There is something very evocative about this video. I shot it lying on my bed one very hot afternoon at Thirning Villa, Sydney, where I am currently Artist in Residence. I was so tired my rational brain had well and truly passed out. My senses ruled. The patterns in the shadows, the pulsing change in the light generated by the hot westerly breeze, the air on my skin, the sound of the blind breathing………..this is all that existed. Balancing our capacity for sensory reception with our ability to analyze, is the day to day challenge of being human. Being conscious in a way that engages both hemispheres of our brain…. that is neither purely creative nor purely analytical.

Integration is the fundamental principle in all of my work.

The challenge, as ever, is to work out how to articulate simple key ideas clearly in a way which allows for the often contradictory nature of reality. How to highlight perspectives, ways of seeing things that is true to a multifarious way of perceiving the world.

I am currently focusing on …………… What it means to be an artist- performer-composer-dancer- media artist.
Windows and doors / images of frames-boundaries are recurring themes…… A metaphor for existing between creative genres- between cultures- between genders- between time………..

Encompassing traditions and innovation- finding the essence of what it is we seek through performance.
What is it we seek through creating and sharing music/dance/performance/creative contexts? Connection is one of the main answers.
Connection to what? Connection to ourselves, to each other, to our environment and to spirit. Spirit? The substance which IS….. All. Beyond words, time and quotidian understanding. That which we know to be true while not being able to express it. That which we attempt to express through art, poetry, music, dance. That which is beyond reason, incomprehensible.

What is the role of technology?

How much do we do alone as artists? How much do we do in collaboration? What is the balance between solo practice, collaborative practice, community engagement?

How do we share our work with the world? How is the internet changing this? What are we doing when we create web worlds?

Where do ideas come from ? How are they shared? Do they exist between co -creators? Do they have their own substance? Is the connection we share with other artists a kind of love? What are the bounds of creativity? Improvisation? Collaboration? How can the mechanisms we have developed as independent collaborative artists be put to use in solving the social and environmental issues we face?

How can ancient forms of creative improvisation between dancers and musicians be harnessed with new technologies and/or with group communication, collaboration and decision making in non arts based contexts?

Artists/ performers are networkers and miracle workers. They pass information between groups of people. They organise gatherings. They create a means for people to feel connected to a kind of clan, joined by a shared experience of performance. They are often working to create miracles with small budgets, not enough time and the minimum of resources. They often work anarchically handing leadership to who ever suits the given task in a given moment. They make decisions on the fly, find solutions to all sorts of problems to create a shared vision, to manifest an idea, to bring a fantasy into an experienceable context.

These are all incredibly valuable skills in a world faced with the need to transform itself and our relationship to each other and resources. How can we share these skills with the broader community?

These are just some of the questions floating around my mind which I am attempting to shape into a form which can be explored as part of a series of forums I am planning to host as part of my residency. It is exciting and yet also somewhat overwhelming to attempt to place these ideas into a coherent framework. They are the things closest to my heart. If you share an interest in these matters…. please… feel free and be brave to respond… here … now …. in what ever way you choose : ) I would love to hear your thoughts : )