[Kitty O]

Invisible Dancing – Greenwich.

disciplines – dance, some basic PK, live music
theme? – fun, gathering together, informal community celebration
location – on the street SOme use of street furniture e.g. bollards. The commnity#s space, where people are comfortable
audience – passers-by, probably was advertised beforehand so also some people turning up to spectate. Seemed to involve participation – dance sessions then performed on the street, also some audience engagement.
atmosphere/relationship audience and work – ‘life is good here’

Radio Ballet – Leipzg main stations
disciplines – radio technology for communication, movement
theme – surveillance, pushing it!
location – train station, all around, dispersed
audience – participatory – people couldjoin in, take a scarf and radio… also passers-by – some joning in the dance bit, some confused. Security bods generally ignored people – so a very different response from different spectators.
atmosphere – surreal, pushing the boundaries of acceptable behaviour, taking back control, acting together gives strength, ‘we are many’, self- and social-empowerment, (history of rebellion).

[Kitty O]

1. the beach and prom
2. aberystwyth arts centre – outside quad

free to access
only in good weather – holiday/happy/relaxed atmosphere.
otherwise – sideways rain, everyone hurrying
people there to relax/eat/meet, also people walking past on their way to somewhere else
no expectation of art!
wind, sun, rain – exposure to elements, individual reactions to this.
THEY ARE THEIR OWN LITTLE BUBBLES, poeple expect them to be a certain way, tho this ‘way’ differs with each individual
NB these spots very different to e.g. a shopping centre, where people are more hurried, less willing to look, there is no seating, no air/light – very controlled atmosphere, ‘safe’.
OMG so many excellent replies above! community /planned and informal spaces / CCTV…. encounters between strangers being possible is very imposrtant!… and makes me think – is a shop or bank lobby a public space, esp if it is ‘invaded’ by a cultural event (eg flamenco protesters in Spain, and many other examples of direct action events)

[Kitty O]

HI I’m cath, a performer and creator, all my fave arts work has been outdoors…I love walkabout, whether riding pedal-powered creations (with the marvellous Jess Rost, or with Festive Road) or conducting consultations at the GoblinDoctor Surgery (Earthlings), or mayhem-ing it up with Ailsa Mair Hughes and a maypole at the Machynlleth comedyfest. I love low-level fun, where I can really interact with people, allow at least brief conversations to develop – as such I also do pop-up performnce poetry, when relevant. For me, it’s becoming, often, about creating a temporary community, and I explored this last year with Milly Jackdaw in ‘Cauldron Tales’, an interactive promenade storytelling performance held in the woods in West Wales and ending with a fireside sharing of popcorn, stories, chats and musical jamming. Especially at the moment, it feels important to develop spaces where we can all share a common language – even if it is just gobledeygook! – laugh and talk, and occasionally encourage people to have pockets sewn onto their garments (‘Pockets of Resistance’ – Jess Rost productions). I am hoping this course inspires me to maybe think bigger and get inspired, and to question (or at least think about) the methodology and potentiality of public art…. but I am useless at technology and at creating/keeping records (too busy being in the moment!) so sorry, no links to anything here. Not yet, anyway!

[Author]

Posts