In the last post, I tried to lay down my problem when documenting my performances. I settled on the fact that the minutiae of details within a proposal document might shed light on how submission into an artistic economy is reflected on, and how collaborators within this system might be implicated.
For this blog post, I want to reflect on how I have written about one of my projects, ‘The Rookery’, which since 2015, has been part of my application process. This blog post will construct a timeline for how this has been written about:
August 2015 (from artist statement used in unsuccessful application for Residency CCA Londonderry)
…He is currently invested in developing alternative models of co-inhabitance, friendship and organisation in order to further understand shared responsibility within civic orchestration, queer histories and curatorial strategy. It is his intention to investigate these aethers of together-ness as both invisible spheres which hold no agency to produce independent cultural ephemera; and counter to that, as intangible fields that subversive and autonomous practices can use as advantageous for their own means…
…Though engaging in multiple projects with various organisations and individuals in different locations and situations, he is hoping to establish firmer understanding of the relationship between collaboration, reciprocity and inheritance.
Currently, this research is being conducted in conversation with: […] Jamie Kane, artist; […] Rosie Sillitoe, artist and director of community studios, The Albatross…
August 2015 (from successful application for inclusion in the ‘Across the City’ programme of Glasgow International 2016)
For Glasgow International 2016 we propose a series of events and exhibitions under the title of ‘The Rookery’ to be held at The Albatross- a developing studio space and artist’s community in Govanhill, Glasgow.
The Albatross is housed in a post-industrial site that has recently been acquired by artists in the back court of a tenement block. The building itself is around 100 years old, and has had many tenants and uses over its life. Originally a slater’s workshop, it has more recently been used as a car mechanics and a store for used white goods.
When the current planned renovation works are completed the building will be able to host around 15 artists in studios of mixed size. These artists will have access to a shared workshop space (370sq ft) facilitating basic wood/metal/casting, numerous social spaces, and a 500sq ft flexible project space. There’s also approximately 550sq ft of space outside the property in an enclosed courtyard, which has a great many potential uses.
All major structural parts of the building and internal layout should be completed by early 2016, and will thus be ready in plenty of time for the festival.
It is our hope that ‘The Rookery’ will be an introduction to the place, the people and the ethos of The Albatross, as a new space in the city’s art-scape. The ethos of the studio is of course not yet fully formed, and will constantly be evolving. We hope to use the platform that Glasgow International provides to collectively create and present in public some of the moments and events which will form the fabric of the studio’s identity.
We want to understand how to use exhibition-making to construct feelings of ownership for post-industrial sites amongst groups of artists. As a circumstance that the Albatross is currently undergoing, it is our intention to use the conditions of the development project as basis and context for the exhibition. Through the act of building a studio together, we hope to understand and investigate the emotional labour exerted through the development of Albatross as a productive and community-orientated site.
The studio name ‘Albatross’, is an ambiguous metaphor for either good or bad luck. The space will be what we make of it.
A rookery is the collective noun for a flock of albatross. Using this as our title refers to the collective nature of our endeavour, but also is a deliberate reference to the word ‘rooky’, and the ambitious amateurism that we seek to generate. In a world where the language representing art has been infiltrated by words associated with neoliberal values, we seek to connect with the basic instincts that draw people together to create- friendship, belonging and love- and also to think critically about what it might mean to withdraw from a sphere of pervasive influence.
“Professionalism merges the individual into patterns of total environment. Amateurism seeks the development of the total awareness of the individual and the critical awareness of the ground rules of society. The amateur can afford to lose.” – Marshall McLuhan
In January 2015, a community of friends/artists/interested parties/locals gathered around the Albatross to perform a unique adaptation of the pantomime ‘Aladdin’. The writer, producer, stage manager, stage designer, visual effects and cast were (nearly) all visual artists, most of whom graduated from Glasgow School of Art between 2013-14. Being in the fortunate position of having an available space to them, the event was sparked and driven by no force other as much as fun. Yet it acted as an opportunity to form a community, over the process of the rehearsals and then in public for one night. This performed community, shared with friends of the actors and interested locals, used the story as an opportunity to explore their working dynamic outside of their separate visual arts practices. The pantomime, as an analogy, is incredibly generative in its nature and will be used as basis and framework for the exhibition to evolve around.
November 2015 (from initial press to Glasgow International)
The Rookery acts as an introduction to the people, site, ethos and identity of The Albatross, a new studio space based in a 100-year-old workshop in Govanhill.
Studio-holders perform as both cast and crew in the production of an off-season pantomime Jack and the Beanstalk, as well as contributing to an adjoining exhibition exploring notions of amateurism, performance and community.
There are three performances of the pantomime in the thrown-together theatre over the course of the festival, and the venue is open for viewing throughout the festival. The project also features publications, installations, videos, research workshops and events. A full programme of events is available on rookeryinfo.info.
The Albatross
267 Langside Road
Glasgow, G42 8XX
Fri 8 April – Mon 25 April
Mon – Sun, 12pm – 6pm
Performances at 7pm on Friday 22nd, Saturday 23rd, and Sunday 24th.
November 2015 (from CV)
…Selected Exhibitions
2016
The Rookery (upcoming April), Albatross Artists’ Studios, Govanhill, Glasgow
November 2015 (from gordondouglas.org website)
Upcoming
<b>The Rookery</b>. April 2016, part of Glasgow International Festival. A research project on labours exerted in the act friendship as the <a href=”http://rookeryinfo.info”>studio</a> holders produce and rehearse their annual pantomime. <p> <p>
March 2016 (from CV)
…Selected Performances and Exhibitions
The Rookery (upcoming April), Albatross Artists’ Studios, Govanhill, Glasgow.
March 2016 (from email sent to friends on 29/3/16)
Dear Everyone,
I hope you’re all very well,
I’m writing to extend an invitation to the Wild West for Glasgow International 2016, a festival taking place from 8th – 25th April. This year, I’m involved directly in two projects which have focused on the complexity of collaboration in an expanded and performative sense, The Rookery and Rough House.
The Rookery
A 9-month instigated project with The Albatross, a developing studio space and community theatre in Govanhill, Glasgow. The Rookery is a project that has focused on thetension between the physical labours of building the studios together, and the emotional performativity of maintaining friendship groups outside of institutional support. The project developed through a series of rehearsals with committed individuals for the space’s annual pantomime, Jack and theBeanstalk, and the installation of a pseudo-indexical exhibition of alternate attempts at organising ourselves. The long and fruitful conversations around amateurism, rehearsal/practice, community identity, and the sociologies of the project, will form the basis for a longer piece of reflective writing I will be doing in retrospect on the socially-engaged research process. If you want to know more, I will be presenting a Pecha Kucha at an event that Glasgow International have organised with Taktal at Glasgow Sculpture Studios on Tuesday 12th April from 6:30 – 8:30pm.
The Rookery will be open 8th – 25th April from 12-6pm each day, the opening event is on Friday the 8th from 4-7pm. Thepantomime performances will be at 7pm each day on Friday 22nd, Saturday 23rd, and Sunday 24th April. The Albatross is located at 267 Langside Road, G42 8XX.
April 2016 (from the official PRESS RELEASE – see header image)
Albatross,
267 Langside Road G42 8XX
rookeryinfo.info
April 8th – 25th, 12-6pm. Opening Event April 8th, 4-7pm
The Rookery
Justyna Ataman, Sarah Bowers, Conor Cooke, Gordon Douglas, Carrie Gooch, Michael Gormley, Ruby Hürsch, Jamie Kane, Nina Kilmurry-Webley, Krysia Kordecki, Anna Lomas, James MacEachran, Jen Martin, Alex McCartney, Rosie O’Grady, Erik Osberg, Amy Pickles, Hugh Pottinger, Patrick Queen, Hannah Roberts, Michael Roy, Rosie Sillitoe, Chris Silver, Louis Skehal, Rae-yen Song, Jason Sweeney, Tess Vaughan.
As part of Glasgow International Festival of Visual Art 2016, ‘The Rookery’ acts as an introduction to the people, site, ethos and identity of The Albatross, a developing studio space and community theatre based in a 100-year-old workshop in Govanhill. Studio-holders perform as both cast and crew in the production of an off-season pantomime ‘Jack and the Beanstalk’, as well as contributing to an adjoining exhibition exploring notions of amateurism, performance and community. ‘The Rookery’ focuses on the tension between the physical exhaustion whilst building the studios together, and the emotional labours in maintaining friendship groups outside of institutional support.
There are three performances of the pantomime in the final weekend of the festival and the venue is open for viewing throughout.
Jack and the Beanstalk
‘Jack was a lazy boy who would not work to help his widowed mother. Alas, they both became very poor, and the old woman had to sell her only cow. She sent Jack to the market with the cow, saying, “Be sure and sell it for a good price!” …’
Doors 7pm, Curtain 7:30pm:
Friday 22nd April, Saturday 23rd April, Sunday 24th April
May – October 2016 (from CV)
The Rookery, Albatross Artists’ Studios, Glasgow, Aug 2015 – May 2016
A 10-month long instigated project with Albatross Artists’ Studios, a developing studio space and community theatre in Govanhill, Glasgow. The Rookery is a project that has focused on the tension between the physical labours of building the studios together, and the emotional performativity of maintaining friendship groups outside of institutional support. The project developed through a series of improvised ‘rehearsals’ with committed individuals for the spaces’s annual pantomime ‘Jack and the Beanstalk, and the installation of a pseudo-indexical exhibition of alternate attempts at organising ourselves. The long and fruitful conversation around amateurism, rehearsal/practice, community identity, and the sociologies of the project, will form the basis for a publication.
July 2016 – present (from existing website, gordondouglas.org)
The Rookery. April 2016, part of Glasgow International Festival. A research project on the tension between physical exertion in building studios together, and the emotional labour in maintaining the act of friendship as the studio holders produce and rehearse their annual pantomime.
August 2016 (from unsuccessful application to Creative Scotland’s Open Project Fund) (bold on purpose…)
…Habits of the Coexistent is a six-month curatorial research project aiming to interrogate and dissect the complicated set of performances which constitute collaborative practice. Following three major collaborative visual arts projects: The Garden is Our Wall, 2014-15, Nieces, Nephews, 2015-16, and The Rookery, 2015-16; HotC is a period of serious reflection and development of my practice that continuously elicits the labours and emotions of others towards the co-production of challenging conversations and public events…
August 2016 (from Supporting Visual Material to above application)
1. The Rookery
A ten-month project running alongside the physical development of Albatross Artists’ Studios, a studio and community theatre in Govanhill, Glasgow. The project formed through 12 improvised ‘rehearsals’ for the amateur production of the off-season pantomime ‘Jack and the Beanstalk’. As community members performed as cast, props-makers, costume designers and lighting technicians; conversations unraveled around the relationship between the manual exertion in building the studios together, and the emotional labours of maintaining the friendship group outside of institutional support. The studio-holders talked about the identity of the space, what it meant to aspire towards autonomy, and the paradox in assembling a new institution as a locus for our community. Over three consecutive nights, cast members performed their roles very well but would inevitably stumble into improvisation, in-joke and hysterical laughter.
- Rehearsals
Image from the improvised rehearsal of The Giant, a three-headed collaborative monster played by Rosie Sillitoe, Jen Martin and Jason Sweeney. photo credit: Jamie Kane.
- Hand Game Exercise
Hand-Game (Love, Damp, Corporation), March 2016.
Still from a video of an exercise made with Jamie Kane and Rosie Sillitoe, studio holders at Albatross Artists’ Studios, as part of the rehearsal process. The three people aim to develop a zero-sum hand-game (similar to rock-paper-scissors), around themes that have been prevalent to the post-industrial renovation of the studios. Components are tested and replaced as the game gets closer to functioning. Elements include: Love, Damp, Corporation, Idealism, Inaction, Drain, Wall, Space, and Door. video URL:
- Giants House
The Giant, and The Giant’s Wife in action; The Giant’s Wife makes excuses for the Golden Egg Laying Goose not being able to lay gold anymore. photo credit: David Cherry.
- Crushing Blow
The penultimate sequence of the pantomime. A giant New Balance trainer crushes Jack’s parents; Jack is reunited with the Cow; The actors playing the cow are exposed as precarious actor types who need to be exploited at all costs (subsequently pied in the face). photo credit: David Cherry.
- Finale
The Golden Egg Laying Goose is greeted by their mother who tells them they just needed to believe in themselves in order to lay gold. A massively ambitious song and dance number including the ripping of the back-projected screen leading to an exposure of backstage. photo credit: David Cherry.
November 2016 (from CV, unsuccessful application for Learning Assistant position at Edinburgh College)
…Relevant Previous Experience
Albatross Artists’ Studios and Community Theatre
Over the period 2015-16, I have been working with a developing artists studios space in Govanhill, Glasgow. Originally a tiles workshop, the space is now being converted into a fully functional studio and theatre space. As part of the project I instigated The Rookery,we worked together in building the studios and theatre. This involved a great deal of woodwork, and the construction of unique pieces to fit a complicated and uneven space. I continue to work there on a part-time basis…
January 2017 (from CV, unsuccessful application to Hospitalfield Summer Residency)
The Rookery, Albatross Artists’ Studios, Glasgow, Aug 2015 – May 2016
A 10-month long instigated project with Albatross Artists’ Studios, a developing studio space and community theatre in Govanhill, Glasgow. The Rookery is a project that has focused on the tension between the physical labours of building the studios together, and the emotional performativity of maintaining friendship groups outside of institutional support. The project developed through a series of improvised ‘rehearsals’ with committed individuals for the spaces’s annual pantomime ‘Jack and the Beanstalk, and the installation of a pseudo-indexical exhibition of alternate attempts at organising ourselves. An introductory video to the project can be found here: https://vimeo.com/187656126, password: beanstalk
March 2017 (from CV, successful application to Hospitalfield co-programme of Fieldwork Summer School with Cicely Farrer)
The Rookery, Albatross Artists’ Studios, Glasgow, Aug 2015 – May 2016
A 10-month long instigated project with Albatross Artists’ Studios, a developing studio space and community theatre in Govanhill, Glasgow. The Rookery is a project that has focused on the tension between the physical labours of building the studios together, and the emotional performativity of maintaining friendship groups outside of institutional support. The project developed through a series of improvised ‘rehearsals’ with committed individuals for the spaces’s annual pantomime ‘Jack and the Beanstalk, and the installation of a pseudo-indexical exhibition of alternate attempts at organising ourselves.
August 2017 (from Folio used in successful application to British Council and Creative Scotland’s curators’ visit to Tokyo and Yokohama, Japan)
The Rookery –
A ten-month project running alongside the physical development of Albatross Artists’ Studios, a studio and community theatre in Govanhill, Glasgow. The project formed through 12 improvised ‘rehearsals’ for the amateur production of an off-season pantomime ‘Jack and the Beanstalk’. As community members performed as cast, props-makers, costume designers and lighting technicians; mutually educational conversations unraveled around the relationship between the manual exertion in building the studios together, and the emotional labours of maintaining the friendship group outside of institutional support. The studio-holders talked about the identity of the space, what it meant to aspire towards autonomy, and the paradox in assembling a new institution as a locus for our community. Over three consecutive nights, cast members performed their roles very well but would inevitably stumble into improvisation, in-joke and hysterical laughter.
December 2017 (from Folio, unsuccessful application to Creative Scotland’s Open Project fund) and February (from Folio, successful re- application to Creative Scotland’s Open Project fund)
The Rookery ten-month project running alongside the physical development of Albatross Artists’ Studios, a studio and community theatre in Govanhill, Glasgow. The project formed through 12 improvised ‘rehearsals’ for the amateur production of an off-season pantomime ‘Jack and the Beanstalk’. As community members performed as cast, props-makers, costume designers and lighting technicians; mutually educational conversations unraveled around the relationship between the manual exertion in building the studios together, and the emotional labours of maintaining the friendship group outside of institutional support. The studio-holders talked about the identity of the space, what it meant to aspire towards autonomy, and the paradox in assembling a new institution as a locus for our community. Over three consecutive nights, cast members performed their roles very well but would inevitably stumble into improvisation, in-joke and hysterical laughter.
The finale sequence of the pantomime. A giant New Balance trainer crushes Jack’s parents; Jack is reunited with the Cow; The actors playing the cow are exposed as precarious actor types who need to be exploited at all costs (subsequently pied in the face). photo credit: David Cherry.
Hand-Game (Love, Damp, Corporation), March 2016.
An exercise made with Jamie Kane and Rosie Sillitoe, studio holders at Albatross Artists’ Studios, as part of the rehearsal process. The three people aim to develop a zero-sum hand-game (similar to rock-paper-scissors), around themes that have been prevalent to the post-industrial renovation of the studios. Components are tested and replaced as the game gets closer to functioning. Elements include: Love, Damp, Corporation, Idealism, Inaction, Drain, Wall, Space, and Door.
Image of the improvised rehearsal for the Giant, a three-headed collaborative monster, played by Rosie Sillitoe, Jen Martin and Jason Sweeney. photo Credit: Jamie Kane
February 2018 – present (from CV)
The Rookery, Albatross Artists’ Studios and Community Theatre, Oct 2015-Apr 2016
Project focusing on parallels between the physical exertion of building the studios together, and the emotional labours of maintaining friendship groups outside institutional support. Developed through a series of improvised rehearsals for the space’s annual pantomime ‘Jack and the Beanstalk’.
