save and publish and I can happily eat an ice cream in the park.

Coming Soon: In Our Shoes

Launching in January 2022, this inspiring book provides a unique learning and reflection opportunity for any professional working in the family justice system. It's a chance to understand what it’s really like to walk in the shoes of children and young people as they navigate often difficult family situations. From them, you'll gain a better awareness of how your work can influence their futures.

The engaging and diverse first-person testimonies of children and young people cover their experiences of family court proceedings, family conflict, and health and wellbeing, as well as demonstrating the positive impact that determined listening can have. Sometimes a challenging read, this book asks the reader to reflect on their interactions with young people, it’s a catalyst for change.

Our Futures Now: Barnsley 2030 - The Place of Possibilities

The launch of this inspiring new book brings Barnsley's vision 'the place of possibilities' to life. From the resilience shown during the pandemic to what people want to see, through real scenarios and imagined moments. These stories and poems glimpse the future and show what is at the heart of this borough: proud, confident, and determined people. 

And there’s a beautiful bold and seriously big (A2!) handmade version of the book by artist Cath Long. The big book is touring libraries around the borough with an invitation for residents and communities to add to the 50 stories in the book. This collection has a life of its own.   

Leading change , inspiring learners – London South East Education Group In conjunction with Christopher Noden

This book charts a compelling leadership journey in further education, the expansion from one college to a thriving education group with eight college campuses, eight schools and an apprenticeship provider. The story shows how positive and resilient leadership can continue to make an impact on learners and communities in challenging times.

“This remarkable transformation has only been made possible with the support of passionate and hardworking colleagues, staff – past and present, employer partners, governors, the DfE, supportive local authorities and government agencies, local schools and great students. In difficult circumstances, our progress demonstrates the truly great things that can be achieved when we have a shared common purpose.” Dr Sam Parrett OBE, Principal

One Story - Councils, Covid and Better Futures.

In February 2021 we are excited to launch One Story - Councils, Covid and Better Futures.

The book is a celebration of the true grit of people in councils and communities, which has been shown in spades during the pandemic. 60 councils and the communities they work with share compelling stories of what holds us together now and will continue to do so in future. Surprising, diverse and moving, this book captures the essence of public service. Compelling stories of what holds us together now and in the future.

HOT OFF THE SHARED PRESS: This Leader Can... Make a Difference on Equalities

Powerful and personal tales about the battle to achieve equality in leadership are at the heart of our latest book, book launched with Solace, the organisation for senior managers working in the public sector.

“This Leader Can…make a difference on equalities” includes true stories, told by senior leaders working in local government, highlighting how leaders are making a difference in their organisations – and where mindsets need to shift to deliver a step change on equalities and diversity.

The stories are about: *senior leaders coming out about disabilities and sexuality, *diversity and the bottom line, *the serious challenge on race diversity, *dealing with political pressure, *unconscious bias, *gendered attitudes and bullying, *serving diverse communities and managing conflict.

These stories pack a real punch. There are tips on how leaders are using their influence to make change in really complex situations and insight into the benefits that equality can bring in organisations that are really committed.

What make the stories so compelling is that they’re told by people who have been there, done that and know how it feels – these people are putting their heads above the parapet to make real change happen faster.

Jo Miller, Chief Executive of Doncaster Council and ex-President of Solace – the inspiration for the book said: “Great leaders know the importance of building truly diverse organisations where people trust and understand each other.

“This Leader Can is full of stories about people who are doing just that. Some of the stories also show how difficult it can be and how far we still have to go. But by sharing our stories and experiences in the way we’ve done in the book is an important first step in delivering change.”

Agilisys, who sponsored the publication said: “ It’s long past time for us all to recognise that diversity in leadership will help build stronger and more resilient public services. Together we can all help challenge the norm in local government and encourage under-represented groups to aim for the top.”

This Leader Can also includes practical advice and tips from experts on delivering equalities in organisations.

TOWN HALL Book Talk at Todmorden Book Festival

We'll be launching our beautiful coffee table book Town Hall - Buildings, people and power at Todmorden Book Festival this Sunday 18th November! Town Hall co-editor Dawn Reeves will be speaking about the book following a tour of the Town Hall by volunteers at 2pm, and a talk by Dr Emma Stafford, author of the Todmorden Town Hall guidebook. Advance copies of the book will be available, and there will be cake...join us!

If you can’t make it on Sunday, you can pre order your copy of the book (our at the end of the month) here. 

The Big TOWN HALL Quiz

How well do know your civic buildings? Try your hand at our Town Hall Quiz…

Q1. Name the town halls?
1 point each

Q2. Name the tv show or film
(1 point for the name and bonus points for which town hall it was filmed in)

Q3. Where are these beautiful… beasts…
1 point each

The home of the damned united

……the ocean city

Q4. Which town hall has been in both Yorkshire and Lancashire?

Q.5 Carved into the portland stone of this gorgeous London Borough is this quote…
 
“Fellowship is life…”

Which arts and crafts master said it?

Q6. Which town hall has been compared to a:
misshapen egg, an onion, a motorcycle helmet,  and a glass testicle…?

Scroll down for answers…

ANSWERS:

˙spǝǝ˥ – ʇɥƃᴉɹ ɯoʇʇoq ˙ǝɹᴉɥsɯɐɥƃuᴉʇʇoN – ɹǝuᴉɯ ɟo ǝnʇɐʇs llɐɯs ǝɹʇuǝƆ ˙ʇsǝɹoℲ ɯɐɥʇlɐM – ʇɟǝ˥ ɯoʇʇoq ˙ʇuǝɹq – ʇɥƃᴉɹ do┴ ˙ɹǝʇsǝɥɔuɐW – ʇɟǝl do┴ ˙ƖQ

˙ʇɹodʞɔoʇS uᴉ pǝɯlᴉɟ sɹɐW uo ǝɟᴉ˥ – ʇɥƃᴉɹ ɯoʇʇoq ˙ʎǝsuɹoH uᴉ pǝɯlᴉɟ ǝʌƎ ƃuᴉllᴉʞ – ʇɟǝ˥ ɯoʇʇoq ˙ɯɐɥuǝƃɐp uᴉ pǝɯlᴉɟ suᴉƃǝq uɐɯʇɐq – ʇɥƃᴉɹ do┴ ˙llɐH ʎʇᴉƆ pɹoɟpɐɹq uᴉ pǝɯlᴉɟ sɹǝpuᴉlq ʎʞɐǝԀ - ʇɟǝl do┴ ˙ᄅ˙Q

˙ɥʇnoɯʎlԀ puɐ spǝǝ˥ ˙Ɛ˙Q

uǝpɹoɯpo┴˙ㄣ˙Q

sᴉɹɹoW ɯɐᴉllᴉM ˙ϛ˙Q

uopuo˥ 'llɐH ʎʇᴉƆ ˙9˙Q

Tweet us your favourite town hall @shared_press.