the journey of the snee snaw: from funding to park

the project is complete.

finishing the activity report was rewarding and i was able to really reflect on what i had done and acheived and look towards future activities and other outings of the snee snaw.

i’m still working on the activity report. it’s surprising just how difficult i now find manipulation of words. sepaking them is fine, writing them is pulling teeth.

i’m fine here, babbling away, but when it comes to being serious i simply fall apart, as the language of serious ness ness is difficult to write, thinking it, speaking it, wow i’m there, really enjoy that. i still learn about myself…

so today i’ve done some analaysis of the figures:

i had two strands of target figures for engagement with the snee snaw.

a. audience

b players on the snee snaw (participants if you like).

so of target i reached the following percentages:

a. 107%

b. 267%

i was even able to conduct an experiment in just how succesful is an advertising spree (it was a bit ruff and ready as an experiment, just run with it it’s interesting…)

the experiment was based on a two performances in the same park, one on a sunday when i’d invited loads of people i knew and spent time and money postering and social mediar ing, and the other on a thursday afternoon, the first week of the school holidays.

i found that the players figure increased by 9% and the audience figure decreased by 7%. i’m still analysising what this means.

the lovely thing about this project is that in all the months of playing and careful thought and deliberation and discussion, there is still room for the unexpected to happen.

something very unexpected happened only a few weeks into the project. i’m still not ready to talk about it yet, however the project has continued and the best unexpected thing is to do with engagement.

in putting the proposal together i had a figure in mind of what i wanted the audiences to be. as there is an opportunity for audience members to take part in the performance, i also gave an estimate of how many i thought would take part. ( and i am being very careful about the word participation here, as that has a whole inferred context assigned for it).

I am now in a position within the project to start to analysise the data that I am recording. of the estimate of audience numbers I am at 89% of the estimate. I do feel quite pleased with this. of the estimate of those taking part, I am at 240% of estimate. yes nearly 2 ½ times as many people as I estimated have experienced the snee snaw at first hand, actually taking part to find the elusive sneeze condition. I am just a very little pleased at this… :)

the project has taken a couple of turns from external influence that i would not have anticipated. not even in my analysing of the risks of the project could i ever have anticipated what happened. i’m not able to talk about them yet as i am committed to making the project work, and each shuv i’ve received has resulted in my resolve to keep going with the project, even though each shuv left me in a position i wouldn’t have not expected to be in, a bit like neo in matrix reloaded when he opens a door and finds himself in the mountains.

the one thing that remains a constant for me is the process of making of the work. i had a good session yesterday tidying and adding new features for me that make setting the snee snaw up more enjoyable. i have found via my research that the size of see saw affects the musical nature of the response. surprisingly the situation as done a 180 degree turnabout in terms of which ones i thought would make a more fun snee snaw.

the next outing of the snee snaw is this sunday in belper.

i am aware of things what i’m learning. for now these remain close to myself and the project report.

i am also aware of ‘taste’. in a project running within my collaborative practice there have been moments that taste has been the curatorial common land. i’m wondering if taste plays more of a part in the public sphere than i previously was aware of. for example in handing out the posters for this coming sunday’s performance i am seeing a duel strand of response. the inquisitive strand and the strand for which i don’t yet have a name. the second strand is summed up by the observation that if i don’t see the poster go up there and then, then it does not go up. maybe it’s a ‘taste’ thing. the inquisitive strand is exciting as it demonstrates an individual’s open ness ness to possibility. the response is summed up by, “i don’t really know what this is, however i get from the poster what it is, so i’m just going to have to be there to find out and experience it for myself.”

in my on-going interest in possible futures, the inquisitive strand is where i want to work to be.

it’s thursday and i’m about able to think straight again. the public rehearsal took place as planned last sunday. there were a total of 90 in the audience and 45 participants. when i quizzed christine about the number 45, she replied, “yes one of the children had extra help from a parent !

for the project i need to write some reflective words about where i am within the project. i should be able to do these soon.

i have to confess that the feelings of tiredness is making me feel like not continuing. i have come a long way with this project and i am not about to let tiredness be a reason for not continuing, when there have been some much bigger obsticles place in my way that i have found ways around.

the feedback i’m getting about the snee snaw is suggesting that it is liked and ‘got’ and is proving to be incredibly attractive an idea for adults. they are able to have fun again, playing in the playground.

there will of course remain citizens who do not ‘get it’ and simply want to see it for what they want it to be. i find it difficult to relate to these however they are free to think that, and i expect the to respect my view of the snee snaw as they demand their view to be respected.

that is one downside of working in a designated public space, the public, they are varied, surprising and at times i feel terrorised by them. terrorism of course is in the mind of the recipient, so i have to process why it is i feel terrorised and reject the notion.

once i have the energy again, i can finish off the next round of publicity and look forward to four more performances within the arts council funded project.

again however some people my try to disrespect the arts council funding, as they are ignorant to choose to be ignorant about just what the process is to achieve the funding. if any one wants to know about how hard i worked to achieve it, i will happily talk to them, provided that they first come over and talk to me. if that person does not want to talk to me, i ask them politely to leave me to my research and move onto to somewhere else, where they are amongst people they can talk to.

the snee snaw at one level is about working together to achieve something. working together is relient on verbal communication. if verbal communication ceases, it saddens me to think about what then happens.

in the case of the snee snaw, the sneeze remains an elusive condition, that can be achieved by effort and perseverance.

i enclose a video demonstration of the snee snaw in the arboretum in derby…