Experimentica 08

SUSHI LUNCHBOXES £1 ONLY

2008-10-18T07:35:00.001-07:00

Gwilly Edmondez and Richard Bowers - Pandaemonium

2008-10-18T07:30:00.000-07:00

Make mine a G & T

2008-10-18T06:13:00.000-07:00

May I offer my hearty salutations and thanks to Esther Pilkington, Daniel Ladnar, Sandra Laueri and Gareth Llyr for their inspirational performance in 'Random People (Versions 1-5)' last night in the theatre. (To all who missed it just close your eyes and imagine you hadn't).

Personally, I will be taking my newly learned strategies for overcoming stage fright and public speaking to Newport where I will be teaching animation to 50 BA students next Tuesday, God help me! Presenting an idea to a large group of people is a nerve shattering experience that many of us avoid at all cost and no amount of preparation can compensate for the memory lapses, technical hitches or lack of response from one's audience that result in private melt-down. However, there are ways to help make it all run smoothly.

For instance, Power Point, bullet points on individual cards, props, good old blackboard and chalk, weaving in personal experiences, wearing a disguise, demonstration, and if all else fails, imagining your audience naked. Evidently it takes courage to get on stage and deliver your piece, whether you are the author or whether you are interpreting the idea of another person but the conclusion I have come to is that a little vulnerability goes a long way.

Versions 1-5 was in turn funny, painful, sensitive, engaging, endearing, courageous and entertaining, delivered with authenticity and conviction and full of individual personality. By the final and fifth version (which thankfully did not involve audience participation) the four of them had us eating out of their hands, or at least declaring love! The chemistry between them was accentuated for me by the odd technical blip which, far from being distracting, only added to the warmth of the performance as they were genuinely, visibly and vocally sorry for each other when it happened.

They didn't get to hear the audience applause at the end as they had left the room but if you are reading this, Esther, Daniel, Sandra and Gareth,

"We love you!".

Gridlock in the basement

2008-10-16T19:27:00.000-07:00

On one of my more meandering journeys today I was taken via Castle Park to G39 on Mill Lane where it was my duty to deposit berries, fir cones and crab apples as a token offering to The White Stag who resides there. On entering the building I was distracted by a mysterious sound coming up through an open trap door in the floor. Against my better judgement (I am not the underground type) I descended a steep flight of steps into the bowels of the gallery where the smell of damp immediately hit my sensitive nostrils.

Here in this airless and limited space I made myself comfortable on the little bench provided and watched a short and curious film which depicted the monotonous drone of traffic in the heart of a city. Usually I go to great lengths to avoid such an experience, sitting in traffic that is, not watching experimental films, and I found myself looking around nervously from time to time hoping that no one would close the hatch on me. I played out the scenario that would ensue if I had been trapped down there and started to feel a little breathless.

As it was, the sense of entrapment became palpable as the cars on the screen idled along, nose to bumper in an endless procession, seeming to drive directly towards me at times. A driver, unable to move, stared rudely at me for an unprecedented amount of time before passing by. Little scenarios occurred: a lone individual stood at a bus stop conversing on her mobile adding to the dislocation I was feeling from the world. Pockets of humanity were present but cut off, stranded by the wall of metal and noise.

Through this unsettling sound filtered a woman's voice singing 'Que Sera, Sera (What ever will be, will be)', as if to herself, which was both soothing and frustrating as she was barely audible. And then a beautiful thing happened. The point of view switched to rolling clouds in the sky, albeit through the sun roof of a vehicle. I could almost feel the cushioned warmth of the seat, laid back for my comfort as I viewed my little rectangle of paradise. This sequence of cloud is probably extended in my memory, such was its power to calm and soothe. Was the drone of traffic muffled or was there complete silence? I do not remember.

The reflection of dashboard paraphernalia did not lessen my pleasure but reminded me of how lucky I was to be in my cosy cocoon. Memories of my walk in the park came to life as a woodland scene evolved from the clouds. A large dog stood stock still and focused on something out of shot while light seeping through the forest canopy created a stunning and dreamlike ripple of motion over him.

But all good things must come to an end, and the jumble of cars returned to the screen once more, accompanied by their hateful noise. The spell was broken and it was time to move on.

Metro Article

2008-10-15T05:33:00.000-07:00

If you want more of an insight into Experimentica 08 then check out the link below:

http://www.metro.co.uk/metrolife/article.html?Enjoy_a_feast_of_the_weird_and_wonderful_at_Experimentica_08&in_article_id=354839&in_page_id=244&in_a_source =

Experimentica08 Diary

2008-10-07T07:56:00.000-07:00

tactileBOSCH

Tuesday 14th October

7pm - RE:LAPS (curated by Kim Fielding and Neil Jeffries)
www.tactilebosch.org

Paul Hurley

Soozy Roberts

Shaun Caton

Tom Marshaman

Richard Spartos

Denis Romanofski

Kira O’reilly

Tim Bromage + Karl Price

Eve Dent

plus

Salt Shoes: Margaret Constantas

Deborah Light (in collaboration with John Collingswood and Neil Davies)

Chapter Arts Centre

Tuesday 14th - Sunday 19th October

6pm - 10pm - Deborah Light (in collaboration with John Collingswood and Neil Davies)

Wednesday 15th October - Sunday 19th October

Dislocated Moments within a Chapter: Ruth Bamber

Wednesday 15th October - Sunday 19th October

Sam Aldridge and Ruth Bamber

Wednesday 15th October

7.30pm - Movement Double Bill: Rea Dennis and Cai Tomos

9.30pm - Richard Allen

Thursday 16th October

6.30pm - Gunboat Diplomacy(or, why batman always brings a wet hand to the negotiating table): Rufus Orsborne

7pm - Hello Sailor(Goodbye Heart): Tom Marshman

8.30pm - Minimalist Music for Young People: Neil Trefor Hughes

9.30pm - Pandaemonium: Richard Bowers and Gwilly Edmondez

10pm - Brodys Notes: Good Cop Bad Cop

Friday 17th October

7pm - Random People

8pm - Six Glass Fingers

9pm - £1 Running Sushi: Anti cool

10pm – Brodys Notes: Good Cop Bad Cop

Saturday 18th October

12pm - Come to Pass: Shaun Caton

7.30pm - Paul Granjon and Kanta Horio

9pm - Lily Green with ORCOP and Valley Lines

10pm – Brodys Notes:Good Cop Bad Cop

Sunday 19th October

2pm – 10pm Shadows of a Dream: Rachel Calder

2pm – 10pm- Sonic Catering Tribute Band: Simon Proffitt and Karine Decorne

2pm –10pm Mapping Welsh Performance: Heike Roms

8pm – Brodys Notes - Good Cop Bad Cop

G39, Mill Lane

Wednesday 15th - Sunday 19th October

Car: Andrea Willams

Saturday 18th October

7pm - Andrea Vye

Anti-Cool £1Running Sushi

2008-09-16T09:54:00.000-07:00

2008-09-16T09:46:00.000-07:00

COMING SOON!