Sunday

Derive in Chichester

"And then i said", another conversation whizzing past me blurring out of sight before it had even begun. I am static in a constant momentum, from left to right people dodge and duck, swirling and twirling, rushing without a purpose. Lost souls in their manufactured utopia they float. The constant movement of feet create a rhythm, a pace, a beat... Heart beat of the city. People are the blood of the city, keep going, keep moving, never stopping in order to keep the city from falling and crumbling into it's Roman walls. They are the fabric of this city but yet they walk and rush, no where near noticing how the city depends upon them, without them it is lost. Music intrudes my ears distracting from my train of thought, I join the wondering crowed. Clumping together to view the spectacle of musicians it changes the place, people have stopped, they are no longer ignorant of each others existence, things somehow feel connected even though the crowed still feel slightly disjointed by the bodies slipping through to try and maintain there ignorance, in their own bubble of nothingness. The music has stopped the crowed has gone, the connection is lost and we fall back into the low hum of chatter, of footsteps, of bags, of bikes, of anything other than each other.

"in a derive, one or more person, durng a certain period, drop thier usualmotives for movement and actio, their relation, their work and lesiure activite, and let themselves be drawn by the attractions of the terrain and the encounters they find there" (Debord, quoted in Andreotti and Costa, 1996, p.22)This task was one of the first stages towards my final piece, I decided to do this task in order to gain a perspective of a busy afternoon within Chichester. So I therefore went into the center of town and did some free writing whilst I took myself on a Derive. From this passage that I wrote there are a few things which help toward my final piece the sense of community or lack of community within the last line which is important to me as my aim for the final pieces of site specific work is to bring the community of Chichester together to create not only my final piece but a piece of live art for the community by the community as well as my helping hand.

Saturday

Site Specific Theatre

What is Site Specific theatre?
Site Specific theatre is the last step and the goal from the other two tasks (Site Generic, Site Responsive). Leading on from Site Responsive, Site specific theatre is where by a performance is taken out of the traditional conventions of a theatre and performed in the ‘real world’, the piece is completely reliant of the site that is chosen. Creating a piece of Site Specific work  uses the space as stimulus to begin with but throughout the process research into the space’s history, uses and perception are essential in order to create a performance specific to the space.  Patrice Pavis states that “A large part of the work has to do with researching a place” (Pavis, 1998, Pg337). An example of Site Specific work is Wilson and Wilson’s performance ‘Mulgrave’, this piece “was created for and inspired by Mulgrave Woods, their atmosphere, their topography, their past present and future. It was deeply rooted in its location at every level and involved 16 local performers alongside a professional acting company.”
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As we can see from the quote above ‘Mulgrave ‘is a Site Specific performance centring around the Mulgrave Woods, due to the performance being inspired by the space that it is performed in and the process using research from the space as well, highlights the site specific nature of the work. As the piece cannot be moved to another location as it is dependant of the space’s influences for the piece to work concludes that it is a site Specific performance.
 
Mulgrave, Wilson and Wilson, 2005

Friday

Site Responsive; little people in a big city

I decided to undertake this task for two reasons, firstly I had done some research on Slinkachu and found the work exceptionally imaginative and playful, something I would aspire to in terms of creating a piece of site responsive using miniature models. (Slinkachu picture right) The second reason I wanted to take on this task was an idea of a surveillance society, being watch and detected every where we go from the CCTV cameras to "keep us safe" to the Internet pages we click on, all is being watched. I had been looking for a way to somehow express this idea of surveillance society to access what it is like to wonder around Chichester knowing about "them" watching you, the little people task is the perfect opportunity to do so as although some people may not see the models and they will go unnoticed, someone will eventually see them and at that point my task will be complete. In order to move forward with my idea I decided to use a blue army man in order to represent the watchful eye of society.
I first begun my task at my laptop in the library on the University of Chicheter campus as I wanted to work from the obscure and small places where we are being watched until we enhance the size of the site until in encases the whole of the University campus (where this task will be based). I decided to only use the University campus rather than the whole of Chichester because I felt that University is a great beacon for all young people to aspire to, to carry on their education and break free from the family home to spread their wings and live independently.I therefore found a irony in my stimulus for this task as even when we believe we are not being watched there is always something in which be are being monitored from.
From this task I felt that I learned how to appreciate a site from different perspectives especially now from a very small perspective. I feel that this has then allowed me to view an overall site with some difference, by being able to look at a site as a whole vast space to looking at the details of the space, the very small parts which make it's mass up. I feel that because of my strong sense of direction when starting this piece of work although I believe I have achieved my aim, I had narrowed what outcome I could get from the task, therefore not having the opportunity for my thoughts and perceptions of the task to change.

Thursday

Site Responsive Theatre

What is Site Responsive Theatre?
Site Responsive Theatre is when a performance is created by using a certain site as stimulus and responding to it. This type of theatre is one step on from Site Generic theatre as it is making a conscious decision to be seen in dialogue with its site, performances are created through a process of response to a particular site and then the performances can be moved to similar sites. This therefore shows a step forward from Site Generic as it can only be moved to certain sites to allow the pieces structure and purpose to continue rather than any site.  An example of a site responsive piece of theatre is Steven Koplowitz's "Grand Staircase”, consisting of a 15 minute dance performance followed by a 15 minute performance from a choir/musical ensemble upon a grand staircase “The Grand Step Project was conceived as a site-adaptive work to be performed on grand staircases, all over the world”.
(http://www.koplowitzprojects.com/projects/grand%20steps/gs_desciption.html)
This is a site responsive performance as it has been created for outside of the traditional theatre in response to certain site but can still be moved around. This piece uses a specific type of site (a grand staircase) but it is not specific to just one staircase, allowing the piece to be moveable to similar sites.
Stephan Koplowitz-The Grand Step Project-Dancing in the Streets-2004


Wednesday

My Blue Plaque tour

1.”This is where I became Spiderman”
Location- A lamppost on the University of Chichester campus


This is the starting point of my tour. One night surrounded by friends I was able to achieve a childhood dream of becoming Spiderman by climbing to the top of a lamppost, unfortunately for me I am not Spiderman.  
2. “Our step”
Location- A courtyard on the University of Chichester campus
This step has been a social meeting point since I joined the university and has begun many of my friendships through being a smoker.
3.”This is where I first kissed Phil Cole. 2010”
Location- Oakland’s way (long stay car park)
This was the location of my first kiss with one of my very good friends Phil Cole. In the midst of a funfair our friendship began through this act.
4.”My first Sunday lunch “
Location- The George and Dragon Inn and Pub
My first week of University some friends and me went for our first Sunday lunch together away from home, a bonding session to say the least.
5.”I came to the realisation I was not getting cigarettes”
Location- Chichester Town centre clock
On one very dark night a friend and me ventured into town to find an open shop to buy cigarettes, as my Blue Plaque show we was not so lucky with this quest.
6.”The birth and death bed of Awkward Abbey.2010”
Location- Chichester Cathedral
I spent a whole night and day in a cardboard mansion with 20 others for a homeless charity, there was leakage.
7.”Best rehearsal ever took place here”
Location- Real Burger Kitchen
One of our more obscure rehearsals lead four girls and a mermaid costume to this restaurant.
8.”Walking with my mate Jack D”
Location- Southstreet
I have walked this road many times under the intoxication of my friend Jack Daniels.
9.”Numb Bum”
Location- The Vestry
Outside of this pub I sat for what seemed like forever with a friend of mine talking about anything and everything.
10.”Hello and Goodbye”
Location- Chichester train station
This place holds many memories for me as it is the meeting point for friends and relatives that vist Chichester but also where I have to say goodbye.
11.”Six is one to many”
Location- Stockbridge road
Here is where few friends and I learnt the hard way about the importance of road safety.
12.”Bros before ho’s”
Location- Caledonian road
My friend’s house is on this road and it is where we (my friends and I) hold our lads night free from partners to hang out together.
13.”Money isn’t an object… until it’s gone”
Location- New Look, East Street
A particular place where is seems my student loan disappears too on a regular basis.
14.”I sat in the rain for you”
Location- Memorial gardens
I came to this place to clear my head when I felt times have gotten too stressful for me.
15.”Six and counting”
Location- St Richards hospital
I have visited here on six occasions since joining university, so it was only right for this to conclude my tour of “my Chichester”.

Site Generic; Blue Plaques, a very personal heritage

I decided to undertake this task as I was interested in how a Site can be viewed in different ways via individuals. I find this interesting as I believe that a places perception for individuals is changed due to the memories in which a Space can hold, looking at the archaeology of a Space on an individual scale or in Mike Pearson’s words “the ghosts and hosts” of a specific site. As a result of this intrigue the aim within this task was for me to draw upon my own memories and experiences of Chichester (Where all my tasks will be based) and create a reflective journey through blue plaques highlighting specific points (of my own experiences) in which the tour will take audience members. 
Firstly I began by taking a walk around Chichester on my own, thinking back to my time spent in this site and what prominent memories stick out to me that defines in essence “my Chichester”. Whilst undertaking my walk I marked specific points in the geography of the town where these certain occurrences took place and marked them down upon a map. Once I had finished my trip down memory lane I looked at all the Spaces in which I had marked with a memory and made a route or tour in which audience members could follow. Leading on from this I then printed off 15 blue plaques that contained a caption relating to the memories of the places I had marked, Following the map I had previously made I followed the route of my memories and stuck up the blue plaques in the relevant places giving the participants of this tour visual stimulus relating to memories of Chichester.
Before I began this task I assumed that the task would be solely about me, my memories and my perception of Chichester but as the task progressed I began to look at the bigger picture of what the task could achieve. I realised that the task was more about not only my personal journey but also the journey I am taking others upon using my past as the stimulus of the piece. I also believe that in doing this task I have allowed insight to what Chichester as a site holds personally for me, therefore highlighting that a sites perception is individual and that it would be wrong to assume everyone is seeing a site in the same way. This would therefore mean that the site's in which I have chosen to do this are Spaces according to Nick Kaye who describes Spaces as "an area subject to transformation" as I have transformed them in some way whereas if they were places i would not be able to do so as Kaye suggests they are "exclusive and self regulating".
To progress this task even further I would encase more stop points  along the way of my tour, creating more of a picture for the individual as to what I see within Chichester as a site on a personal level. As well as this I feel that more visual stimulus could be given to the participants for example Stop five on my tour states “I came to the realisation I was not getting cigarettes” for this I would then place a cigarette with the sign to increase visual stimulation. As well as this to transform the task into a more responsive one I could highlight surrondings of the space that I have placed my plaques on or near in order for the sign then to be more responsive to that particular Space rather than a generic one.

Tuesday

Site Generic Theatre

What is Site Generic theatre?
Site generic theatre is creating performances that can take place in many different sites; a site is any position, location or place. This does not mean that anything done outside of a theatre space equals a site generic performance, you must give consideration to the fact you are not necessarily performing to a permanent/committed audience. As well as this you are also without the conventional ‘stage’ therefore you have a lack of illusion and stage elements you would find within a theatre space .Mike Pearson summarises this stating “Staging and performance conceived on the basis of a place in the real world (ergo, outside the established theatre).” (Site-Specific Performance, Mike Pearson,2010, pg7). An example of site generic theatre is Bootworks’ The black box, this piece is a “unique and innovative theatre installation which explores – in practise and theory – vocabularies of form, composition, narrative and montage in film." 
Bootworks use a unique inside-out portable theatre for an audience of one,(as seen below) due to the capacity to move around this piece is a site generic performance as it can take place in many different sites and still retain its performance style and register without being jeopardise by its surroundings.
Bootworks Theatre Company, The Black Box