Simulation of THEMSELVES HERE TOGETHER now available on YouTube

https://youtu.be/-9B2cY3hZ7k



A simulation of THEMSELVES HERE TOGETHER, an audiovisual installation in which a series of animations and audio are projected on 4 walls of the StoryWorld gallery space at The Word, South Shields

Documentation of THEMSELVES HERE TOGETHER audiovisual installation at The Word, South Shields

Documentation of THEMSELVES HERE TOGETHER, an audiovisual installation by Helen Shaddock exhibited at The Word, South Shields is now available to watch on YouTube.



https://youtu.be/CSQHdq0ool0


THEMSELVES HERE TOGETHER is the culmination of a project funded by the Arts Council England Grants for the Arts. Helen Shaddock worked with artists, researchers, academics, Mental Health organisations and a range of individuals to investigate visual and auditory hallucinations.

Following an intense period of research and reflection, Shaddock gathered a collection of words from which a soundtrack was created through a collaboration with artist/musician Sarah Grundy. Using a loop pedal, Grundy formed a range of rhythmic patterns from the words. Shaddock edited these further to create the soundtrack for the audio-visual installation, integrating field recordings and sounds produced by Drone Ensemble. Drone Ensemble is an experimental sound group in which Shaddock is a member, that uses handmade acoustic instruments to emit vast, deep, sonorous drones.        
For the preview of the exhibition, Sarah Grundy performed a re-working of the installation soundtrack (see separate video documentation available on YouTube).

Documentation of performance at THEMSELVES HERE TOGETHER preview

As part of my exhibition, THEMSELVES HERE TOGETHER, at The Word in South Shields, I collaborated with Sarah Grundy on a performance.

This video documents the durational performance.



https://youtu.be/bcwua_Qvzkk

Pre-performance photos

It's hard to believe that it is nearly a week since the preview of THEMSELVES HERE TOGETHER, my current exhibition at The Word in South Shields. As part of the exhibition I worked in collaboration with Sarah Grundy, and they performed at the preview. Here are some photos of us prior to the amazing performance.

Thanks to those who helped with THEMSELVES HERE TOGETHER

I'm still buzzing from last night's preview of THEMSELVES HERE TOGETHER. The whole exhibition and preview would not have been such a success without the assistance of a number of special people and the amazing staff at The Word.

I could easily spend hours thanking all those involved in the develop of the work, but there are a few specific people who deserve an extra-special mention.

Firstly, Sarah Grundy for being an excellent person to collaborate with. The process has been wholly positive and enriching. Lets do more work together!

Edwin Li has been a huge support. He provided us with access to a range of his equipment, including his loop pedal, helped transport kit to and from The Word, manned the merchandise table as well as documenting the performance - talk about multi-tasking!



Drone Ensemble for producing such wonderful sonorous sounds and allowing me to edit them to be part of THEMSELVES HERE TOGETHER.

Leah Millar at Hands On Film Lab for introducing me to the joys of 16mm cameraless film animation. This was the technique I used to create the visuals for the installation, and although it is incredibly time consuming and fiddly, I have grown very fond of what this way of working enables me to create.

Mark Rowden at The Word for being the technical whizz behind the StoryWorld. Despite the numerous technological problems we faced throughout the install, Mark remained calm and continued to find ways to reach a solution.

Richard Barber for his continued support and assistance from the first day that I submitted my exhibition proposal to The Word.

Emma and Gemma at The Word who have helped with the marketing and promotion of the exhibition. 

Suzanne, a member of library staff at The Word who came to the rescue last night during the preview when she was able to get the audio to start playing again after it had mysteriously stopped. We still don't know what she did to solve the problem, but her magical finger did the trick and the show went on!

Matthew Pickering for his assistance with AfterEffects, the new software that I had to learn in order to map the videos to the walls so that the projections did not spill onto the floor and ceiling.

Arts Council England, for providing funding to enable me to realise the whole project.

Apologies to anyone I have forgotten to give a specific mention to.

Thanks to all who attended the preview of THEMSELVES HERE TOGETHER at The Word

I would like to extend my thanks to all who attended the preview of THEMSELVES HERE TOGETHER at The Word last night. It was really great to see such a range of people appreciating the installation and the amazing performance by Sarah Grundy. 

Please do get in touch to let me know your thoughts. Feedback is always welcome. 

You can contact me via my website http://www.helenshaddock.co.uk/

Alternatively, send me an email helen.shaddock(at)yahoo.co.uk

Performance by Sarah Grundy during THEMSELVES HERE TOGETHER preview

Sarah Grundy will be performing throughout the preview of THEMSELVES HERE TOGETHER. The performance will take place on the ground floor near the building entrance and the cafe and the multiscreen audio-visual installation is on level 2 in StoryWorld.

THEMSELVES HERE TOGETHER rehearsal

As the preview of my exhibition THEMSELVES HERE TOGETHER draws nearer, I am busy doing the last minute preparations. These always seem to take much longer than expected, and regardless of how well-prepared I am, my list of things to do continues to grow.

This afternoon Sarah and I met for a final rehearsal and to go through some logistical arrangements. Sarah and I discussed her performance, they showed me their costume and they ran through a version of the performance. We gathered together everything that needs to be taken to The Word and loaded these items into Edwin's car.                 

                                                                                         

THEMSELVES HERE TOGETHER - posters and flyers arrived

Vocal work with Sarah Grundy and her loop pedal

In addition to working with the Drone Ensemble on some audio to my forthcoming exhibition at The Word, I am collaborating with Sarah Grundy. Sarah is an interdisciplinary artist who works in sound, performance, theatre, and music. The majority of her work looks to worldmaking – creating an idealised alternative for living in or dealing with society. She is also part of ‘The Anima Collective’ who explore the potential of the voice through singing. Sarah also performs with Edwin Li as Leroy McSex in the musical, drag duo Shirley Mann and Leroy McSex.

Sarah and I had spoken about the work a few weeks ago, and we both agreed that using the loop pedal with Sarah's voice could be a good way to achieve the layering of voices that I want to create. When we met today I gave her a sheet with words on that she could use to play around with.

In her usual remarkable way, she soon began to thread words together and create some rhythmic patterns and harmonies, exemplified through the use of the loop pedal. We made a great start, and are to continue with developing this piece.

In pictures: some highlights from Newcastle University Fine Art UG Degree Show

Callum Caplan

http://www.callumcaplan.com/

Deanna Smith
http://deannasmithart.co.uk/

Gina Tawn
http://fineart.ncl.ac.uk/ba2017/portfolio/gina-tawn/

Helen Scully
http://fineart.ncl.ac.uk/ba2017/portfolio/helen-scully/

Melinda McGarry
https://melindamcgarry.wordpress.com/

Molly Bythell
https://mollybythell.com/

Eli Samuels
http://fineart.ncl.ac.uk/ba2017/portfolio/eli-samuels/

Anthony Hensman
https://www.anthonyhensman.com/

Sarah Grundy
http://fineart.ncl.ac.uk/ba2017/portfolio/sarah-grundy/

No Niceties Contributing Artist - Sarah Grundy

Sarah Grundy is an artist who works regularly with music, text and live performance. Sarah's response to the publication for the exhibition was a song.



Having read the whole publication, "it was the order of texts that I mainly used because it felt to me as if the titles gave a summary of the general feeling of the publication and the words seemed like a starting point for a song, a framework to build on and make it my own. I then started writing the music and thought of a few ideas, but I ended up choosing the music that seemed most different to what I would normally be inclined to make because it put me outside of my comfort zone, which felt in line with the text itself. The atmosphere and feeling of the text therefore was the part that stood out to me, but also the braveness and generosity of the writing. It feels personal whilst bridging the gap with the audience and offers the readers an almost scary moment of honesty and insight. I wanted to try and also offer a similar experience and share something with the people who were at the exhibition."

More photos of setting up Circus Between Worlds

I was recently sent some additional photos taken by Mark Pinder from the Circus Between Worlds event. Here are a selection of images from the setting up of the Circus and rehearsals.

Neil and I consult the running order

Pardon?

Along with Deanna Smith and Sarah Grundy, and I was one of the performers in Deanna's performance.

Sarah, Dee and me cosy in Dee's costume

Three heads popping out of a black tent-like costume

Here we go!

Me and Dee waiting for our cue 

Charlie Dearnley kindly assisted me with my performance.

Where is it?

Charlie fills his bucket

Ooh! That's a good stretch!

If only this would stay on my head

Ready for action

In action

All images copyright of Mark Pinder, 2016

Project Title: Walker & Bromwich

’

s Circus between Worlds

Or: Circus between Worlds, a project by Zoe Walker and Neil

Bromwich

At: Glasgow International, Gi2016

Circus between Worlds, a project by Zoe Walker and Neil Bromwich

At Glasgow International, Gi2016

Project Title: Walker & Bromwich

’

s Circus between Worlds

Or: Circus between Worlds, a project by Zoe Walker and Neil

Bromwich

At: Glasgow International, Gi2016

Project Title: Walker & Bromwich

’

s Circus between Worlds

Or: Circus between Worlds, a project by Zoe Walker and Neil

Bromwich

At: Glasgow International, Gi2016

Circus Introducing... Sarah Grundy

The next of the Circus Between Worlds Newcastle artists to be featured here is Sarah Grundy. Sarah is an interdisciplinary artist who works in sound, performance, theatre, and music. The majority of her work looks to worldmaking – creating an idealised alternative for living in or dealing with society.



She is also part of ‘The Anima Collective’ who explore the potential of the voice through singing.



For Circus Between Worlds Sarah will create a costumed vocal performance exploring aspects of political theory. Her work focuses on the manner in which capitalism's success is born out of its seductive qualities and demonstrates how the circus successfully appropriates capitalist visuals to promote a different political stance.



At the our last rehearsal Sarah performed a version of her performance as a work in progress. She used a loop pedal to create layers of her own voice over one another, and the rhythmn of the drum hrough singing.