Lunchtime Talk
Fri 6 Jul 2018 14:00
Absent Presence: Using light to enable disabled participants to perform remotely in public spaces
Raquel Meseguer & Synnøve Fredericks discuss their latest project, 'A Crash Course in Cloudspotting,' that aims to connect over 100 people with invisible impairments.
Image by Jon Aitken
Speakers
Raquel Meseguer
Raquel co-founded Lost Dog in 2004 and co-directed all productions up to and including the 2011 Place Prize Winner ‘It Needs Horses’. She re-joined the company in 2015 as associate co-director on ‘Paradise Lost (lies unopened beside me)’ nominated for a Southbank Sky Arts Award 2016 and shortlisted for Best New Choreography (Modern) Critics Circle Awards 2016. She is currently a Lost Dog associate artist and will co-direct ‘Romeo & Juliet Live!’ in 2017 / 2018. She stepped away from the world of theatre making in 2011, to understand and come to terms with an increasingly disabling chronic pain condition. She become interested in creating performance that explores chronic pain last year. Someone Should Start Laughing & A Crash Course in Clouspotting are the fruits of this scheming and dreaming.Synnøve Fredericks
Synnøve studied Product Design at Central Saint Martins in London, and trained as a furniture maker, process and material is an important part of each piece. Design gave her an insight into how people wish to control their environment, and art, the opportunity to reflect on this. Her work began being shown internationally in the context of design moving on to be part of Museum of Modern Art’s ‘Design and the Elastic Mind’ in New York, as objects on the cusp of art and design. It has since moved into public spaces in France and the UK, providing nomadic and intimate interactions. Her latest residencies have been in Linz, Austria, Nordic Artists’ Centre Dale in Norway and the Pinetum in Kent, giving her an opportunity to respond to surroundings, and show prototypes and progressions as part of sharing her work.New Studio resident, artist and choreographer Raquel Meseguer will be joined by co-director and designer Synnøve Fredericks, to discuss ideas for the next stage of their work, 'A Crash Course in Cloudspotting'.
Raquel and Synnøve tell us:
"Our project A Crash Course in Cloudspotting aims to connect 100+ disabled people absented from our cultural spaces, with 100 light sources in a public audio visual installation. Through light as metaphor for presence, they will be at the epicentre of a show which re-frames disability as neither tragic nor heroic, and that reframes rest as a creative act.
To do this we need to create new digital tech. And Raquel needs to overcome her fear of technology. We'd like to introduce the project and how we used smart plug technology at R&D stage. And then we'll ask you to be part of a Friday brainstorm, to fill our project back pack with places to visit, your experience and top tips."
Please note that we will be inviting the audience for this talk to join us in lying down. We will make mats and bean bags available, and can provide chairs for those who might not be comfortable lying down.
This Lunchtime Talk is part of Open Studio Friday, which takes place at the Studio every week.
Do you want to find out what is going on at the Pervasive Media Studio? Are you interested in meeting our residents, talking about a specific project or curious about pervasive media? Why not pack a sandwich and join us for one of our Lunchtime Talks and Open Studio Friday. Lunchtime Talks are informal presentations by Studio residents and associates. They normally take place at 1pm on Friday, are free and open to everybody who’s interested in what we do. After the Talk, we also invite you to stay with us for the afternoon to continue the conversation or work on your own projects. We provide chairs, tables, wireless and a great space. You bring what you need to work with (laptop/mobile). Our open afternoons close at 5pm. Let us know if you’d like a tour of the space and we'll be happy to show you around just before the talk. Send an email to: studio@watershed.co.uk to book your place on a tour.
