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| Mapamundi chrysalis. Paper carcass after practice performance. Roisin Markham © 2012 |
The contrast between process and performance was striking for me last Sunday a I prepared to be a performer in the Waterford mapamundi sonrisa at the peoples park in Waterford. In fact a comment by a professional performer we practised in the Park was quiet defining 'this is performance we are not in process now'. We had moved from creative enquiry and openness into defined action and expression outwards to others - the performance.
Last week I got to attend Joan Baixas visual theatre workshop with Red Kettle Theatre Company in Waterford, South East Ireland. It was the second time I found myself within a week in that city involved in a dynamic theatre based experience. The first was at the Theatre Forum Open Space session which was great.
I like Waterford as a city and have creative connections to it via the work I did with St. Brigid's Family Resource Centre this time last year for the a stitch in time commission.
The end of January I saw I saw an advert in the Visual Artist's Ireland e-bulletin for
A VISUAL THEATRE WORKSHOP CULMINATING IN AN OUT DOOR PAINTING PERFORMANCE Directed by the Legendary Spanish Puppeteer/Visual Artist/Performer/Director – JOAN BAIXAS
Red Kettle has 6 places to offer to any theatre/visual arts/musical/multimedia professionals or student...I decided that I would apply for it as a way to flex my creativity and meet other practitioners, creative's and be involved in something different. By the time I got a place on the course some work I was committed to got moved into the Friday. There was a big debate if I should, would, could go - considering I would miss the second day of the workshop... Eventually it was agreed I would go and everything was set up.
On the Thursday we meet Joan, sat around and introduced ourselves... within an hour were creating. I was fascinated at the speed in which we were not just into enquiry but into performance. We were asked to play with an A4 sheet of paper - to just start with it. So if you are sitting at your desk or beside a printer take a look at a single white sheet. That is where the workshop started. Amazing and it was. This is where my enquiry went
As we regrouped I was slightly horrified to learn that we were to share our discovery around the paper in front of everyone else. Looking back now I do not know why I was surprised... but I felt very self concious and unnerved. Then as others stepped forward to present and perform I realised I had to package my creative playfulness with a sheet of paper into... into what?
Joan's comments after each piece contained a lot of learning but in that intangible way - I wish I had recorded, captured and retained more of what he said. Half way through I was invited to perform but shy'd away and sat out till I was the last one. During that time I shook myself off - looked realistically at the fact I get up in front of people all the time - okay not to display my personal process but I stand up and engage people with public speaking, creativity, arts based work and experiential learning so I put that hat on. As people performed I realised there was embellishment going on. I made a decision to speak and make obvious some of my thoughts as I processed - most performances had been silent in movement, mime with sounds but not language or words. I was feeling apprehensive even nervous.
The last one I was invited to the performance space up I stood, parking my self conciousness, gathered my paper pieces, arranged the audience closer and stepped into that space of sharing my creative process. The contrast for me is normally when I design or create I run in silent mode alone in my studio... here I was in a room of people. Afterwards Emer a performer said to me that she had started to relax and enjoy my performance another interesting piece that I had transferred my unease to others, she also added it had been the most different to the others.
It was very unique to unfold that experience of process and playfulness into a performance... I started with the mumblings in my head and then asked a question - after all my practice is that - looking around at the audience it became a better experience this small audience. I expected an answer to my question as if in a conversation. People answered or shrugged their shoulders, wondered (always another sign of success for me if I can get people to think). Then the question evolved into how the paper moves and ripping it and seeing then ribbons of paper unfolded and I moved with them. My dance with a piece of paper was kinda like the swirling gymnasts who hold ribbons, it was playful and reminded me of when I was a a small child. I called the piece 'the paper moved me'.
You can come see a developed form of what I produced at the next The Cáca Milis Cabaret in the Wexford Arts Centre on the 27th of April 2012.
After our individual performances we were asked to collaborate in director performer roles - I got to work with Nick who is a born performer and an active advocate of National Campaign For the Arts in Waterford. Joan spoke to us around three things to incorporate, consider
In applying for the workshop I had stated the question "what is the texture of my map" that remains on my studio wall since last June
in the process of play with the single white sheet of paper I felt I was really connecting to and with this question and making my work in 2012 personal. I love when you work on things that seem unconnected they become connected and inform each other.
The work I was involved with on the Friday in Kildare was the development of an emergent leadership program for communities with Wicklow and Kildare community education. The previous session had explored the idea of a blank sheet of paper as a metaphor for the way we are developing a construct for the program. So the blank sheet of paper as obvious as it is asks us everyday questions about how we shall fill it? print on it, play with it - use it, share it display it... or recycle it!
Blog post mapamundi ii will be about the performance and painting... with some great photos from a wonderful friend and ally @foxglovelane.
A VISUAL THEATRE WORKSHOP CULMINATING IN AN OUT DOOR PAINTING PERFORMANCE Directed by the Legendary Spanish Puppeteer/Visual Artist/Performer/Director – JOAN BAIXAS
Red Kettle has 6 places to offer to any theatre/visual arts/musical/multimedia professionals or student...I decided that I would apply for it as a way to flex my creativity and meet other practitioners, creative's and be involved in something different. By the time I got a place on the course some work I was committed to got moved into the Friday. There was a big debate if I should, would, could go - considering I would miss the second day of the workshop... Eventually it was agreed I would go and everything was set up.
On the Thursday we meet Joan, sat around and introduced ourselves... within an hour were creating. I was fascinated at the speed in which we were not just into enquiry but into performance. We were asked to play with an A4 sheet of paper - to just start with it. So if you are sitting at your desk or beside a printer take a look at a single white sheet. That is where the workshop started. Amazing and it was. This is where my enquiry went
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| you shall hear more on this paper play... Roisin Markham © 2012 |
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| immediate performance... Joan Baixas workshop Red Kettle Academy 2012 |
Joan's comments after each piece contained a lot of learning but in that intangible way - I wish I had recorded, captured and retained more of what he said. Half way through I was invited to perform but shy'd away and sat out till I was the last one. During that time I shook myself off - looked realistically at the fact I get up in front of people all the time - okay not to display my personal process but I stand up and engage people with public speaking, creativity, arts based work and experiential learning so I put that hat on. As people performed I realised there was embellishment going on. I made a decision to speak and make obvious some of my thoughts as I processed - most performances had been silent in movement, mime with sounds but not language or words. I was feeling apprehensive even nervous.
The last one I was invited to the performance space up I stood, parking my self conciousness, gathered my paper pieces, arranged the audience closer and stepped into that space of sharing my creative process. The contrast for me is normally when I design or create I run in silent mode alone in my studio... here I was in a room of people. Afterwards Emer a performer said to me that she had started to relax and enjoy my performance another interesting piece that I had transferred my unease to others, she also added it had been the most different to the others.
It was very unique to unfold that experience of process and playfulness into a performance... I started with the mumblings in my head and then asked a question - after all my practice is that - looking around at the audience it became a better experience this small audience. I expected an answer to my question as if in a conversation. People answered or shrugged their shoulders, wondered (always another sign of success for me if I can get people to think). Then the question evolved into how the paper moves and ripping it and seeing then ribbons of paper unfolded and I moved with them. My dance with a piece of paper was kinda like the swirling gymnasts who hold ribbons, it was playful and reminded me of when I was a a small child. I called the piece 'the paper moved me'.
 |
After our individual performances we were asked to collaborate in director performer roles - I got to work with Nick who is a born performer and an active advocate of National Campaign For the Arts in Waterford. Joan spoke to us around three things to incorporate, consider
- repetition
- contrast
- crescendo
In applying for the workshop I had stated the question "what is the texture of my map" that remains on my studio wall since last June
in the process of play with the single white sheet of paper I felt I was really connecting to and with this question and making my work in 2012 personal. I love when you work on things that seem unconnected they become connected and inform each other.
The work I was involved with on the Friday in Kildare was the development of an emergent leadership program for communities with Wicklow and Kildare community education. The previous session had explored the idea of a blank sheet of paper as a metaphor for the way we are developing a construct for the program. So the blank sheet of paper as obvious as it is asks us everyday questions about how we shall fill it? print on it, play with it - use it, share it display it... or recycle it!
Blog post mapamundi ii will be about the performance and painting... with some great photos from a wonderful friend and ally @foxglovelane.
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