MAC, Birmingham
31 March – 6 April 2008
MAC commissioned Dance Steps to mark the closure of the building prior to a multi-million pound redevelopment. Our ambition was to reflect the breadth of activity MAC encompasses and the part it plays in the lives of those who use the building regularly. We wanted to give the public a chance to visit parts of the building they may never have reached before.
With these ambitions in mind we chose to use Dance Steps to tell a love story of two people who meet at MAC and revisit the venue at different points through their lives.
Scene 1: Staircase to Randle Studio.
A couple are seen kissing.
Scene 2: The Cafe (upper level).
A relationship is ended.
Scene 3: Women’s Toilets (upstairs).
Two friends chat. “You’re better off without him”
Scene 4: Balcony above Hexagon.
A child asks “Why does that man look sad?”
Scene 5: Box Office (right hand side).
Tickets are bought for the cinema.
Scene 6: The Bar.
There is a spark across the room “He’s coming over!”.
Scene 7: The Arts Balcony.
Flirting, a couple play at Shakespeare.
Scene 8: Painting and Drawing Studio.
Still life with Dance (and music)
Scene 9: Women’s Toilets (downstairs).
A pregnant woman is sick, “Are you alright in there?”
Scene 10: The Cafe (lower level).
Parental tension with pushchair and child.
Scene 11: Inner Courtyard (pay phone).
A teenager calls home, “He’s watching me!”
Scene 12: Box Office (left hand side).
Tickets are bought for the theatre.
Scene 13: The Hexagon Theatre.
An elderly couple watch Romeo and Juliet, the lovers die.
Scene14: Outside the Cinema.
Two friends reflect on a visit to the cinema years ago.
Credits
Devised by Simon Ford, Craig Stephens and James Yarker
Installed with help from Kaylie Black and Karen Stafford
Photos by Ed Dimsdale
