SKYPE REHEARSALS - Hard to Wrap my Mind Around This

Joanna lives in New York, Patricia in Paris, Stephen and Misa in Santa Barbara, Sinan & Serkan in Turkey, Mojca in Slovenia, Julia in Austria . . . finding ways to create.  

SOURCES OF INSPIRATION - the seed, SB-ADaPT Festival 2011

Sources of inspiration always come from somewhere, and when I pause to think about the radical changes that have been occurring with regard to where we are at creatively, as a newly formed collective, ArtBark International (formerly SonneBlauma Danscz Theatre) I take notice that this is June of 2012.

I think of Lerna Babikyan and Regina Picker (above, Lerna in the white jacket, Regina on her left - at the Festival breakfast on the Center Stage Theater patio) who live in different countries.  One in Turkey and one in Austria. They traveled to the SB-ADaPT Festival in Santa Barbara almost exactly a year ago today and were in residence at Fishbon to create something specific for this community's tri-level wharehouse for the Cut the Edge emerging genre performance installation.

I was blown away by their approach to art making and that somehow, even though they lived in different countries, they managed to develop a process and create work together. I never, ever, in a thousand years would have thought this possible, and wondered in my heart of hearts if I had the courage to rethink my approach to creating and sharing work and take a big risk by working in this way - try something new.

At the Festival we also met Moska Majcen (on the left, Lerna on the right), of Dance Theater IGEN from Celje, Slovenia.  In order to make the journey's doable financially for our international artists (they were not paid to perform and didn't receive any financial assistance from us) we collaborated with the Fishbon community, and those in need were provided housing in the homes of warm and loving folks from this community, such as Jill Littlewood who housed Lerna & Regina, IGEN, Simya SANAT from Istanbul and the whole cast of 10 from Rubans Rouge Dance Company from L.A.  It was in Jill's kitchen, over dinner, that Moska and I connected in the exuberant atmosphere created by a home full of international artists living under the same roof, cooking together, talking art with wild Iggy dancing about in his pink briefs shocking us with his wild, crazy ways.   Moska expressed that she really liked my creative work, one thing led to another, and the Affinity I project happened with her traveling here to the U.S. to create with us and then share work in Los Angeles, New York, and Santa Barbara.

The Seeds Sprout!

We began the process with "skype rehearsals".  Here is an excerpt from our very first skype meeting and how the collaboration began.

It blows me away, to think that Mojca came and went with SonneBlauma choreographers collectively setting 3 new works on her and that she is back in Sloveni.  That Stephen is now in Celje, Slovenia working with Mojca to create a new work for the RAW MATTERS: ADaPT Special festival being organized by Regina and the arts collective Raw Matters in Vienna, Austria (yes the ADaPT Festival sprouted in Vienna!)  He is probably right now just returning from his second master class  in choreography with dance students of dance Theater IGEN.   Yesterday I videotaped our skype session and a very tired Stephen shared his thoughts on what it is like to be in Celje, Slovenia working!  I need to add captions because you can't hear him very well. EXCITING!

I just can't wrap my mind around this, the capacity to work with artists from all over the world (potentially), meet up (is the carbon footprint worth it I ask myself which sparks additional ideas) and pull the work together for performance.

CRAZY!  On Saturday I had a skype rehearsal with Patricia Morejon, a budding actress who lives in Paris.  In the spring I conducted a series of experimental integrative arts performance installation labs with two other artists in our community, Tina Corbett and Cecily Stewart.  While skyping with her, Stephen skyped in and Patricia was introduced to Mojca.  We had a quick discussion about the performance in Paris we will have after the Raw Matters ADaPT Festival and assigned each other tasks/homework assignments to move the project forwards.  Patricia in turn has recruited some musicians to create the sound scape for this experimental lab that will be created.  If that isn't enough, Sinan plans to be in Paris to be integrated into this work, and he is also learning choreography from the internet to be integated into a piece Stephen premiered at NECTAR.  For his work in Vienna, Stephen is also collaborating with artists from Turkey, Austria, and New York and they will be integrated into the new work during the intensive rehearsal process the week before the Festival in Vienna.

On Sunday, Joanna (who lives in New York) and I had a nearly 2 hour, exhausting skype rehearsal.  She is packing today to leave to Denmark for a Festival there and will meet up with us in Vienna for the Raw Matters ADaPT Festival.  I just can't wrap my mind around this!  We made progress with the works we are going to present going over the script for the performance art piece we will do in a subway in Vienna (we haven't decided which line yet.)  I showed her my costume via the skype camera and she was able to pull out a bridesmaid dress from her wardrobe that would match this.  We also chose costuming for the installation work.  We also discussed the installation space and wrote together an email to contraMASS to try and get dimensions of the space, we watched Youtube videos together (Skype has a shared screen function.), we discussed our work "Unzipped" and how its recent performance by me as a solo opened up new options and how we might be able to integrate them into the Vienna performance and discussed others learning this work.  We discussed the technical aspects of some guerrilla performances we plan to do at an undisclosed location.

It was EXHAUSTING and exhilarating.  I tried to go to rehearsal after this session at the studio we rehearse out of, but I got as far as Trader Joes to buy some water and wound up buying food and going home. 

So... now it seems as if a cross-cultural collaboration is also sprouting with an artist in Israel and that this may take us to Jerusalem for the Machol Shalem Festival!

Exciting times!

Indeed...

exciting times!!

Love and Light!

Misa
www.artbark.org

ArtDoula tip of the week: Take Your Power Back

When Cybil announced the topic of this NECTAR installment -  NECTAR: Golden, featuring Santa Barbara's non-profit the Friendship Center, I committed to participating without really knowing what I'd do.

When one sets an intention - watch out world!

When ArtBark Collaborator and Co-Creator, Joanna Nobbe was here in town recently (she lives in NY) we managed to bring to fruition something I've been wanting to do for a number of years based on the concept of painting my wrinkles red.  A way of exploring the concept of aging and how it is I feel about that.   The exploration resulted in a short video called "Paint My Wrinkles Red".   I thought - aha! perfect for NECTAR: Golden.

 Joanna set a simple score for a performance art event based on our exploration in the garden and it was our intent to share it for NECTAR. 

Anyone else live the type of creative life where they set out with one intention, but the origin of creative energy seems to have another idea?  To make a very long story short, it came down to the final hour, and something totally different was forced to emerge.

This work, involves a first for me.

No dancing or movement art & I speak.

ME? SPEAK? ONSTAGE?

In counting years, it has been 37 since I've spoken onstage.

A long time ago, an acting teacher conveyed to me that although he thought I had ability, that I was too short to consider a career in acting and I found myself with my face painted white, in the mime troupe, silent - and although I've set works on others that incorporates text, I haven't spoken.  Well - there was Ranunculus - but I made sound effects, nothing intelligible...

Forced by an incredibly tight timeline what developed for this installment of NECTAR is a piece that is a goofy, quickly drafted skit

Me?

Talking in a performance?  Creating the work the same day as the tech?  Preposterous, unheard of, ballsy . . . but so what, you only go through this incarnation as who you are once on the carousel of life.

Taking my power back I suppose.  So yes, I need cheerleaders and hand holders and give thanks already to E. Bonnie Lewis for making time in her busy schedule to give this a jump start and give me a complimentary Drama Dogs coaching session and huge thanks to the support of the NECTAR community that was present for our "tech" run. 

So - now for the intentional part of the post.

I've been playing with the idea of "intentional posting" on Facebook and questioning why I share information that I do.  Is it an addictive impulse, or is there some other reason.


In thinking over the impulse to post this information I realize that it has something to do with taking one's power back - and, on some level, I want cheerleaders to hold my hand and encourage me to do something really scary and on the other hand I hope doing this little exercise will inspire others to take their power back as well.



I like to inspire others, I like to be of service to others, I like to help others find happiness, freedom and joy.

Do you have something in life that you once upon a time loved to do?   Was there something said to you, or was there some experience that shut you down?  That closed a door?

Well - I'm no Sarah Bernhardt or Shirley Temple or Meryl Streep, but this is something I once had a lot of fun doing, acting, and doing something just because it makes you happy - well, that's reason enough!

So, as a species, let's get more happy!

Take your power back!  Start up again at something that once brought you great happiness!

Shoot me an email @ weloveartbar@gmail.com if you find yourself in need of a cheerleader in the process of taking your power back in some creative part of your life.  Tell me what you're up to and I'll give what support I can!    Better yet, become a part of our interactive ArtBark community and post a pic or bit of writing or link to a video of you taking your power back on our facebook page

Love & light to you!

Misa
ArtBark Co-Creator and Collaborator

R A W M A T T E R S: ADaPT Fest Vienna

 

Not 100% sure that this is the route we are taking - but this is what seems to be emerging!

Stephen and I both had the image of the SB-ADaPT Festival not necessarily always taking place in Santa Barbara.  Regina Picker invited us to Vienna this summer to share work and invited Raw Matters to be a part of the promotion/organization process.  When thinking of titles they suggested Raw Matters: ADapt to refer to the festival where Regina connected with us.  In that the event is kin to the SB-ADaPT 2011 Festival, I thought - why not!  Let's do it to it!  Shape it like a Festival. 

Working on the promotional bits right now.  Carving out a website, creating a video trailer for ArtBark, creating a video trailer of the visual art I'll be sharing.  Super cool!  In the theater there will be 50% Austrian artists and 50% from other countries (ArtBark and Dance Entropy.)   In the gallery portion I'll be hanging a show.  The work Joanna and I created for this tour, Unzipped, is related to life drawing and we're thinking of installing it there.  We'll also be doing some Guerrilla style street art . . . so, it is shaping up nicely.


Not as HUMONGOUS as 2011 and thankful for that!

The one constant in life: change

photo by Sue Bell

The one constant in life is change.

Embarking on a new adventure.

SonneBlauma Danscz Theatre sheds its petals, the stalk has withered, fall is gone and seeds have scattered far and wide.

We're embracing change beginning with a new name and a simplified mission.

As the sunflower reincarnates as a salty, howling - and hopefully somewhat artistic - dog, ArtBark represents the unceasing hunt for new fields, new scents, easy puns, and an easier name to spell. With a mission to spread love and light through the power of creative expression, one thing is sure to remain the same – our commitment to being the change we wish to see in the world & to place a strong value on relationship, communication, and building community.

Founding Collaborators:  The Kellys (Misa and Stephen) and Mojca Majcen

Up next?

Performances in Vienna come July.  Hosting a New York/Santa Barbara choreographic exchange in collaboration with NECTAR October 20th, a New York/Los Angeles choreogrpahic exchange at ARC Pasedena October 21st, looking ahead to 2013.