A N S W E R

Creating an ANSWER. It’s frustrating, there are very few spaces for performance art in Yorkshire at the moment. I am therefore extending an invitation to like-minded-people, to create a moment for making. ANSWER intends to be an open and experimental time for performers. We can meet outdoors (or indoors if we can find spaces) for an hour of body-based practice in situ, and discussion. If the ideas grow, we might want to do more. But for now – all I can resource is something small and achievable. Perhaps no-one will turn up … maybe one or two… let’s see.

First meeting: Friday 27th March, 12:45pm.

Leeds-Liverpool Canal: Meet at Wharf Approach bridge

behind Leeds Rail Station/ Hilton DoubleTree Hotel LS1 4BR, walk west along canal behind ‘round tower apartment block’. 

What3Words: kicks.hooks.brave

Here is some more information and context:

About A. N. S. W. E. R

Why?

A desire to make live art with the body and site

Be experimental

Explore internal and external space

Be with like-minded people- find our people 

Interrupt and intervene

Be present

Be critical

Be caring

Mess around and play

Commit to other people and places

Avoid commodity

Invite questions

Let meaning emerge

Risk, fail, do

When?

Approx’ two-monthly meet ups – e.g last Friday of the month.

Where?

Urban public sites in and around Leeds: parks, waste land, watersides, streets, some interiors, (avoiding seemingly public but actually private sites such as shopping malls, transport intersections, civic sites, etc).

Who?

Performers: movement, visual art, theatre, performance art.

*Remember, in this public collective space our individual actions inform the actions of others.

There is capacity for solo making and to respond physically or conceptually to one another. There might be one of us – there might be more.

What?

Focus is on improvised and responsive performance; this is not a theatre or gallery. You might bring material with you or have an idea of some initial movement or action.  Or you might find materials and inspiration in the time and place. You might work with task or embodied response. There is no score. One of us will keep an eye on the time. No agenda.

Audience?

The general public are our witnesses.  

There is no formal announcement or contextual introduction – we just ‘do’.

Invited friends and allies can attend -come and go or are welcome to join us for brief conversation afterwards. (And to help carry things and care for performers).

Travel? 

Get yourself and your own materials to the site. Car shares might be possible. Stay safe.

Bring?

 Yourself, any performance materials.

Documentation?

I haven’t worked that out yet! If someone wants to manage images and online sharing, please volunteer.

Self-care/ care of the environment:

These are public sites. There will be passers-by and other users of the site. We are not controlling or invigilating the space as we perform.  So it is advisable not to bring anything valuable such as laptops with you. We will group extra bags and clothing but cannot secure personal possessions. It is up to you how you manage an approach from the public. We can support each other in the public space.

We should not litter or damage or destroy public or private property on site. Make sure you clear up after yourself and bring any tools with you to do this. 

It is up to you how you deal with weather. 

Making noise might attract different attention to a visual presence.  Respect local residents and users.

You are responsible for your own safety in your performance.  Do not plan deliberately physically dangerous actions – we cannot support extreme body based practice in this context. Making performance art can be emotionally and physically draining (and stimulating!) so exercise self-care and stop if you don’t want to continue.

When we meet, we can mutually agree the circumstances in which we might stop performing.

This is peaceful assembly for art making.  This is not an issue-specific political platform (but it is a political space). 

There is no risk assessment, there is no permission, no one is in charge.

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Context:

Here are some weblinks you might want to look at:
https://www.bbeyond.live/

http://www.ouiperformance.org.uk/equinox

https://venogardkunst.com/performance-art-bergen-2022/ https://www.tactilebosch.co.uk/ https://www.siteperformanceart.org/ https://www.otherperformance.co.uk/ https://temptingfailure.com/

https://www.juliet-artmagazine.com/parlour-collective-la-performance-come-interpretazionedel-paesaggio/

https://mediathek.hgk.fhnw.ch/front/#/de/bestaende/26 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freedom_of_assembly https://www.rightofassembly.info/country/united-kingdom

Thank you