The title of this project will be Work – Life – Balance.

So from my initial thoughts of what my performance will be, it wasn’t the best solid plan and was very wordy and rough around the edges.

I started to research western culture on balance and it came up with the life style books, websites, workshops and therapy etc.

From my research, I started to sketch and write notes on an ideal performance that can be the beginning to to this focal point of :

Work – Life – Balance

This is what I came up with:

(Please pardon the Spider-man image its part of the notebook)

 

Boxes: Life?/Work?

• The boxes have suggested the problem.
• The boxes are to store the task props which I will need throughout the performance.
• The boxes are there to make the space the beginning but will help with the trasition to chaos and imbalance.

Floor/Space

• Scattered books/ office supplies and equipment/ mediation supplies/ eastern cultures objects?/Home objects
• Books are ‘balance you life’ books

Lighting

• Hanging light bubbles are there to create an atmosphere and make the piece immersive, calm?
• Keeps the light simple

There could be a projection or just a recording for the tasks to make the performer and audience familiar and lead them through the piece.

Note to remember: The piece is to be organised chaos.

 

Description for the lighting example: “When the audience walks in, the lights are slowly pulsing (and then through the show will gradually and subtly pulse faster).”

• Stage is set to be like the first sketch

Audience’s senses triggered?

• Can the place be smelling like an office?
• Or incense?
• No sound- sound will be the main throughout the performance.

 

The audience is placed in the space without a performer.

• Don’t know how long is best, yet.

When performer is in the space:

• The performer stares at the floor in anticipation or nervousness.
• News-beat beaps goes off.
• 1,2,3 then looks up
• Music changes into office noises (Typing, phone ringing etc.)

Voice over:

• Says ‘ready?’
• performer stands
• Voice over says “let your day begin.”

(Might have the audience tell what the performer’s tasks are, they may have the task on their seats) -maybe?????

Actually make sure the voice-over is telling me what to do having the audience will be too much and they may not be responsive.

Make the audience uncomfortable in some stages as well as create a shock factor.

 

Need to look at…..

• Life style books
• Typical emotions/atmospheres of an office worker- e.g. London
• The most stressful office job.
• Western world’s worst experiences on life management.
• Life management
• Look for a typical movement for the piece that will go through out as a motif. -linking it

Props

• Contrast of clothes- Casual/Office
• Objects: western/eastern/office/for anti-gravity sculptures
• Books
• Pebbles
• Crystals
• Jewellery?

Change of plan!

Space will be in the space where we have our ‘discussions’ (seminar section) in Studio 2, instead of being in the middle of that studio.

 

Making Sculptures:

Harp  Michael Grab

How to make anti-gravity sculpture…or to attempt it…

With:

• Books
• Easter objects (research)
• Chairs (real chairs or the game of Chairs)
• Stationary
• Pillows/Cushions
• Coffee cups (with coffee in them?)
• Clothesline with office clothes and ‘life’clothes- get change into the clothes as many as possible?

 

This can be the task of the rush the western culture creates, it even affects what we wear.

The performer tries different clothes on, to see what they want on. The stress becomes overwhelming so put on clothes that do not match.