This was an extremely important time for me to focus, un-focus, play and evolve and develop my own ideas around movement. It was my university, it was my playground.
The walk stand still workshops were an amazing opportunity to play and imagine possibilities and this process allowed me to define my practice in performance, something I describe as Performance based-actions.
Among the exercises, workshops and collaborations a huge amount of material was generated, I recorded the workshops and rehearsals, they form a valuable resource to examine and develop the work. The next stage in the process is to select and edit the footage, isolating particular elements, movements and actions that will form the basis of what will become a finished work.
What I realised about a year later that there were a number of embryo works that might be the basis of a string of performance action events. Fragments that may last a few minutes.
There were a number of works being developed that include Mirror Mirror, Intersection-interaction a piece designed originally for the crossways junctions of New York. Other works include Bedlam, The Watcher, Ghosting, Performance, Chair and Command-control-shift. There is also a work designed for galleries and museums called Between Walls.
PERFORMANCE BASED-ACTIONS
The opportunity to workshop and rehearse at Quarterhouse auditorium and Glassworks dance studio, provided by creative folkestone enabled me to develop my own process, method and ideology.
So with a series of instructions, devices, suggestions and prompts we have gradually developed something that has its own strength and integrity.
Since 2007, I have been working with musicians and composers, the first work was called Broken Voices. The work developed on tour with live performances in Liverpool at the A-Foundation, London at the Riverside Studios and in Venice at St George’s church in Dorsoduro. In 2009 I created the work The Foundling, which travelled to Venice and London.
In 2012 I worked for the first time with dancers from the Laban Centre and the Place for a large scale work Combine which had five huge video screens and live and recorded music.
These workshops follow on from performance projects Staubsauger Kombirama, Zürich 1996. Broken Voices 2007, The Foundling in 2009, String Caracas 2010, Caracol Caracas 2011, Combine London 2012 and Foundlings, Venice 2014. But the first workshops I held was when I was a student at Goldsmiths College in 1975. These were part of the early student interest in film, video, sound and performance. I was fortunate then also to have Dereck Jarman among my teachers.
Workshops and rehearsals begin an hour after I set up my tables, drawings and notes.
Isolation, social distance, mental health and wellbeing have become something we have all experienced in one way or another and these are some of the themes that have been explored in these early sessions.
My influences include but are not exclusive to artists John Cage, Merce Cunningham, Robert Rauschenberg, Bruce Nauman, Pina Bausch, Anne Teresa Keersmaeker. Theatre of Mistakes, Station House Opera and Gary Stevens.
Projects of this kind are a collaboration of people, energy, insights, talents and ambition. I am really happy to be working with the performers Ash McNaughton and Lise Boucon and the celebrated jazz flutist and composer Paul Cheneour. Crucial also in this project are the considerable skills of the renown British composers John Woolrich who is consultant and advisor.
This project has been made possible with the opportunity to use the QH auditorium and dance studio in Folkestone provided by Creative Folkestone who have enabled artists and performers to use the space free of charge during this period. So a big thanks to the team at Creative Folkestone for their continuing support.
Lise and Ash Sitting Standing
