Devising & Research

I have begun a three week period of  devising and self-directed research as part of an Arts Council Bursary Award.  This is taking place in a private studio the Clonakilty Arts Centre. 

It is being done with the intention of creating material and ideas to bring to the others involved in the Bursary - Nick Kavanagh of Curious State Theatre Co. & director of A Little Room the Theatre Development Centre in Garter Lane Studios, Waterford; Maurice Supple of Blue Shed Productions & Digital Media; and Lighting Designer Hanan Sheedy. 

We are also looking at ways that we can integrate the recently acquired techniques of Projection Mapping into the process.

I have been looking at developing skill sets with a peculiar set of juggling clubs - Holy Clubs, designed by Jay Gilligan's Dad, Mike Gilligan - here is a short video of Jay exploring the club: vimeo.com/54668476

I am also working on the Dragon Staff with the intention of adapting this to an act with a coat stand.

I finally got started on working on a shadow art installation.  The intention is that the character will gather what seems to be waste to others and assemble it in a seemingly arbitrary fashion, however, when a light is shone on it from a particular angle, it is revealed to be a construction of intricate detail.  The piece I am working on is inspired by Tim Noble & Sue Webster's piece - Sunset Over Manhattan. I am currently practicing disassembling and reassembling it in order to be able to do it live in a concise timeframe.

In regards inspiration, the mood and intention behind a lot of the work is predominantly inspired by some of T. S. Eliot's work, namely Burnt Norton, The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock and The Waste Land. I am also learning aspects of these text, although as things stand I have no practical application planned for this.  Musically, the work of Joep Beving has been the predominant influence, namely his first two albums, Solipsism & Prehension.

Finally, I have been exploring movement with mask and a mannequin.