Sophie Blackall from Aldous Huxley's Childrens Book

Here are two links to Brainpickings, the brain child of Maria Popova, a cultural curator and curious mind at large,

Brain Pickings is a discovery engine for interestingness, culling and curating cross-disciplinary curiosity-quenchers, and separating the signal from the noise to bring you things you didn’t know you were interested in until you are.

She states ‘Because creativity, after all, is a combinatorial force. It’s our ability to tap into the mental pool of resources — ideas, insights, knowledge, inspiration — that we’ve accumulated over the years just by being present and alive and awake to the world, and to combine them in extraordinary new ways. In order for us to truly create and contribute to the world, we have to be able to connect countless dots, to cross-pollinate ideas from a wealth of disciplines, to combine and recombine these ideas and build new ideas — like LEGOs. The more of these building blocks we have, and the more diverse their shapes and colors, the more interesting our creations will become.’

I couldnt agree more!

http://www.brainpickings.org/index.php/2011/07/19/7-childrens-books-by-adult-literature-authors/

7 (More) Children’s Books by Famous “Adult” Literature Authors | Brain Pickings

Shes curated a curious collection of childrens books by ‘adult authors’ with beautiful illustrations. Its been very timely to look at these while i have been researching & developing interactive theatre play sessions for early years children in a pilot programme linking the Western Australian State Library Peter Williams original illustration collection with play & arts activities.And I hope to produce childrens picture books in the future. See the blog below for my early years creative work -

http://dnapuppetry.wordpress.com/

www.imaginaryleaps.com

A cabinet of curiosities, puppets and props from DNA;s collection and artworks by artistic director Rachel Riggs.

wendylugg.com                                 http://wendylugg.blogspot.com/

July 2011, I visited this interesting social history exhibition at the State Library, Perth. Resident Artist Wendy Lugg with the Royal W.A. Historical Society has explored their collections of the State Library of W.A. for stories that resonate with her own family memories. In Mapping Memory – artefacts, maps and ephemera rom the collection intermingle with the artists memorabilia and artworks in a rich layering of personal family story, collective memory and the landscapes they share.

At the  turn of the 20th century Wendy Lugg’s grandmothers emigrated to join their husbands with the hope of a better life, despite the basic living and isolation. For many new arrivals, coming to W.A meant never seeing family again, just precious mementos, postcards and telegrams.The artists heritage is of thrift, and make do, searching op shops for treasures. Growing up making wonders using everyday materials and a lot of imagination. From childhood, she collected driftwood, shells and found objects from the beaches.

‘Just as reflections are distorted by ripples across the surface, memories are not always an accurate reflection of the past.’

‘Since colonization, weve made our mark on the land and its original inhabitants, not always in the best of ways.’

‘Mourning cloth.’

Love is Life, Green Room

Its been a busy couple of weeks, with projects being planned and creative processes in full go! Had another marvelous creative development weekend with Joey Ruigrok van der  Werven at PICA in Perth’s Cultural District, WA – which I will post about on a further blog.

Making forest vines

The AIR Programme at Carson St School is nearing the end of its process with the Sensory Awareness performance in full rehearsal this week, inside a specially made forest environment. Its been fantastic to work with the Barking Gekko Theatre Co team ‘Sensorium’, a new company making specific work for PMLD children in Perth. See the artists blog for the full creative process and development http://carsonst.weebly.com/artists-in-residence.html

This weekend was also an opportunity for further creative development with PROXIMITY at the Blue Room theatre, also in Perths C.D – a new co op season of site specific one-on-one performances curated by James Berlyn and Sarah Rowbottam.

Artists can propose work for intimate performance experiences by 30th sept 2011 at proximity2012@gmail.com

Im hoping to continue the Art of Heart project with intimate object theatre and storytelling.

My favourite hearts

All this fabulous creativity with artists in Perth has reminded me of the wonderful times I had at the sadly gone Green Room, Manchester UK. Chopped due to the Arts Council funding cuts. One of my artworks was in residence there (see top image), if anyone knows where it is, let me know!

An interesting film about the last working mill in Burnley.

Lancashire Textiles: Last Mill Standing | The Etsy Blog

www.etsy.com

The official blog for the world’s handmade marketplace. Discover how-to’s, interviews with makers, and curated collections.

My collection, cabinet of curious hearts from all areas of life…

http://yardworks.wordpress.com/art-of-heart/

to learn for our own practice, meet each other make a fictious show and pull together a database for collaborative ideas.

We all had to describe what we did in detail, for some of us, (including me), who are jack and jills of all trades this was a bit difficult to clarify, but excellent practice in defining skills. Joey asked what the most burning question we had was? Well mine was, how do you stage/ share dreams?Answer, stay with the image /intuition, dont let the concept take over.

Joey spoke of how the fascination of the artist, whether its with the site or artform, carries the performance/project.How we should make work for as diverse an audience as possible with universal messages, artists speak through many languages. This reminded me of the Reggio Emilia philosophy for young children, to be allowed to be expressive through their own visual & sensory languages ‘One hundred voices.

‘The phenomena of the artist in the world – art comes from responding to the world, the director trusts that somehow their responses connect with the audience’

Joey spoke of creating different artist teams with core design/directors, working with engineers to make a fascinating machine/company to focus on the real story with emotional, poetic images. The feeling/ action has to be clear, it is not logical but the work has to convey what you want it to say.

‘Image speaks louder than words – easy to come up with amazing creative images, harder to make them count’

As an example Joey showed his research of Butchers signs, using images of pigs, specific fonts etc to make the symbolic representation acceptable to society.

Joey went through his experience and methodology of making large scale site specific collaborative work. Often starting with approx 20 scenes, ideas on post it notes to develop the product, and creating a framework for yourself to work in.

Everyone went out on a field trip to different sites in central Perth, either abandoned waste grounds or park areas.I have always had a thing for the carpark squashed at the back of the PICA building and the Blue Room theatre. The building was once a school, and this area probably once a playground, lots of history and a really interesting enclosed space.Overlooked by the Art gallery of WA and the new urban garden.With Joey we discussed the spaces potential And followed the  research and devising method for Site and Community Specific Works.Taking the commonplace and giving room for a unique experience , the weekend was a unique experience to engage with the trials and errors, & extraordinary heights of making large scale site specific work.

DreamMasons-Hobart

A few months ago I was very excited that Joey Ruigrok van der Werven was coming to Perth, from the legendary Doegtroep Theatre, Holland, to give an inspirational lecture on creating image based performance events in Australia,

Doegtroupe reinvented the ordinary world with their street theatre, the name means theatre of rubbish! From Joeys time as an Engineer with Doegtroep, he believes artists step out of society and hold a mirror to reinterpret life. If you take away the arts people become very poor. Artists  need space to discover and explore as these iconic European companies had in the 1980′s.
Joey also ran a weekend masterclass on creating large scale spectacle and and inventing performance environments.

‘one of the unsung heroes of Australian contemporary performance’ Realtime

This was right up my street, as a visual theatre maker,I have always  wanted to scale up , from small scale theatre to gigantic with the dreams of making large scale sensory spectacles for families. So I was very happy to also be invited to the masterclass to work and share ideas with other WA artists, thanks to Performing Lines.

Joey believes the director is a facilitator of process, and that you can only make the large scale work if you can make the small scale, which is heartening to hear. Doegtrope obtained money from building foundations,as acertain % can be used for public art which does not always have to be a sculpture or fountain.

Towards A New Australian Theatre Lecture at The Bakery Photo: Sarah Rowbottam

for a full overview of the lecture please see Towards a new australian theatre genre’ lecture at

http://www.performinglineswa.org.au/site/wordpress/2011/04/20/joey_perth_talk/

DreamMasons-Hobart

Joey is now based in Australia and has developed his own methodology on creating large scale site specific and community work. His intention is to make image driven community theatre, using real life events, bringing theatre to the people in their environment. Theres no need for a theatre infrastructure here, using industrial, abandoned spaces and bringing new life. He discussed how the renegade artist theatre companies, such as La Fura (Spain), Royal de Luxe (France) and Doegtrope (Holland) have become iconic for their country, as with La fura’s giant puppet and spectacle for the Olympics in 1992.

To be continued

La fura dels baus puppet

La fura dels baus olympics open 1992

This is a great site below for lots of images of abandoned places in Perth, gonna go on a tour and have a good look….

http://www.6000times.com/2010/01/swanbourne-abandoned-mental-crazy.html

Thanks to Marisa Garreffa

Steamworks Arts Productions

Love is like a butterfly
in so many, many ways.
It brings a bit of sunshine
even on gloomy days.

It makes our souls feel lighter
just to know it’s there
And gives our spirits wings,
as if floating in the air.

It carries us to places
that we never knew before
And comes in many sizes,
shapes and hues galore.

Once we’ve seen it,
we wish to hold onto it so tight
But like a frail butterfly,
we must allow it free flight,

For if we should try
to cage it up
and hold it in a pen,
We’ll surely crush its wings,
and it’ll never fly again.

To keep that love glowing
in our hearts each day,
We must remember
always to give some of it away.

Every little bit we give
to someone else to share
Comes back tenfold,
and we’ve so much to spare.

Put your love
on gossamer wings,
and give it flight;
It will return to you,
and bring you much delight.
- Unknown

The butterfly counts
not months but moments,
and has time enough.
- Rabindranath Tagore

I like for you to be still
It is as though you are absent
And you hear me from far away
And my voice does not touch you
It seems as though your eyes had flown away
And it seems that a kiss had sealed your mouth
As all things are filled with my soul
You emerge from the things
Filled with my soul
You are like my soul
A butterfly of dream
And you are like the word: Melancholy

I like for you to be still
And you seem far away
It sounds as though you are lamenting
A butterfly cooing like a dove
And you hear me from far away
And my voice does not reach you
Let me come to be still in your silence
And let me talk to you with your silence
That is bright as a lamp
Simple, as a ring
You are like the night
With its stillness and constellations
Your silence is that of a star
As remote and candid

I like for you to be still
It is as though you are absent
Distant and full of sorrow
So you would've died
One word then, One smile is enough
And I'm happy;
Happy that it's not true

Pablo Neruda

To a Butterfly