Niamh Lawlor

Niamh Lawlor wrote:

Re: Puppetry/Dance/Sound Sculpture research project, a collaboration between Púca Puppets, Fluxus Dance and Slavek Kwi, supported by the Riverbank Arts Centre and The Arts Council's Bursary Award.

For further information please call: Niamh. Tel (01) 832 9594 / (087) 7800 931

  <<<  Niamh 
        & umbrella_sound_puppet by skwi  (¬)
           2004, Wicklow (photo: BO)

Practicalities
Venue/ Schedule The Riverbank Arts centre in Newbridge, the base of Fluxus Dance, came in as a sponsor 'in kind' to the project. Runs from 18th - 29th of September.

Participants
Core Artist-facilitators Niamh Lawlor (Puppeteer/performer Púca Puppets. I received a Bursary from the Arts Council that is funding this work, see below)
Cathy O'Kennedy (Choreographer Fluxus Dance)
Slavek Kwi (Sound Sculptor/Sound Artist)
Dancers
Lucy Dundon
Justine Doswell
Puppeteers/Actors/Physical Performers
Louis Lovett (Louis is also a singer and musician)
Karl Quinn
Musicians/sound artists
Karl Burke
Diarmuid Mac Diarmada (1st week only)
Dennis Mc Nulty (2nd week only)
Film Documentation
Aoibheann O'Sullivan
Nigel Heather

What is it all in aid of…
Essentially the two weeks was conceived as an opportunity to play, explore and learn about our complementary but different disciplines, without the pressure of necessarily producing a piece of finished work. For your information I attach below the bullet points and summary from my bursary application.

To expand my work practice through collaboration with artists of complementary media. To deepen my skills and understanding through the use of new forms and contexts.

To initiate creative dialogue and play between a choreographer, dancers, musicians/sound sculptors, and other object manipulators/performers.

To explore the possibilities of future collaboration

At this stage in my career as a puppeteer/object manipulator I need time for play, experiment, and reflection to support the investigation of a new direction of work. For this I need rehearsal space and quality time with other professionals of complementary disciplines. I propose a two week, active, creative dialogue with choreographer Cathy O'Kennedy and artist / sound performer Slavek Kvi. We have long had an interest in each other's respective media and an inclination to investigate their combined possibilities. Towards these ends we will each invite trusted colleagues whose skills and experience would facilitate working within these other disciplines, and who have expressed an interest in the proposal. This opportunity to explore together our common and uncommon means of expression and ways of working will benefit, not only my work, but that of all the participants. Through play and experiment we will broaden our understanding of each other's art forms, provide an opportunity for exchange of ideas and skills, and open up possibilities for future collaborations. The process will be documented by a film maker to facilitate reflection and evaluation and provide possible resources for multi-media development of the work into the future.