Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry
12 – 15 May, 2003
Coventry 2003
Before opening the show at Warwick Arts Centre we were worried that it may be too fragile to work in the bustling foyer. We had been persuaded to use the space by centre director Alan Rivet. He had a vision of the piece engaging the hundreds of students and staff who pass through each day, using the Arts Centre as a plush corridor.
With Alan resisting all our efforts to get the show in his gallery we attempted to make the foyer space as focused as we could. We covered up movie posters, doors and other distractions with black curtains. We used a table placed across the front of the space to create an entrance and exit at either end. Worried that the performance was floor centric and would be rendered overly modest beneath the high glass ceiling we had the vision of a huge globe floating above the performance. A single phone call to Friends of the Earth did the trick. In exchange for a donation and storage we had use of a 3m inflatable globe.
The show worked extraordinarily well. Alan had been right, the foyer was a great space for the show and the show was great for the Arts Centre. The range of subjects addressed in the performance ensured that anyone who paused to explore the rice piles found connections with their personal areas of interest.
Highlight of this show was an undergraduates shock at finding the employees of his mothers sweet firm, Mr. Lucky Bags Ltd., represented in rice.
Credits
Performers: Amanda Hadingue, Craig Stephens, James Yarker
Concept: James Yarker
General Manager: Emily Dawkes
Advisory Producer: Nick Sweeting