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Commonwealth

common wealth – people in transit was commissioned by Kensington and Chelsea Arts Festival for the Common Sounds project. A site-specific work for music and dance created for the derelict Commonwealth institute building on Kensington High Street, the piece was funded by the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. Performances took place daily14-17th July with exquisite corpse (Paul Newland – electric guitar+recordings/David Arrowsmith – electric guitar) and Nutshell Dance Co. choreographed by Mari Frogner with further performances at: Bermondsey Street Festival (Sept. 2011), The Rag Factory sssh BOOM Brick Lane 28.10.11, Resolutions The Place Theatre 26.01.12, Greenwich Dance Agency 25.02.12

This work develops out of engagement with the nature of the choregrapher/composer partnership and the ongoing project exquisite corpse (Paul Newland/ David Arrowsmith – electric guitars) drawing on current practice in experimental and improvised electric guitar music.

Drawing on the festival’s themes of “transition and place” dance materials were derived from observations of physical movement and heard speech (encoded through Makaton sign language) at Liverpool St. Station London. Similarly musical materials were derived from i) close listening to field recordings of both sites ii) recordings of interviews with the dancers and the sounds of their movement on site iii) collected sonic material and samples of commonly known songs pertaining to notions of wealth and equality, iv) musical cyphers generated from related found words and text. These materials were further contextualised through the use of electric guitars, extending and exploring timbral possibilities through material preparations (blutac, ridged drum sticks, screw drivers, bows, springs etc.) and altered picks, using open scores and structured improvisation. The work developed on site through a series of intensive improvisations with the musicians separated across the space.

Following the performances a dance-film was created transferring the choreography to various London locations with a performance of the musical score as sound track.