Not *another* artist...

[paulavarjack]

It's a time, and it's time...

Timing always has the potential of affecting how an artwork is received (or in some cases is even made) But when you are making a piece of work inspired by real people and interrogating real life events, timing becomes an extra element to navigate.

I wouldn't say my work particularly deals with risk, but perhaps one risk I do seem to court again and again, in devising in an almost documentary way, is I never know what will happen around those people or events in the time between coming up the idea, and producing it into the world. 

In the last five months working on Nine Sixteenths, a show that not only looks at what happened to Janet Jackson in 2004, but explores what it means to be a black woman in the public eye all of the following have happened...

Janet Jackson announced her first world tour since 2016 (and I got to see her perform in London, two months before opening Nine Sixteenths) 

A vigil in honour of Diane Abbot happened in response to hate speech made by a major Tory Donor, which given where I live, happened practically outside my front door. 

Joe Biden dropped out of the American presidential election to be replaced by Kamala Harris on the ballot

Janet Jackon gave her first interview in years to the Guardian, and went viral for making false comments about Kamala Harris's race

Kemi Badenoch became head of the Tory party. 

Kamala Harris lost to Donald Trump. 

But - there was one thing I did plan. This may now sound crazy, but it was always my intention to open Nine Sixteenths the week of the American presidential election.  I literally started planning with this in mind 3 years ago in order for it to happen in this way.(Although I did have a moment where I questioned this to myself on Monday... )

 As someone deeply interested in pop culture, current events and how they interconnect, I am fascinated by how we move in cycles. In February it was 20 years since Janet Jackson's "wardrobe malfunction happened. 2004 was also an American presidential election year. George Bush Jr, the then republican incumbent was running (and that year won). Christian conservative right wing lobbies were concerned about liberal ideas that were having more of a place on television, particularly regarding pre-marital sex and anything that referenced the LGBT community (which was slowly getting more representation) and that's before we even get started on abortion. There was an ongoing war in Iraq that showed no signs of ending. There is no doubt history repeats itself. What I am interested in is how we can learn from it to move forward. 

Yesterday going into rehearsal and preview felt hard. But when I see this Toni Morrison quote floating around on socials,  as it does in times like these, I take some solace in the fact that I am doing the work. The art I have made in this precise moment, which was made in consideration of this moment, feels like the right work to be doing.

I have always been interested in making the invisible visible, and I believe this show does that, not just by making the voices of black women more present, but by making clear the invisible architects of toxic sexist and white supremacist culture. And after this show I will keep following those threads. Because one of the things I learned from this project, is that the people *behind* the visible danger (a visible danger like Trump) are often just as terrifying and sometimes even more influential. 

But the other reason I am proud of this work, and the extraordinary team I have worked with to build it, is that is does all these things I care about in terms of engaging with culture and politics, while being fun funny and entertaining. It draws on cabaret, dance and storytelling to make people think about big things . Entertainment (and play and humour) is a powerful tool that can be underestimated. This also feels right as way of making sense of things, because part of being human is  we may cry today, and still rave at the weekend, (or in light of everything happening, end up doing both at once)

Nine Sixteenths runs at the Pleasance until the 16th of November 2024.

Book tickets here

[paulavarjack]

Get On The Internet

SCREENING PARTY PROGRAMME hosted by the *ICON* that is Beth Sitek Section One 

Women in Agony by Eliza Soroga

So It Begins by Mirabelle Jones and Gorgeoux

Decorum by Chuck Blue Lowry, Sue Mayo and Pooja Sitpura

A hairpin and a line of a poem by Paula Varjack

Just Beyond by Luca Rutherford

  Section Two

Without Shame by Liberty Antonia Sadler

Second Guessing by Emma Ready (2 films)

I Live In It by Sue Mayo

Sympoietic Temporalities by Moa Johansson

Please Hold by Francesca Pazniokas

  Section Three

Gokotta by Shebekeke

The Mindbenders: The Women of LSD composed & live scored by Jessica Roch. 

Pass The Salt by Bellatrix

About the Artists

Beth Sitek is a queer performance artist and drag king who makes climate activist work about  human nature and the animal kingdom. They are also a freelance cabaret host. https://bethsitek.com/

Eliza Soroga  is a performance artist from Athens, Greece. She works in a Site-Specific/Sensitive manner -incorporating the reality of the chosen sites- exploring dynamic interdisciplinary methods of re-inventing what we so-call ‘the public sphere’. http://www.elizasoroga.com/

Mirabelle Jones is a queer, non-binary creative technologist, researcher, and transdisciplinary artist focused on interactive technologies, educational activism, and ethical AI. https://www.mirabellejones.com/

Gorjeoux Moon is a non binary femme, trans feminist poet, writer and transdisciplinary artist exploring gender, trauma, and the meta use of form. https://gorjeoux.myportfolio.com/

Pooja Sitpura is an Equality, Diversity and Inclusive practice practitioner and a participatory arts facilitator.

Luca B Rutherford is a writer, performer and dramaturg making socially activist theatre that asks big questions with playfulness, both collaborating with other creatives and making her own work. She makes work that explores, plays with, and questions the messy, confusing bits of living. https://www.luca-rutherford.co.uk/

Liberty Antonia Sadler is an artist & filmmaker based in London, working with mediums of drawing, text and moving image to explore themes of size, food, queerness & vulnerability. https://www.libertyantoniasadler.com/

Sue Mayo specialises in collaborative, participatory work. The Gratitude Enquiry investigated reciprocity, through community projects, and her current work Breaks & Join repair of our stuff, our selves, our communities. http://www.suemayo.co.uk

Moa Johansson (UK/SWE) is a performing-artist whose practice flirts with the possibilities within limitations. Balancing between the moving body, photography and sculptural work, With (re-used and re-ocurring) fabric in focus, she plays with material-enforced tension/restriction/permission as choreographic possibilities. http://moajohansson.org/about

Francesca Pazniokas is a playwright and filmmaker whose work explores memory and fable, trauma and identity, obsession and the occult. Her plays have been produced in New York City, London, Toronto and Melbourne, as well as across the United States, and she was recently awarded Clubbed Thumb’s 2020 Biennial Commission. https://www.francescapazniokas.com/

SheBeKeke likes to turn her poems into songs. Previous works, Moonwhile and Abecedarian, showcase a mixture poetry and sound. Not all words can live on the page. Someone called her sound “gospel folk” once but she isn’t too sure if she agrees. Her work has been presented at venues high profile venues and platforms such as Tate Modern, Blue Dot Festival and Glastonbury’s Rum Shack Stage. https://keishathompson.com/shebekeke/

Jessica Roch is a multimedia composer, multi-instrumentalist and improviser. Her music mixes a range of synthesizers/electronic sounds/noise, as well as effected classical instruments. https://www.jessicarochmusic.com/

Bellatrix is a fast rising singer and songwriter who also happens to be a professional bassist and former world beatboxing champion. The musical career of this multifaceted artist has seen them travel the world and perform with an array of artists from Nadia Rose to Angelique Kidjo, The Gyuto Monks of Tibet, to Jarvis Cocker, and is now culminating in a solo project that draws on and really shows their broad experience as a music creator. https://www.bellatrixmusic.co.uk/

A collaboration between artists Paula Varjack and Chuck Blue Lowry, Varjack-Lowry aims to develop a distinctive visual, theatrical, digital and participator practice; merging skills derived in filmmaking, theatre-making and participation. They have been supported to make work by The Barbican, Attenborough Arts Centre, Arts Depot, Camden People’s Theatre, The Yard and Clean Break. 

[paulavarjack]

THE FUTURE IS POP CULTURE!!! PLAYLIST

The Future is Pop culture - a week of performances I have curated  for The Pleasance & Vault Fringe Futures Festival. It’s made up of 5 shows  by performers/companies with their own preoccupations with popular culture, from romance and reality shows, complicated relationships with zumba, influencer culture, accidentally starting an online movement , and a mockumentary performance about Boris Johnson.  Of course if you're in London I want you to see ALL OF IT  (Buy tickets here ) 

I asked all the artists to give me a pop track they are currently into and/or a track that represented their show in some way. I added my own too. It’s a banging playlist and the music videos are pure eye candy too. 

Treat yourself,  have a watch/listen here

Full Playlist as follows :

LITE SPOTS by Kaytranada  (chosen by Paula Varjack )

Stop making this hurt by Bleachers  (chosen by Charlotte Evans) 

Venom by  Little Simz (chosen by Burning Brick Theatre) 

Slumber party - by Ash Nikki featuring Princess Nokia (chosen by Amelia Gann) 

Flash Pose by Pabllo Vittar ft. Charli XCX! - (chosen by Becks Turner of G&T Theatre)

Dancing on My Own  by Robyn - (chosen by Amelia Stubberfield ) Montero  by  Lil Nas (Bonus track  chosen by Amelia Gann)  You can call me Al by PaulaSimon (chosen by Charlotte Evans as a track that represents her show "My Dad Boris" ) Evacuate The Dancefloor by  Cascada  - (chosen by Amelia Gann as a track that represents her show " Zumba Gold")

7 Rings by Ariana Grande  - (chosen by G&T Theatre as *THE song for* " Avocado on Tits") 

Shape of You  by Ed Sheeran 

Rule the world by Take That  - chosen by Amelia Stubberfield as songs that represent "the (un)realities of love" 

Pop Muzik  by M - chosen by Paula Varjack to represent "The Future is Pop Culture" 

Ps. G&T theatre also have a playlist of song inspiration for "Avocado on Tits"  here if you want to listen!  

[paulavarjack]

(via GIPHY)

[paulavarjack]

re: phones, filming, & the ambiance of “live”

[paulavarjack]

Shows to See at Edinburgh Fringe 2017 !!!

About this time I tend to get a lot of friends asking me what shows I feel they really ought to see at the fringe. Having two shows a day this year (nevermind that the 2nd slot is actually made up of six shows I am hosting with Dan Simpson)  has meant I am seeing very little, but luckily I saw a lot of shows here last year and earlier this year, so I can still feel pretty confident in the following list. They are listed somewhat related to date, as not all shows are doing full runs. 

This is is not an exhaustive list btw!  I will definitely end up missing people because: fringe brain, but if you saw a few of these while you are out here, you would definitely enjoy the experience. I won’t go into describing anything too much, because I personally think you get more from performance going in knowing little and feeling open.

Hot Brown Honey - This show changed how I felt about cabaret. I love cabaret, but this show made me realise it can be sexy and political, and empowering and hilarious, and I’ve never been the same since. I have seen it twice now, and will be seeing it again when its on at HOME in Manchester in December. nuff said. 

Salt - Selina Thompson has beautiful presence at a performer and her storytelling skills are first rate. This is the strongest piece of solo theatre I have seen in a long time, and the themes it explores are difficult, emotional and important. 

Dollywould - Shit Theatre. I sometimes have a hard time explaining what performance art is. Now I think when someone asks me I would like to make them see a Shit Theatre show. They make work with a form that is totally theirs, funny, smart and engaging. This is the second show I have seen by them and I would literally watch them explore almost any theme now. 

Butt Kapinski - I remember seeing the description ‘immersive comedy” and shuddering, but that is exactly what this is and its fantastic. This the only show I have seen where audience participation is designed to never fail and always feel fun for everyone involved. and Butt Kapinski is so so funny. 

Pollyanna - This is my favourite cabaret variety show, anywhere, ever. It’s alternative, raucous, and often queer. Polyfilla is a feral host from hell, somewhere between engaging and threatening and she’s brilliant. Meanwhile it being fringe, the line up on the bill is always incredible. It’s my favourite place to spot new peformers’ shows to check out. Although be warned for those who need to get up early the next day, it goes on late and tends to get messy. 

Workshy - Katy Baird - I saw a very early version of this show and loved it, and everyone I know who has seen it since has raved about it as well. I have heard a few times how it would make a great double bill with Show Me The Money , and I can totally see it, as Katy explores all the rubbish jobs she has done on the route to being an artist, in a way that is conversational, funny and relatable. 

Can I get an Amen - Kaitlyn Rogers  Kaitlyn is one of my fringe discoveries this year. This is her first solo show at the fringe, and while she is new to the comedy circuit (she trained as an actress and clown) you would never know it. She’s beautiful and bonkers and has an energy you can’t help but go along with. The dance routine at the end is my favourite bit, but its just great fun throughout. 

Joan - Milk Presents This is a solo show that feels so epic it almost doesn’t feel like a solo show. A show that shows challenging gender started long before current conversations we are having, presenting the Joan of Arc story in a way that feels totally contemporary commanding and playful. Not that awards are everything but, it won so many awards last year! so if you missed it, now is your chance. 

Our Carnal Hearts - Rachel Mars (August 15 - 26) . Rachel Mars delves into the dark emotion that is envy, and worse still the envy we sometimes have our friends, in a way that cathartic and hilarious. I want to tell you about other amazing aspects like the chorus... but I would rather you just go and experience it. 

Monkey see Monkey Do - Richard Gadd  (august 18- 27) This show is phenomenal. I’m a sucker for hybrid forms and it sits somewhere between stand up, performance art, multimedia theatre and it totally works. Using humour to explore anxiety, sexuality and other themes I’d rather you discover in the show. It won the perrier award last year and I can totally see why.  So gutted its only on after I have left, as would love to see it again but defo book if you havn’t seen (or it isn’t sold out already) 

The I Hate Children’s Show - I saw this at Glastonbury a few years ago and its genius. It’s a kid’s show that manages to make fun of kids, for adults, while the kids involved have no idea (and totally enjoy it). What they do with the form of working with children for an audience of adults is excellent. Its also just really silly and great fun

[paulavarjack]

Re: the morning after Westminster, and being "safe"

I have often talked and written about my relationships with cities being like relationships with people. Yesterday in Manchester I realised the long term relationship I have had with this place, and performing in afflecks palace, somewhere I first came when I was 19 with a then girlfriend , seemed to close the circle. I have a small group of people I feel really supported by here. But then amidst all that, I am backstage getting ready for the show and I read about an attack in London. These things are even more terrifying when you see them as a newsflash, and the place is home, where you are not. I text someone I am close to in London, mainly just to relate the feeling of " what the f**k" And then suddenly something happened that had never happened before, friends on Facebook started asking me to mark my status as "safe" Meanwhile I can hear the director of the theatre talking on the phone, the conversation is about how many are injured and how many are dead. I am trying to put on my make up, I keep stopping. I can't process what is going on. It's a funny thing this "marking safe" right? I saw a lot of people yesterday angry about it as a function. It was weird for me to see friends on Facebook asking me for my status for the first time. Weirder still as yesterday I happened to be away from London, in Manchester. I also understand it though, when the attack happened in Berlin before Christmas, even knowing it was unlikely due to area that any of my friends would be in or around the Christmas market, I was still worried and do desperately contacted and felt relieved as those marked themselves as "safe" X but I will raise something many of my friends in Berlin did at the time. What does it mean now to be "safe?" When yesterday morning the news is a ban on electronic devices in flights to prevent one kind of threat and by evening we are faced with another? What does it mean now with rising tensions and governments in the west that are all becoming more and more right wing? What does it mean to be safe when just since Christmas there have been Attacks in Berlin and Paris and London? What does it mean for all the people in the world who face this as a real concern daily? I don't know. I know it's something that defies explaining. I don't think it helps to be angry. I don't think it helps to be scared, but There are times when I feel like it's some kind of tightwire I can fall off, where I worry when and how something next will happen to me or someone I care about. Cities always being most under threat , as and it's mostly in cities that I travel to and have so many people I care about and love. Waking up feels different today and I am sure it will for many, not least those who have lost or been injured or even witnessed what happened. But all I am left with is this tremendous love I have for cities and for London especially. London a place I hsve come to and left again and again and keep returning to. London where I lived during the attack in 2007, a day where 4 explosions hit on my route to work , on the week I decided I would start walking the long to work instead , London where as a teenager I learned to be weary of unattended bags because of the threat of the IRa. I am still afraid of bags left on their own to be honest. But with the rest what has followed is a period of nervousness, followed by resigning to the fact there is nothing you can do. And If I can take anything positive at all it is that it is making me claim how much I love the city and have always loved it, despite its difficulty and expense and overcrowding and exhaustion. I love it for what it is, and most of all I love it because it is home. And so last night and today I guess all I am do is get on with it and keep making work, because at the end of the day that literally is my job.

[paulavarjack]

Thank you for the ten year olds - a west London primary school class debates Trump

This morning I lead the first of two workshops on debating for Eastside Educational Trust as part of a three year project for young people called Verse vs Verse . I get to Willesden junction far too early ending up in a tiny café where everyone around me speaks Portuguese. the television shows trump on the news (also translated into Portuguese.) Trump is talking about building a wall on the border with mexico. It’s disorienting, all of it, trump, the notion of the wall, the support for it, and hearing it in Portuguese.

I leave and head to the school. In the first 30 minutes of the session we begin to explore the idea of argument. I push the young people to be clear in how they back up opinions with evidence and reasoning rather than just saying what they think. I ask them to make statements the class can disagree with or defend. The game starts by saying things that can obvioiusly be disagreed with. I begin with “all children like mornings”. They get passionately involved, citing many reasons why this isn’t correct.

I ask for them to make their own statement, specifically something everyone could disagree with. Someone says

“Everyone likes trump.”

The children get excited, lots of hands shoot up. Some make noises of disagreement immediately or say “Whattt??” involuntarily

“Why isn’t it true that everyone likes trump?” I ask

The children answer quickly and enthusiastically. They are age 10 and 11.

“More people where at the march than his inauguration!”

“and there were marches everywhere!”

“but why does that prove it?”

“Because those people at the march were protesting! That means everyone there doesn’t like him!”

Two girls excitedly add that they have evidence that everyone doesn’t like him, because they were at the women’s march, and they saw and heard women talking about not liking him.

Everyone is raising hands with more to add.

“Women marched all over the world against him! So that proves everyone doesn’t like him”

“Men marched too!”

“Great! And why else do we know that not everyone likes trump?”

“Because he is sexist, racist and homophobic”

(I must confess from a room of 10/11 year olds, I am excited to hear the word ‘homophobic” has confidently made it on this list, and with full support from the class)

“Ok, but if he is sexist racist and homophobic , how does that relate to him not being liked by everyone?”

“Because that makes him offensive to women, gay people and people of colour!”

There is a lot of passionate nodding

(wow! whats in the water at Willesden!?)

“Ok great points! all of them. now give me one last reason you can use to back up your argument “everyone doesn’t like trump?”

“Because everyone hates him”

“Ok, lets use that as a new statement to debate over. Does everyone hate trump?”

A bunch of students say yes. I ask them to to listen and I ask again

“Everyone? “

The class pauses and thinks it over. someone raises their hand.

“No, everyone doesn’t hate him, because millions and millions of americans voted for him. “

The child who says this is one of the most articulate of the group. He is black. the group gets a bit quieter for a bit, and we move on to the next game.

I spend the rest of the session further exploring debating technique with more abstract concepts. (Which fictional character to send into a balloon to explain our world to aliens in case you are wondering…) . the last exercise calls for them to debate which three virtues are most important for someone to represent them , I am thrilled for the second of the three to be “empathy (the first was reliability and third was to be trustworthy)

I realise by the end of the session that I get as much out of pushing children to use critical thinking and debate as I do from encouraging creativity. I am inspired by these articulate, engaged young people. I hope they stay that way. I walk back to the station thinking about how they listen challenge and support each other, in a way that I often don’t see online with adults.

Hopeful, I remain.

[paulavarjack]

“The Ultimate Art form”

[paulavarjack]

its just a video game.

to all my friends performing at the Edinburgh fringe. i have learned so much over these weeks, and I am super excited about what I have achieved, i now have press quotes and tour bookings, I’ve developed a new cabaret bit, I’ve made some great friends, and I"m super proud of the shape the show is in. i'm even a little proud of being a finalist in the bbc slam. but there has been something i have been meaning to write after lots of conversations with friends here that I felt needed saying. It’s this: 

always remember being out here is like a video game. 

you come out and you try to get to the next level and then you die.  you come back you get past that level and make it to the next, or sometimes even the one after that and then.. you die. you come back... (repeat repeat repeat)  the problem with facebook is people will talk about how well they are doing, about great reviews and audiences and buckets, but far fewer will admit to the bad days. and they are just as important for us all to hear.

reviews, I have had glowing reviews and a scathing review within days of each other. the scathing review taught me how to better take criticism and  led to coversations with me and my director Kellie Tori that made the show infinitely more dynamic and better. the glowing reviews came on the days I learned to forget the reviewer was there. i have had friends with contradicting reviews from the same publication. glowing reviews with low stars. harsh reviews that for me referred to a show entirely different from the one i had seen. you can have a 1 star and a 4 star review on the same day. audience numbers: when you hear about rooms being packed, or full, or sold out and you feel bad when yours are not full, remember that everyone has different rooms and  a different standard for declaring "full" and packed".  you can have 1o people in a room and wish you had 20, while in a building next door someone has 2 people and wishes they had 10 and then, around the corner a company is crest fallen to have 50 people because they are in a room that seats 200. I have had friends pack a room with 5o people with an audience that went nuts for their show, only to have to cancel the show the following day because no one turned up, because it rained, because it was sunday, because? flyers: you can kill with a set for 100 people in a guest spot and have them all excitedly take your fliers and have a tiny audience the following day. you can pack out a room on a day your flyerers couldn't flyer and you can have six people on a day you paid 3 people to flyer.   success here is about hard work, coinciding with a lot of luck and chance, and the stars being aligned, and coming back again and figuring out, and learning the hard way, and sometimes suddenly everthing going great (and then next day that again can change) so if things are going great, i am so happy for you and super proud. but if you are having a hard day or week or even month, you will learn so much from this, when you are back home and have time to reflect. and i am also super proud. its just a video game. xxx p

[paulavarjack]

to my fringe friends!:  4 days left of the fringe!  i have learned so much over these weeks, and I am super excited about what I have achieved, i now have press quotes and tour bookings, I"m super proud of the shape the show is in. i'm even a little proud of being a finalist in the bbc slam. but there has been something i have been meaning to write after lots of conversations with friends here that I felt needed saying. always remember being out here is like a video game. you come out and you try to get to the next level and then you die.  

you come back you get past that level and make it to the next, or sometimes even the one after that and then.. you die. you come back... (repeat repeat repeat)  the problem with facebook is people will talk about how well they are doing, about great reviews and audiences and buckets, but far fewer will admit to the bad days. and they are just as important for us all to hear. reviews, I have had glowing reviews and a scathing review within days of eachother. the scathing review taught me how to better take criticism and  led to coversations with me and my director Kellie Tori that made the show infinitely more dynamic and better. the glowing reviews came on the days I learned to forget the reviewer was there.

i have had friends with contradicting reviews from the same publication. glowing reviews with low stars. harsh reviews that for me referred to a show entirely different from the one i had seen. you can have a 1 star and a 4 star review on the same day. 

audience numbers: when you hear about rooms being packed, or full, or sold out and you feel bad when yours are not full, remember that everyone has different rooms and  a different standard for declaring "full" and packed".  you can have 1o people in a room and wish you had 20, while in a building next door someone has 2 people and wishes they had 10 and then, around the corner a company is crest fallen to have 50 people because they are in a room that seats 200. I have had friends pack a room with 5o people with an audience that went nuts for their show, only to have to cancel the show the following day because no one turned up, because it rained, because it was sunday, because? flyers: you can kill with a set for 100 people in a guest spot and have them all excitedly take your fliers and have a tiny audience the following day. you can pack out a room on a day your flyerers couldn't flyer and you can have six people on a day you paid 3 people to flyer.  

success here is about hard work, coinciding with a lot of luck and chance, and the stars being aligned, and coming back again and figuring out, and learning the hard way, and sometimes suddenly everthing going great (and then next day that again can change) 

so if things are going great, i am so happy for you and super proud. but if you are having a hard day or week or even month, i am also super proud, you will learn so much from this, when you are back home and have time to reflect. and remember its just a video game. xxx p

[paulavarjack]

Celebration, Florida

I saw this last night. I don’t remember the last time I was left so inspired by both the form and content of a piece. Celebration, Florida is on for four more days at the Yard Theatre in Hackney Wick. This is why you should see it…

It’s a performance that takes genuine artistic risks, in a way that is playful and engaging for both performers and audience.

You are never quite sure what will happen, but are always intrigued to see what happens next.

It plays with gender, fantasy, location and dislocation.

It deconstructs the roles of audience, performer and director.

It will make you think about the last time you had a big goodbye with someone.

It will make you think about someone you really miss.

You will especially connect to it, if you have ever been travelling for a long time, or touring, or been apart from anyone you are really close to (so in short, pretty much ALL of my friends)

The performers booked on every night are excellent. Every night they are different. There are different combinations of men & women, men & men, women & women. As an added exciting note, they know nothing about the performance until it begins.

There is a trailer for the town celebration , florida. It made me both laugh and be nostalgic for America. It looks weird and fantastic.

Celebration, Florida is on now at the Yard Theatre as part of Now Festival. Book tickets here: http://www.theyardtheatre.co.uk/event/now-15-festival-week-9-greg-wohead-fatlip/2015-06-09/

[paulavarjack]

OPEN CALL TO ANY GUY ANYWHERE TO RECORD VOICEOVER FOR ART PROJECT

NO ART/PERFORMANCE EXPERIENCE NECESSARY. Hello/Hallo/Hi I’m an artist working with video, sound design and performance www.paulavarjack.com I am part of an exhibition in a week’s time called *Save Changes* http://www.stourspace.co.uk/portfolio/may-2015/ exploring the impact dating apps, and online profiling has on women. For several weeks I have had a very abstract profile (no picture, no personal info), clicked like on every single person the app suggested, and messaged people in Berlin and London (account set as looking for men and women, but almost exclusively have been contacted by men) about how and why they use apps to connect.  

I have something like a hundred messages. (btw in case you are worried about content, nothing dodgy,  some cheesy, but all super tame, mostly about using the app) Some are really short (literally “hello”) others are one or two sentences. I want to have the messages spoken and recorded, ideally a different voice for each person. Will you record one for me? I need them recorded as soon as possible. I mostly need to record English guys, but also need a range of accents, especially French, Italian, Irish, Portuguese and South African.  If interested all you need to do is email me at paula varjack (at) googlemail (dot) com. I will send you a message to read out and record. You can record it on your phone, computer, sound recorder. Then email it back.  

Deadline 10am 4th May  2015!

[paulavarjack]

In praise of Staceyann Chin

I once went to performance poetry events as an audience member only. I frequented them much more often than I do now as a performer. It makes me feel old to say it, but I think I have now been watching performed poetry for something like eighteen years. But of that time before, when I first began to watching the artform, there were many poets I enjoyed, but no performance that left an impact like Staceyann Chin.

Staceyann Chin is one of those performers that makes the little hairs on the back of your neck stand on end. She is feisty, unapologetic, political, vibrant. She performs in an physically embodied way that radiates energy from every single pore. She is the kind of performer who has passionate fans not only from live performances but from having seen her only in video clips. Tonight I will be hosting an event she is featuring at, as she is in London for one night only. I have known this for weeks, and yet with hours away, I still have to pinch myself to believe it.

I saw her only once before in London. The gig was in a venue that wasn’t a poetry venue, I want to say it was what is now the garage in Islington but I can’ t be sure. Staceyann Chin was on tour with two other women, both African American. It might have been called something like the amazon tour. I remember at the end of the night being so blown away by that show, but I can’t remember the names of the other women now, Staceyann Chin is the only one that stayed with me.

I think I may have gone up to her after and thanked her for performing, and I feel like such a fan girl for saying this, but I was so completely overwhelmed that rather than age 18 or 19 I felt like 14 or 15. I think she must have sensed that because she just smiled and gave me a hug.

I have now been performing long enough that it seems natural. But I remember very vividly the time before, the greater part of my life before, when performers were considered to be mystical human beings. Nowadays, generally speaking I don’t consider performers to be mystical anymore. I love what they do, but perhaps the mystique was shaken by becoming one of them. But somehow I suspect that Staceyann Chin is still very much mystical, because she is so much more than a performer, she is an activist and a force of nature, and I am so very excited that tonight, once again I am going to get to see her perform.

Ps (in addition to above video clips I have always loved this article http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2012/apr/20/staceyann-chin-straight-women-thrill-me )

[transfleur-blog]

“I had to explain to the cameraman that ‘you’ve done it from a man’s eye view. You’re shooting and you’re going from my face down to my chest and it’s great but it’s not me. I was like ‘let’s look at my calves, let’s look at feet tied up, let’s look at the marks on my arms, let’s find things that are more interesting’.” — FKA twigs

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Nevermind the Fullstops

Morning! Tonight is the night of my monthly show at the Hackney Attic, the live panel show clashing pop culture with poetry. Every month gets better...

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