Evaluation of Living Gallery piece

LIVING GALLERY - Evaluation

Tonight, Jake and I performed our experimental duet piece, Destruction of Growth. The piece has developed greatly throughout the rehearsal process and ended up as an expression of how we grow and age in today's society, how we cope with rules imposed upon us.

The piece is a journey, from the naivety and tenderness of birth and childhood, to the academic pressures of adolescence, to the seriousness and confusion of adulthood, to a violent eruption of despair. We exited the piece through a blue door, a metaphorical representation of death.

Strengths

I believe that we created a clever way of seducing the audience into something simple that became dark. The opening section attracted the attention of audience members as they watched us decode words on the board as children, however, we pushed the piece into darker areas as it progressed, a larger audience able to experience it with us. For me, throughout the piece, I felt as if I was having to try and get things right, I was in a bewildering process of having to do what's demanded of you without really understanding it. I think that audience members were able to relate to this and therefore the piece was able to connect to them.

I feel that we were able to utilise the materials that the site naturally gave us to illustrate the message of the piece, without having to explicitly force anything. I feel that this made the piece original and interesting, as it was in an unconventional site for theatre and explored a large topic. For example, we used the whiteboard and pens to create a sweet-seeming primary school environment, part of the site. This section helped to create a sense of paradox -something that seems innocent yet has a dark undercurrent of rules subtly imposed on the young by society to keep them under controls. Furthermore, we used the GCSE Science textbooks in the site to illustrate the immense amount of information teenagers are expected to absorb at such young ages, as they still grow and evolve into who they will be. The black blinds symbolised the darkness and bleakness of loss and upset within life, and feelings of loneliness; we also physically distanced ourselves from the audience in this section. The door was used to show how quickly one physically disappears once death strikes. The very site itself, a school science room, has connotations to a laboratory, as if Jake and I were living our lives under scrutiny and surveillance like test subjects. 

I feel that all these uses of parts of the site were bold choices that allowed us to go on a physical and metaphorical journey around the space. In the performance, the choices we made felt powerful and were strong symbols. I feel that we were able to capture the nature of site-specific theatre, using the site in every way possible to enhance our piece. 

I think that the use of duvets was a bold and experimental choice, a symbol of the safety given to us when we are in the womb, and when we are protected from the injustices of the world. The duvets were carried with us until the end of the piece, gradually peeling away from our bodies as we grew older and became more exposed. I think the use of the duvet as we grew symbolised a poignant longing and effort to replicate the feeling of protection, warmth and encapsulation you receive when in the womb. Can we ever fully recreate that feeling? I believe there is that desire within all of us - at the end of the day when we sleep, we strip away the character we have played in work, we undress, we wrap ourselves in a sheet of warmth - and sleep.

 I was able to experience the gradual loss on stage and it gave me the emotional depth to the piece as I felt as if I was slowly losing a part of myself. The sequence of tangling the duvets with each other felt wild, visceral, raw and violent, a painstaking release of the upset that has built up over time. This section was a successful climax to the piece and enabled me to feel deeply as an actress. Furthermore, the simple visual image of barring Jake from entering secondary school with the duvet was a simple way to show how cruel and subjective the education system can be, done only with some cotton.

I also feel that the words I added to the piece were moving and were able to give it some context and depth, for example when I told Jake, 'if you can't get through, you're just not clever enough', taking on the role of a powerful adult in the education and watching his struggle from above.

Weaknesses

Although I was proud of and moved by the outcome of the piece, I have found the process of creating this work difficult, as my partner and I have contrasting styles of working and creative processes. Our differences did mean that at points we could not push the piece to heights it could have reached, and were left with less time to organise it. I found it hard to have to complete the majority of technical work such as emailing teachers and organising meetings, however, this experience has allowed me to learn something. I have realised the importance of really thinking about who you want to work with before deciding to collaborate with them. It was my own choice to work with someone I knew less well than others, instead of trusting myself to do a solo piece. I think that I was afraid of taking the step to do a piece alone as I worried it may have been too exposing and I wouldn't have felt supported, but this process has taught me that I could have done a solo piece and that I shouldn't doubt my abilities as a performer.

I feel that we could have enriched the piece further with more choreographed physical sequences and more lines to speak. The beauty of the piece was its rough and simple nature, but it may have become more visually interesting for an audience had I spent time thinking of a way to convey our idea through physical theatre. This may have come had I thought in more depth about our message and how to use the space.

I also think that I could have spent more time connecting the piece to the brain. There was no explicit scientific reference to the brain, even though the piece is about how the mind develops. This addition may have made the piece more interesting and further achieved the aims set out at the start of the term.

Audience comments/ Reactions

The piece came alive when we had an audience to watch and absorb the work; I could feel their reactions changing as the piece developed and darkened. The members watched tentatively as we played as children, and moved further into the space as we did, meaning they were enticed by our action and captivated by the piece.

The feedback I received from the audience was intuitive and articulate. A member said that the piece spoke to them as an expression of rules that we are expected to follow as we evolve, never ever knowing quite why, and the pressure to get things right. Another said that they liked the use of the duvets, and could relate to the desire to retract back into the duvet, something we all wish to do.

What I will take from the work

Overall, I had a brilliant learning experience in this process and my partner and I created something heartfelt, unique, bold and special. I feel that we both were in harmony and passionately committed during the performance and were able to affect the audience emotionally, as well as ourselves. I will take away a great deal from this experience - the process of creating a unique piece of devised work with a partner, how to stay open and receptive, how to draw inspiration from both artists and from everyday life, and the challenges of how to transalte your feelings and ideas into a physical piece of art.

Journey from Brith to Death

Historical context

Historical Context of the Site

The science lab in which Jake and I's duet will take place is part of The East Wing. The room is a space which used to be an old Girl's school. The architecture of the room itself embodies the old building - with tall ceilings and long French windows, and blue wooden doors. The modern additions to the room, however, are a contrast to the structure of the space. Historically, I am not sure of when this room was transformed into a science lab but the equipment feels fairly new, giving the space a clinical and orderly feel.

Why I was attracted to this site

Our piece is about growth and the development of a person from birth to death; the journey of how they adapt to what is around them and deal with the darker areas of life. The piece should feel very raw, organic and physical as we travel around the space. This should juxtapose the medical, cool and lifeless feel of a science lab, a contrast interesting to work with. Furthermore, a science laboratory is the place where research and experimentation is done to try and discover more about the incredible and perplexing brain itself, so to use a lab as our site is fitting and a nice visual image,

Properties, Qualities and Meanings

Properties:
-2 rows of tables with taps, sinks, chairs and plugs
-aisles between the tables
-high ceilings
-science equipment
-white boards
-French windows with black blinds
-a large space

Qualities:
-has a clinical feel
-feels busy yet ordered
-smells of chemicals

Meanings
-the space has associations to scientific research spaces, to hospitals, to impersonal and functional spaces
-as actors, we are like test subjects under surveillance, lab rats

A Poem about the meaning of our Duet

POETRY

Today, I wrote a poem about how, as people living in the hectic and fast-paced 21st century, we never take time to look at one another, and how our perceptions of the world can alter our ability to see beauty in others as our minds age. I think that is what our piece is about, and the poem I wrote has helped to distill and explain that for me.

The last time you looked closely at me

when i look close at your tears

i see a million rivers run down

the corrugated map of your face

torrents that rush from place to place

when i look close at your hands

i see all has graced the surface of your skin

twigs, notes, kisses and keys

and, occasionally, the touch of me

when i look close at your back

i see the bones that hold you together

a structure of smashed cups and plates

glued together and put back in place

when i look close at your hair

an earthy light of dusk sits on the strands

and your hand delves into the messes

an attempt to calm your stresses

when i look close at your eyes

i am allowed to pull apart your wall

and reside inside the place you call home

to soften and heal your repressed moans

but the last time i looked closely at you

was in a time of ignorance i cannot recall

i am now drowning in injustices of this Earth

i cannot see a fire burning above the hearth

and the last time you looked closely at me

was when there was one thing you’d need

a vessel with which to fill your torment

until you are filled with great repent

now we feast our tiring minds 

on ever-lighted shards of glass

clutched between searching fingers

where each other’s bodies once lingered.

Eden Rickson

Title, Blurb and Materials used

Destruction of Growth

Jake Ellis Price, Eden Rickson

Bed sheets, cardboard, newspaper

Through life we struggle with finding ourselves. Is it the cure to find each other? Do you have to lose yourself in order to find someone else? How do you cope with every restriction and expectation imposed on you in modern society?

Audience instructions/controls/restrictions, and numbers

Audience Instructions

-Please stand in the aisles in between the rows of white tables, not at the front or back of the room.
-Please do not stand in the middle of the space

Ideal numbers:

20 members of audience

Labelled Map of Site

Below is the labelled map of the site, a science room, 406.

Photographs of the Site

Images of the Site (science room 406, upstairs section of old building)

Health and Safety instructions

Health and Safety instructions for audience 

-Do not touch any loose objects as they are properly of the science department and may cause harm if dropped/moved
-Fire exit is through the main blue door or the prep room
-Do not turn on the taps

Risk Assessment of Piece

Title	Living Gallery	Reference/ Version	‘Please Interact’ - Meschac Gabba
Department	Science	Date of Assessment	14/2/16
Location	Room 406 (Science Lab)	Next Assessment Due
Assessor Name	Jack Hughes	Job Title	Actor

This was completed by both me and Jake. I have labelled the sections we each contributed:

Section done by me:

Hazard	Injury	Who at Risk	Existing Control Measures	Risk Score			Further Control Measures Needed	Action
				Severity	Likelihood	Risk Rating (S x L)		By Whom	Due Date
Tripping on wires in the room	Abrasions or bruising to areas of the body where audience member/actor has fallen	Both audience and performance	Wires are not in the way of people in the room or obstructing the path which the audience/actors will take.	3	2	6	Conceal all hazardous wires from audience and actors so that they are not in the way and will not be tripped over.	Actors
Falling into the edges of the tables	Sharp pain to areas of the body such as hips, sides, arms or elbows, resulting in abrasions or bruising to the skin.	Both audience and performer	There is sufficient space to move between the table edges and they are slightly curved at the edges to reduce impact.	2	3	6	Ensure that the audience stand at the front of the science lab, where they are not in the way of any table edges that could result in injury. Ensure that actors become used to the site they are working in and find ways to safely use the space without harming themselves.	Actors
Knocking over any loose objects in the room, such as rulers, glass beakers or workbooks	Hazards such as broken glass or objects obstructing the way of audience or actors, resulting in minor injury, or disruption during evacuation.	Both audience and performer	Loose objects do not dominate the main areas we will use in the piece, and most are stored safely in cupboards or in designated areas.	1	3	3	Before the performance begins, clear away any potentially hazardous objects from the space to minimise risk.	Actors
Spillage of water on the floor	Minor injury to the body due to slipping on water	Both audience and performer	There is no water in the room	2	2	4	Audience will not be allowed to drink water during the piece
Spillage of water near plugs atop the tables	Risk of electric shock	Both audience and performer	There is no water in the room	4	1	4	Audience cannot drink water during the performance
Falling into stalls	Minor injury to the body	Both audience and performer	We work around the stalls and are aware of them	3	3	9	Actors will practice piece with the stalls, the audience do not gravitate towards stalls (part of clear instructions laid out)	Actors
Tripping over on the sheets we use	Injury to the body, abrasions or bruising, caused by falling onto the floor or into any of the tables or chairs	Performer	We have practiced the piece using the sheets	2	4	8	Actors will keep their surroundings in mind and take care not to harm themselves when working physically with the sheets.	Actors
The textbooks falling onto our feet/ an audience member	Minor injury to the body, abrasions or bruising or soreness to limbs or body	Performer and audience	The audience are told in the instructions to stay in a space away from where we use the textbooks, minmising risk of the books harming them. As actors we have ran the piece with the textbooks so are aware of how to handle them without them falling and causing damage.	4	1	4	Actors will be careful with the books, placing them on the table only, and will place them back in the blue box once we have finished using them.	Actors
Someone turning on a tap and starting a flow of water	Risk of slipping due to water on the floor	Audience (who potentially turn the tap) and performers	The audience will be fixated on the piece and not the taps. They will not come into contact with the taps if they stand where instructed.	3	1	3	Tissue will be available to clear any spillages do they occur.	Actors
The black blinds falling down	Injury to whoever is near the blind that falls, resulting in bruising or abrasions to the skin, possible cuts if a body part becomes tangled in the string of the blind	Audience and performers	All blinds were checked before the performance happened, and tied in place	3	1	3	Actors will be careful when working near the blinds	Actors

Section done by Jake:

tripping on things in our performance which are on the floor	risk of slipping and falling and hurting ourselfs	audience and performer	we are aware whats on the floor	2	2	4	we check at the begging of the piece that the floor is clear
signs falling on our heads	stangling us	performer	we secure the signs	1	1	1
audience standing in front of door	getting hit when people come in	audience	put a sign saying dont stand in front of door	2	3	6
as part of the performance mounting and dismounting the desk	falling and hurting oursefls	performers	be careful	3	3	8

Severity			Likelihood			Risk
Severity = Level of potential harm			Likelihood = Chance of harm			Severity x Likelihood = Risk
1	No action, delay only		1	Very Unlikely		1 - 6	Acceptable
2	Minor injury - 1st aid only, minor damage		2	Unlikely		8 – 10	Tolerable if strictly monitored, but try to improve
3	Injury, illness – time off work, damage		3	Fairly Likely
4	Major injury, disabling illness, major damage		4	Likely		12 - 25	Unacceptable, further controls are mandatory
5	Fatality		5	Very Likely - Imminent
		Severity
		1 Delay Only	2 Minor Injury	3 Injury or Illness	4 Major Injury	5 Fatality
Likelihood	1 Very Unlikely	1	2	3	4	5
	2 Unlikely	2	4	6	8	10
	3 Fairly Likely	3	6	9	12	15
	4 Likely	4	8	12	16	20
	5 Very Likely	5	10	15	20	25