SACRED, s exploration of live art and contemporary performance launches in October for an exciting new season. SACRED will run throughout the year, the first season beginning in October and running until February 2013, the second taking place from March to July. As well as a brand new format, a SACRED event will take place at this autumn adding another dimension to the programme.
Aesthetica spoke to Artistic Director Francis Alexander about SACRED and his excitement over the project.
A: SACRED鈥檚 programme encompasses a rich blend of exhibitions, performance pieces and art events, allowing a comprehensive examination of contemporary live art and performance. Where did the initial idea for the season come from and what factors informed your programming choices?
FA: I love answering this question. The central idea鈥檚 in the name, SACRED. It鈥檚 a wry, raised eyebrow cast at the seriousness within which mainstream British theatre seems to dwell. We think the broad span of contemporary performance 鈥 in contrast – makes more than equally valid points about the world we love in, and the ideas we hold dear, and 鈥 to be quite frank – in a more original way. Todays performance makers 鈥 like Karen Christopher and Dominic Johnson, though they may have few stylistic approaches to unite them – don鈥檛 define themselves in the narrow old-fashioned ways of the past but succeed in telling quite new stories, in quite new ways.
A: 2012 sees SACRED extend across a whole calendar year, with the first instalment running from October to February and the second from March to July. In what ways has this enabled you to develop and build on the scope of the project?
FA: We鈥檝e been struck by the number of people forced to budget for what they can see, and what they have to miss. I鈥檝e never really understood the almost obscene way festivals seem to have to pack so much fantastic work into relatively short weeks. It鈥檚 a thrill to see regularly packed audiences for live art at Chelsea, and it鈥檚 unforgiveable that people can鈥檛 get to see the work for financial reasons. We鈥檝e, simply, just relaxed and put some breathers into the programme so that pay packets – or student loans – can bear the (low) cost. But it鈥檚 also meant that we can collaborate with other artists and producers whose work won鈥檛 be cooked and ready until next spring, with the likes of James Tyson and Chapter Arts Centre in Cardiff, or Dance4 in Nottingham. They鈥檒l bring really great shows to the programme with Peter Suart鈥檚 Melencolia and Guy Dartnell鈥檚 Inward Out.
A: Can you tell us a little about the SACRED event taking place at Battersea Arts Centre in November on which you are working with Tim Etchells, artistic director of Forced Entertainment?
FA:鈥淲orking with Tim Etchells鈥 seems a bit grand for us. It鈥檚 Tim who鈥檚 worked. He made a great new show which I saw at Mark Russell鈥檚 Under the Radar Festival in New York three years ago, and fell in love with. I can鈥檛 believe it鈥檚 taken so long to get it to London. When bright David Micklem at bac kindly mentioned that we could get together on it, we jumped at the chance. Oh, and of course – and at last- it鈥檚 a great opportunity to include in SACRED the work of Jim Fletcher of whom I鈥檝e long been a fan. Jim鈥檚 work with Elevator Repair Service obviously hit the West End in GATZ this summer, but he鈥檚 a devotee of the 鈥減ost dramatic鈥 theatre genius Richard Maxwell who we presented the year before last. Geniuses coming home to roost.
A: Chelsea Theatre provides the backdrop for the majority of the SACRED season; how will you be utilising the layout and character of the space there to best advantage for the project?
FA: Um鈥 well we鈥檙e a black box so our space has absolutely no character whatsoever. I mean it. Anything coming at you from a show here is what an artist has lovingly crafted. At least that鈥檚 the theory behind 1970s theatre architecture and I kind of agree. There are times when the space makes itself felt. In 2007 the new air conditioning system leaked in the middle of Goat Island鈥檚 last ever show, right on the head of performance artist Kazukho Hohki who was sitting in the audience. Embarrassing for me, but she remained seen to her best advantage for the project鈥
A: SACRED is, by its very nature, a hugely collaborative undertaking. Can you highlight some of the key performers and collaborators you have on board this year, and what in particular they contribute to the season as a whole?
FA: It鈥檚 a real thrill to be presenting all of the artists this year. Mentioning one of them by name would just be crazy. They all, I guess, represent the incredibly broad spectrum of contemporary performance, or live art, or experimental theatre, and they鈥檙e all very different. We鈥檙e working with artists with very established careers and young artists like Sian Ni Mhuiri and Jamilla Johnson-Small who are bright and new. I guess that鈥檚 a particular thrill 鈥 when a performance maker appears with whom you have little experience, and you feel inspired by their work. I鈥檝e long been a fan of Shabnam Shabazi鈥檚 鈥 I loved her work as a director of text based new writing and I鈥檓 excited by her personal journey into even newer ways of telling stories. Having Michael Pinchbeck鈥檚 The Beginning in SACRED is a great addition and serves to add to the contrasted practices we鈥檙e trying to bring out. Incidentally both Dominic Johnson and Sian Ni use tattooing as central themes in their shows but they couldn鈥檛 be more different. Gender, family, motherhood, pain, all addressed in pinpoint, razor sharply differing ways.
A: Following the expansion of SACRED this year, what are your plans and ambitions for its future?
FA: I guess that we have to be thankful we鈥檝e got this far. We have loyal charitable trusts supporting us and we have to pray that Arts Council England survives as a really arms length, properly funded lighthouse for the arts. In addition to that I just have to hope that we can embed ourselves as a building even more into our neighbourhood. We鈥檙e at the wrong end of Kings Road, the interesting end, where Turner and Wilde and Punk lived. We have great ambitions to link some of SACRED鈥檚 contemporary makers and artists much more with local schools and neighbourhood clubs. Social engagement is our future. I was inspired by 顿耻肠办颈别鈥檚 Simon Casson who said everybody involved in their recent project with homeless men, everybody, was an artist; homeless or not, trained or not, paid or not. Live art meets the challenges of this century really well. There鈥檚 nothing SACRED about it.
SACRED, 19th October until 1st February, Chelsea Theatre, 7 World’s End Place, London SW10 0DR.
Credit: Jeremy Reed, Piccadilly Bongo, SACRED, Chelsea Theatre
