10 April, 2015

Workshop, Residency, Performance at CIT

Darragh McLoughlin / Squarehead Productions | The Whistle
CIT Arts Office is delighted to announce the upcoming residency, workshop, and performance at CIT by award-winning contemporary circus performer Darragh McLoughlin.

We are currently inviting expressions of interest from students  and staff who wish to work with Darragh, over the course of 4 days, in workshop and audience feedback sessions, exploring principles of audience expectations and interaction, performance concepts and techniques, and contributing to the development of a public performance on the final day.

This is an excellent opportunity to work alongside an award winning contemporary circus and performance maker and would suit all students of theatre, art, performance, movement, and anyone who is interested in the psychology of group dynamics and the performer/spectator relationship.

THE PIECE

The Whistle is a solo production /performance conceived and performed by Irish artist Darragh McLoughlin that uses a cinematic approach to dramaturgy and experiments with innovative artist-audience relationships.

“When you hear the sound of the whistle you have to close your eyes.
When you hear it again you may open them”
What if you were at the same time spectator and creator of a piece?
 
Darragh McLoughlin is a contemporary circus performer/creator from Timoleague, Co Cork. He founded Squarehead Productions in 2011 with the aim of bringing together different contemporary artistic practices. In 2008 he completed a foundations of juggling course in the Jonglier Katakomben in Berlin. In 2012 he graduated with a bachelor degree from the Academy for Circus and Performance Art (ACAPA) in the Netherlands (Including a two month exchange with the Academy of Circus and Variety Arts in Kiev and a minor in creative writing, creating with media, research and psychology of creative processes). Since then he has been performing and teaching in more than ten European countries and has been working to build on his growing network in the contemporary performance world.

Darragh is laureate of the Circus Project Award of the Arts Council of Ireland, the European Award for emerging Circus authors, CircusNext, and the Artist Bursary of the Cork County Council.

THE PROJECT AT CIT

Monday 27th April  
Public Performance Lecture, Rory Gallagher Theatre, CIT Bishopstown Campus.
In this lecture-performance Darragh will speak about his artistic background and professional challenges. He will demonstrate many of his own insights and methods to creating. He will approach topics such as:

• "how to create from an audience's perspective"
• "how do we know when we actually like a performance, and what to do with that"
• "the cost of creating something new"

This event is open to anybody who has an interest in the creation and development  of interactive work and the spectator / performer relationship.

The first time Darragh approached "The Whistle" concept was as part of RAPP (Research in Artistic Practice Project) in Aarhus Denmark. In conclusion to the week, each project was asked to make a lecture on their findings. Darragh approached the lecture format with examples of performance theory and technique and devising new ways to engage and share knowledge with an audience and this will be the style of delivery he will be sharing with us this day.

Workshop

Applying Cinematic techniques to a Live Audience

Following the performance lecture there will be a 3-4 hour workshop exploring the creation process and specific techniques used.

During this workshop the students will be invited to create their own material using the "eye shutter" or cinematic method. Participants will use their own techniques from whatever performance art form they originate from. Focus will be put on creating material using clear, I choreographic tasks. Between each task there will be open discussions about the results and experience of each exercise. The workshop will be more in the direction of a creative laboratory than the classical teacher-student approach. Participants will work both individually and in groups. No experience is necessary however we hope for all those interested to have an interest in the techniques that Darragh will explore and most importantly a willingness to be involved! Time TBC.

Tuesday 28th, Wednesday 29th and Thursday 30 April

Feedback Sessions 6 - 8 pm Venue TBC

A developmental period from Tuesday – Thursday will see Darragh working on aspects of the piece during the day, with an audience feedback and review session each evening. The expected time commitment required would be approx 6 – 8 pm on

April 28, 29, 30.  VENUES TBC.
During his time at CIT Darragh will use one of their residency spaces to conduct further experiments to deepen his research and knowledge of the "whistle technique". If interested, during each day a small number of students will be invited to act as research assistants. This will entail documenting the process, and on the floor work in developing new material. Each evening there will be a open feedback session where students/teachers alike are invited to watch new material that Darragh will perform, participate and give feedback.

1st May

The Whistle (Performance)

The project will conclude with a public performance of ‘The Whistle’ in the Stack Theatre on May 1st, followed by a Q&A session. Participants in the workshop and feedback sessions will get special ticket rates for the public performance.
Darragh is open to creating a potential 6th Chapter involving some of the students during his stay at CIT depending on their level of involvement and enthusiasm...

 

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HELP TO ORGANISE THIS PROJECT
There is also an opportunity for students to get involved in helping organise the project, as part of a small volunteer team. This would be great experience for those looking at developing their own productions, and anyone interested in event management and working with professional artists. Volunteers would work with the Arts Office and the artist to coordinate transport, facilities for the residency, student participation, and promotion of the public events.
If you are interested in one of these roles please contact CIT Arts Office artsoffice@cit.ie or 021 4335344

WHY GET INVOLVED
This piece relies on generating the active engagement of the audience. The developmental phase of this residency will be an opportunity for you to engage with an experienced and innovative international performer, to contribute to the piece, and also to develop your own understanding or approach to audience, performance, and group dynamics.

REGISTER OR CONFIRM YOUR INTEREST
Please contact CIT Arts Office at artsoffice@cit.ie to register or confirm your interest for the workshop and as a member of the feedback audience. We highly recommend participating in the full project; though understand that schedules and timetables mean your spare time is precious. Participation may be limited due to the capacity of available facilities, and the venue/s will be confirmed based on the level of response, so do let us know as soon as you can.

We look forward to hearing from you!
Best regards
CIT Arts Office
Admin Building, CIT Bishopstown Campus
artsoffice@cit.ie
arts.cit.ie
021 4335344

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FURTHER DETAILS

THE WHISTLE
SQUAREHEAD PRODUCTIONS
Darragh  McLoughlin

"When you hear the sound of the whistle you have to close your eyes.
When you hear it again you may open them."
What if you were at the same time spectator and creator of a piece?
A juggler, a whistle and the audience together create a multitude of moments: Time travel - Déjà vu – Glitches - Fast forward – Rewind - Déjà vu
All without technics or special effects.
A journey through several different hilarious yet often poetic narratives.
Close your eyes!
Open them!
Will you play the game or will you cheat?
Either way you will be played!

ABOUT THE COMPANY

Currently laureate of CircusNext, European scheme coordinated by Jeunes Talents Cirque Europe and supported by the European Commission and receiver of the Circus Project Award  administered  by the Arts Council of Ireland,  Squarehead  Productions is  a contemporary circus company founded in 2011 by Irish creator/ performer Darragh McLoughlin.

The company makes use of the liberating potential of creating for the stage by inventing abstract  worlds  with  specific logical  frameworks. Applying  dramaturgical  logic  as  a centre point  to  the creative process and  transferring cinematographic principles on stage  are  defining  features  of  the  Company's  aesthetics.  The Company's research focuses on challenging the symbiosis of meaning, purpose and action.

Other creations of the company include A Collection of Tales and Oddities (10 min.) and Fragments of a Mind (60 min.).

COMPANY MEMBERS

CREATOR / PERFORMER – Darragh McLoughlin
Darragh   is   a   contemporary circus   performer/creator from  Ireland. He founded Squarehead Productions in 2011 with the aim of bringing together different contemporary artistic practices. In 2008 he completed a foundations of juggling course in the Jonglier Katakomben in Berlin. In 2012 he graduated with a Bachelor degree from the Academy for Circus and Performance Art (ACAPA) in the Netherlands (including a two month exchange with the Academy of Circus and Variety Arts in Kiev and a minor in creative writing, creating with media, research and psychology of creative processes). Since then he has been performing and teaching in more than ten European countries and   has been working to build on his growing   network in the contemporary performance world.

PRODUCER / TOUR MANAGER – Elena Kreusch
Elena  is a  freelance production and tour manager from Germany, working with the company since a  chance encounter at a festival in 2012. Being a former student of Codarts circus school in Rotterdam and having a degree in contemporary dance, she nowadays focusses on the organisational side of circus: Elena is the founder/artistic director of KreativKultur, an Austrian cultural association, organizing artist-in-residence programmes and a contemporary circus festival in Vienna. She studied International Development Studies in Vienna and is currently working on her PhD in Performance Studies.

STAGE MANAGER / TECHNICIAN – Claude Mathia
Claude is a free-lance stage manager, blackliner and light technician from France. He has been working with the contemporary music group Les Percussions de Strasbourg since 1999. He regularly works with different theatre, dance, and music venues in Strasbourg, such as Pole Sud. Since 2011 Claude works with Les Migrateurs, the national Pole for Circus Arts. He joined Squarehead Productions in 2014.

ABOUT THE PIECE

Short Abstract
The Whistle is a medium-length contemporary circus piece (30 min), primarily produced for frontal theatre stages but adaptable to other venues with the possibility to perform outdoors. It is aimed for all types of audiences (age: 10+) and uses juggling technique and physical theatre.

The   Whistle is a solo production featuring Irish artist Darragh McLoughlin. It uses a cinematographic approach to dramaturgy and experiments with innovative artist-audience relationships. The creation premiered at Tiger Dublin Fringe Festival in September 2014.

The main intention is to merge different ways of creating (drawing from cinema, circus and  theatre)  and  to  make  use  of  the  audience's expectations  and  psychology  in surprising ways. All while, between the lines, addressing the themes of rules, trust and obedience in a light, very playful way.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The Whistle is performed by one artist (Darragh McLoughlin), and a whistle. The artist on stage uses a high technical level of circus and movement theatre; yet completely dissolves the feeling of a circus performance.

The performance starts with the performer explaining one simple rule:

"When you hear the sound of the whistle you have to close your eyes.
When you hear it again you may open them."

By closing and opening their eyes, the audience members create their own blackouts. This allows for quick changes between countless micro scenes and leads the audience on a journey through several different hilarious yet often poetic narratives.
Giving the responsibility to the audience is a very powerful element as it creates a bond of trust (or not), as they choose to follow (or not). This will allow different audience members  to  have  completely  different  experiences  while  watching  the  same  show. Throughout the piece the audience is torn between the loyalty to the rule and their own curiosity as to what is happening during the blackouts. Some, however, will end up cheating  and  getting  a  glimpse  of  “behind  the  scene”  material,  thus  becoming  co- conspirators. Those who decide to go against the rules might get a little treat of their own, but could also see something they really shouldn’t have seen and end up feeling guilty for it.

METHODS

Making use of techniques from theatre, choreography and dramaturgy, The Whistle is presented in five different chapters, each with its own particular style and set of rules. Rather than creating a typical theatrical story line, The Whistle constantly shifts between abstract narratives that evolve around the relationship between the actor and a set of balls.

Using a combination of the shut-eye technique with methods from cinematography the company is able to create many live special effects such as time travel, glitches, fast forward, rewind and déjà vu. Using these effects will keep the audience on edge never knowing what to expect next. The moment when the audience shut their eyes can serve a multitude of purposes. The most obvious is to allow the performer to create visual effects (similar to stop motion) and to quickly set up things in the dark the audience shouldn´t see. It is also challenging the obedience of the audience, making them close their eyes in moments they really want to see, constantly struggling with themselves whether to cheat or not. However by prolonging the blackout time, the audience has a moment to open their senses (hearing suddenly dominating sight) and their imagination as they use this time to create links between scenes, and even create material of their own.

The audience members become co-creators of the performance, each of them living a unique unreproducible experience: The Whistle is an exploration into the dramaturgy of the moment.

For more information about Squarehead Productions/Darragh McLoughlin see www.squareheadproductions.com