I’ve recently been to hear Dr Elin Jones (Welsh historian) talk about women in history who should be more famous than they are, as part of the Abergavenny history society’s programme of lectures. One of the women had ‘letter writing’ as one of her occupations – is the modern equivalent email and online messaging?
Alongside thoughts of historical women who’ve been more or less left out of historical records I was thinking about the financial strain on local theatre’s like Abergavenny’s Borough Theatre. Lots are losing funding hand over fist. Back in the at least one of the world wars the theatre was used as a dance venue to lift spirits (something to mull over). I repeatedly try to find solutions to these cultural losses.
One of the key practical elements to my practice that has continued over the last few years is exchange between individuals and concern on the erosion of our culture through reduction of cultural infrastructure. I find myself wanting to declare war on the erosion of our culture. Which is happening piece by piece, and since 2010 things like libraries, theatres, public loos (enabling more people to interact / get out more) are bit-by-bit eroding our future. Art and creativity is essential, though those of you reading this don’t need to be persuaded, I know!
One of the women had ‘letter writing’ as one of her activities. It is almost a lost thing. We perhaps do it via email, online chat now.
I am really interested in how people encounter things. How they circle things. How they move in a gallery, in a shop, walking or skipping along the pavement, up steps. The wonderful movements of confidence and the counterpoint in the mundanity of life.
I am beginning to feel more connected to my surroundings. The Clydach Gorge project has helped me first of all realise this and then define it. (Currently etching alongside developing performative ideas for this)
I went to a session at Oriel Davies led by Simon Whitehead called Dancing in the gallery I only found out about the session the very day before, but dropped everything to go. And I was glad I did. The session had a mix of artists, performance artists, dancers and curators and there was a site responsive piece of dance happening in and around the galleries while we were there, who came through our session during the talks. I have a better understanding of how performance can fit into a gallery setting and the logistics and opportunities that come with it. My approach is in thinking about performance inside and outside, mostly so far not in gallery settings and I am interested to see how performance might be in a gallery. The description (by Geoff Boch) of Katy Coe’s running practice, she’s a solo figure who runs a continuous circuit. She sheds excess thought and (at the Hayward Gallery MirrorCity) had a live phone in her pocket which fed back into the exhibition space ‘venting’.
Simon Whitehead’s performance at Oriel Davies involving the furniture and often a level of exhaustion. The deciding how to react to interested visitors. To speak when spoken to or not? To adapt movements in response to others in the space?
I lear
I am fascinated by how the complex movements can be written in notation. This notation is only useful with a thorough understanding of dance that comes from being a trained dancer/choreographer.
