Thank you to Rob Ulitski for shooting and editing this short record of the events that took place at Coastguard Studio on 2nd July 2016. It was an amazing night of spoken word, audiovisual performance, collaborations between experimental musicians and painters, performance art. It was everything that had been hoped for an more. The video of course can only go so far to documenting the event. You really did have to be there.
A full list of performers and artists that took part is listed below so a big thanks to all these people who made the event possible.
Music for an Imagined Ballet by Simon Heartfield & Most Wanted Dance: A music score in four movements for an imagined ballet. Inspired by numerous visits to the Royal Opera House and in particular the choreography of Wayne McGregor and dancers Lauren Cuthbertson and Ed Watson. The piece takes further inspiration from the Alain Resnais film “Last Year At Marienbad” (1961). Initially conceived as a conceptual piece and now be realised in collaboration with Carly-Ann Purcell and performers from Most Wanted Dance. Supported by a specially created video.
Non Music for Non People by Leon Tricker: Inspired by the Creel Pone label and a Throbbing Gristle slogan, non-music for non-people (nmfnp) is an electroacoustic artist who works primarily with electronics and found sounds / field recordings. For this event nmfmp will be performing a bespoke audio piece with accompanying visuals provided by Jez Stevens.
Back to the Bronx by Rusty Sheriff & Silly Little Man: Back to the Bronx’ is a document about the cultural/historic/geographical boarders of New York City, paying homage to the film The Warriors, only in reverse. A live soundtrack, with live visuals it asks the question about the ways in which borders in NYC affect the growth and segregation of indigenous cultures within the five boroughs?
Idiotbot: Idiotbox hails from the strangest corners of surreality, grinning & spinning out audio-visual beats layered with madness, GIFs, and odd-time guitar riffs. Currently exploring different ways of demolishing cultural constructs of definition through conceptual processing, Idiotbox often makes no sense at first. This is a good thing, actually.
Dr Lighthouse: Ambient textures and sonorous ambience projected through quite spaces and seeping between the aural cracks. Nothing emerges, everything is hidden. The spaces between are sites of struggle and conflict. Change must come said Mao Se Dong.
Kevin More: Semi-improvised electronica inspired by classic Kraut-rock and noise music on the Brighton scene.
Mizra: Mizra performs with processed guitars and electronic sounds. Taking strains from the history of electronic dance music and mixing it with improvisation, the outcome is an experience that looks to explore the physicality of sound and sensory perception.
Fear as Entertainment by Los Dave & Prrk Industires: An intense psycho-geographical paint and spoken word jam exploring psycho/bio/geo-graphical spaces and themes of access and exclusion. A written/text based piece across an improvised, ambient landscape painted directly onto the wall, sound-tracked and recited by Prrk Industries’ responding to the painting and the text. The soundtrack inspires and responds to the painting and vice versa until the text is written over the top. The soundtrack performance to include some homemade instruments such as a brand new bird-theremin (not built yet!) and the Bikesichord.
Mr. Foot (DJ): Spinning an eclectic mix of ambience, deviance and mellow electronica followed by a party set to close the evening.
Border Lines by Nick Downes, Vincent Adams & Adam Holdaway: A border post. A frontier between this and that. Here and there. Hither and yon. Two men. Manning the border. Are we still where we were? Or are we already somewhere else? Going from here to there, please mind the gap (between appearance and reality).
Splodge Designs by Clare Jefferson-Jones & Paul Jones: Crossing borders, an exploration of containment through imagery, textures, colours and sound. Mapping 3-Dimensional video projections onto sculptural forms. Accompanied by a soundscape tailored to enhance the imagery and sensations of limitations and boundaries.
I don’t know what this is by Scot Jowett: A sayer of words and a fourth wall groper. What are the links between the thoughts in his head and the thoughts in yours? Scott wants to find out. And exploit them. Possibly make love to them. Rub against them at the very least. Like a curious, itchy backed bear on a monkey puzzle tree. But with clothes on.
Sam Cox: Portsmouth’s poet laureate performing her poetry alongside a live visual art.
Stella Bahin: Performance poetry.
Absence by Samo & Lee: Mark making through the absence – a live body paint.
Challenging artists with the theme BORDER CROSSINGS the doors to the Coastguard Studios were been opened to artists who performed; new work, work in progress or explored improvisations around existing ideas. Staged by 1000 Plateaus, an occasional open platform for artists working in performance and audio visual arts. The event was conceived as an artist’s digital POTLATCH, the means by which reciprocal relations are formed through gift giving and exchange. It is digital because we are immersed within the territorializing discourses of technology though many artists employ analogue processes. It is neither a ‘one’ nor ‘zero’ but inhabits a space between. Participating artists were encouraged to adopt the principles of; “radical” inclusion, self-reliance, self-expression, de-commodification, community cooperation, gifting and leaving no trace.
THANKS TO: Big Adventures, John Sackett, James Porter, Andy Thomas (PA Hire) and all the helpers on the night who we don’t yet know.
PROVOCATION: BY John Sackett & Roy Hanney
