The tensest five minutes of my life came at the end of a Cultural eXchanges workshop’s on Variety Performance. The workshop was interspersed with the serious consideration of the decline of Variety performances and clips and acts designed to show us how and why Variety is such a brilliant form of entertainment. Generations of performers shared their memories of Variety both onstage and offstage – making this a thoroughly entertaining evening.
The tense entertainment came in the form of plate-spinning – a skill I had before thought of as neither entertaining nor productive. However, after a brief ten minute performance it was impossible not to notice how such a simple act had united generations within the room until unanimous screams alerted our Variety performer, Andrew Van Buren, to the seemingly imminent demise of his spinning plates.
Jessica Hodges
Showing posts with label lecture theatres. Show all posts
Showing posts with label lecture theatres. Show all posts
Tuesday, 1 March 2011
Tuesday, 2 March 2010
If only I wore spectacles ....
I had signed myself up for Stephen Deuchar: In conversation with Lars Thorp event. I had no idea what I was doing.
I am embarrassed to admit I had never heard of either man (I learned I was also pronouncing 'Deuchar' as Do-char instead of Do-ker), yet here I was, right in the middle of the 3.03 lecture theatre, not sure exactly what was about to go down.
I noticed the audience in the minutes before the event started. I was in a mix of smiling, excited, grey-haired, glasses-clad 50+ men and women as well as deep-thinking, presumably art students (also glasses-clad) in their twenties. I began to panic and feel I had missed the dress code part of the event. Everyone looked the part. Were spectacles essential to enjoy art? Maybe I should draw some on? Would a monocle be going a step to far?
Stephen Deuchar and Lars Tharp entered the theatre. Tharp, a confident and well-mannered man was known for his work on Antiques Roadshow. Deuchar seemed initially timid but soon relaxed as this overviewed conversation began. A lot of what was said, partically when they mentioned names I had never heard of, was over my head, nonetheless I listened keenly as I was exposed to a area of British culture I had never really taken notice of.
I myself only like very precise pieces of art that I happen to stumble upon when reading about different countries. This event however, explored all sorts of art, from ancient jewellery to a video of a man running through a gallery. It really had an effect on me.
If there was something to be learned from this event, and the cultural exchange as a whole, it would be that we should allow ourselves to get out of our comfort zones, explore subjects and areas we do not associate ourselves with regularly.
I had a question I wanted to ask Tharp and Deuchar but I felt I would not be able to pull it off. I think I will give it a try here instead.
"Mr Deuchar, if you could save one piece of Art that people would be able to see in 500 years, what would it be?"
Jack Campbell
I am embarrassed to admit I had never heard of either man (I learned I was also pronouncing 'Deuchar' as Do-char instead of Do-ker), yet here I was, right in the middle of the 3.03 lecture theatre, not sure exactly what was about to go down.
I noticed the audience in the minutes before the event started. I was in a mix of smiling, excited, grey-haired, glasses-clad 50+ men and women as well as deep-thinking, presumably art students (also glasses-clad) in their twenties. I began to panic and feel I had missed the dress code part of the event. Everyone looked the part. Were spectacles essential to enjoy art? Maybe I should draw some on? Would a monocle be going a step to far?
Stephen Deuchar and Lars Tharp entered the theatre. Tharp, a confident and well-mannered man was known for his work on Antiques Roadshow. Deuchar seemed initially timid but soon relaxed as this overviewed conversation began. A lot of what was said, partically when they mentioned names I had never heard of, was over my head, nonetheless I listened keenly as I was exposed to a area of British culture I had never really taken notice of.
I myself only like very precise pieces of art that I happen to stumble upon when reading about different countries. This event however, explored all sorts of art, from ancient jewellery to a video of a man running through a gallery. It really had an effect on me.
If there was something to be learned from this event, and the cultural exchange as a whole, it would be that we should allow ourselves to get out of our comfort zones, explore subjects and areas we do not associate ourselves with regularly.
I had a question I wanted to ask Tharp and Deuchar but I felt I would not be able to pull it off. I think I will give it a try here instead.
"Mr Deuchar, if you could save one piece of Art that people would be able to see in 500 years, what would it be?"
Jack Campbell
The one-day Cultural eXchanges experience
4 Events. 1 Day. 250 Words?
Ouch.
When I first booked the events for Cultural eXchanges I figured getting everything done in one day would be to my advantage. Cheaper on train fare and it meant a few days off to catch up on my reading.
What I didn’t realise at the time, was that I’d created a situation for myself where I had to run from the ground floor, up to the third, and then right back down to the bottom again. It didn’t take long to start regretting my decision.
It was a long day that didn’t start off particularly well. There was a crowded train journey and then a 50 minute wait before the first talk that just didn’t grab my attention, despite some interesting material on Modernist Magazines.
Luckily, the day got better and better as it went on and ultimately the whole thing was certainly worthwhile. I moved to Postgraduate Creative Writing, which was thoroughly enjoyable, if a little short. Then onto ‘The Front Room’ with a fascinating, and amusing, insight into the lives of Caribbean immigrants. Finally, there was Alexei Sayle, who, despite being late, kept the audience laughing and time just flew by.
At the end of it though. The most profound thing I’ve learnt?
The freezing lecture theatres that I study in, actually have heating that works. Who knew?
Natasha Rowinski
Ouch.
When I first booked the events for Cultural eXchanges I figured getting everything done in one day would be to my advantage. Cheaper on train fare and it meant a few days off to catch up on my reading.
What I didn’t realise at the time, was that I’d created a situation for myself where I had to run from the ground floor, up to the third, and then right back down to the bottom again. It didn’t take long to start regretting my decision.
It was a long day that didn’t start off particularly well. There was a crowded train journey and then a 50 minute wait before the first talk that just didn’t grab my attention, despite some interesting material on Modernist Magazines.
Luckily, the day got better and better as it went on and ultimately the whole thing was certainly worthwhile. I moved to Postgraduate Creative Writing, which was thoroughly enjoyable, if a little short. Then onto ‘The Front Room’ with a fascinating, and amusing, insight into the lives of Caribbean immigrants. Finally, there was Alexei Sayle, who, despite being late, kept the audience laughing and time just flew by.
At the end of it though. The most profound thing I’ve learnt?
The freezing lecture theatres that I study in, actually have heating that works. Who knew?
Natasha Rowinski
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