the institute for crazy dancing

Ship O'foOls

What shall we do...?

Chorus

Way, hay up she rises,
Way, hay, up she rises,
Way, hay, up she rises,
Earlye in the morning!

What will we do with the drunken sailor?
What will we do with the drunken sailor?
What will we do with the drunken sailor?
Earlye in the morning?

Put him in the scuppers with the hose pipe on him.
Hoist him aboard with a running bowline.
Put him in the brig until he's sober.
Make him turn to at shining bright work.

Other verses from The Book of Navy Songs ( If the verse is the same I did not repeat it )

Put him in a boat and row him over
Hoist him up to the topsail yardarm
Make him clean out all the spit-kids

That's what you do with a drunken sailor
( The last line of this verse is followed by "Amen" )

VEHICLE. PROCESS. PUZZLE. PERFORMANCE. PARTICIPATION

The Ship o'Fools project is a long-term three phase production process:

1. PHASE 1: Research and develop core idea, set up
2. PHASE 2: Production and international tour of venue based middle-scale performance piece
3. PHASE 3: The SHIP evolves into a  participatory performance journey piece...

 

Phase 1: Rigging the Precarious Balance - a research and development project

Proposal:

This proposal will sketch out the first phase of a new and ambitious project for the ICD. It is a research and development process during which the 'Performance Puzzle Boat' will be developed and interrogated. Models will be designed and created, a marketing strategy will be conceived, and artistic possibilities explored. There will be meetings with boat-builders, designers, and lecturers; as well as model making, devising performance work, developing marketing materials and strategy. Relationship and partnership building will form the backbone of the process, the consideration of design and performance possibilities will be at its heart.

The Boat structure and materials are yet to be decided. This period of R&D will determine and model appropriate design, form and structure in order to develop the concept of a boat that is like a jigsaw puzzle which is built in performance. Physical and virtual models will be finely crafted (to scale). All aerial, lifting, winching and rigging possibilities will be considered. Both models will be used in the Performance Presentation - and in the following phases of development. The digital model will be developed into an interactive building puzzle on the re-designed ICD website.

The performance concept is simple and beautiful. It is the choreography of practical tasks and precarious balances which lead to the construction of a beautiful boat - played to live music. This is with a view to indoor and outdoor performance pieces; as well as participatory performance journey works.

The development of the right package, approach and supporting materials to market the SHIP o'FOOLS performance project is crucial to this R&D process. It is explained further in section 2.

The ICD is aiming to achieve the following objectives:

• Two Design Models - Physical and Virtual
• Marketing Pack & Strategy
• Website development / re-design
• 2 Performance Presentations
• New & Developed partnerships - through Regional, National and International Networking
• Professional development opportunities for artists at an open & invited Artists Play Weekend

Personnel Involved in Phase 1:

Beth Cassani ( consultant / choreographer / academic )
Highly experienced choreographer, lecturer and performer.

Tom Clever ( think design & build )
Precision engineer.

Ben Donnelly ( web & marketing )
Recently left his position as Creative Head of internet betting operations at William Hill.

Maria Ferrara ( tbc. therapist devisor )
Spanish maker, performer and therapist.

Stevie Goodwin ( percussion / thinker)
Top flight percussionist and International man of pleasure.

Jason Hird ( director )
Conceptual Clown and Creative producer.

Al Orange ( aerial possibilities )
Director, aerialist and multi-dimensional creator.

Jude Wright ( producer & trouble shooter )

 

The ICD SHIP o'FOOLS / Initial fantasy

7 beams, 9 planks, 14 boxes and 210 pegs will piece together to form the Puzzle Boat. It will be approximately 7m long, 4m wide and 3m high; constructed from 14 types of timber. Green felt pads will determine alignment and resting positions. The crows nest and figure head are yet to be decided.

Planks, beams, boxes and sails on stage. 7 performers will engage with the materials in a process of lifting and carrying, positioning and balancing, walking and dancing, manipulating and speculating as they hammer the 210 pegs into place to create a folding and unfolding structure.

They will take us on a journey where time will speed up and slow down; freedom will be debated; anecdotes, metaphors, gossip and conversation will be shared; a meditative and chaotic musical score will be created; images will be projected; and extraordinary balances will be undertaken.

They build a beautiful boat.

PROCESS:

Plans, drawings, models and diagrams will be explored and a final construction decided upon. Build the boat. Play with it. Refine it. Play it out in intense indoor spaces. Elaborate & Extrapolate for large outdoor spaces and participatory journeys. Develop concept for a monumental piece with 5 tower cranes...

TEAM:

• Jason Hird ( UK, director )
• Stevie Goodwin ( UK, drums )
• Maria Ferrara ( Spain, compere )
• Dave Lazonby ( UK, Saxophone )
• Tiago Gambogi ( Brazil, dancer-clown )
• Johanna Levy ( France, dancer )
• Beth Cassani ( UK, choreography )
• Tommy Tucker ( UK, design & carpentry )
• Simon Fanshawe ( UK, broadcaster )
• Donald Hutera ( UK journalist )
• Al Orange ( UK, aerialist & DJ )
• Chloe Dear ( UK, producer )
• Tom Morris ( UK, advisor & consultant )
• … a Judge ( tbc )
  
  
  READING:
• W H Auden, Leap Before You Look
• Coleridge, The Ancient Mariner
• G Deleuze & F Guattari,
• Anti-Oedipus: Capitalism & Schizophrenia
• E H Gombrich, The Story of Art
• J M Keynes, General Theory of Employment, Interest & Money
• F Nietzsche, Human, All Too Human
• Philippe Petit, To Reach the Clouds
• Plato, The Republic & The Symposium
• Shakespeare, The Tempest
• Sophocles, Oedipus
• Lao Tzu, On Leadership

Draft Production Schedule:

The schedule is broken down into five chunks which will take place - with breaks for reflection and contemplation - between January and July 2010.

Step 1

• Meetings commence with boat-builders, waterside communities, designer-maker, marketing people, FE & HE design departments, and web-designer.
• Scratch designs, strategies and modelling outlines drafted.
• Marketing and website design concepts and briefs drawn up.
• Notification of intent sent to mailing lists and professional networks.
• Notes, diagrams and comments sent to collaborators.

Step 2

• Meetings and refinements to process and production of models, materials and strategy continue.
• Model-making commences.
• Draft marketing pack and new web formats proposed and sketched.
• Two days devising and working with materials and performers.
• Further information, notes and developments sent to collaborators.

Step 3

• Marketing experiments sent to selected lists / targets.
• Consider and experiment with aerial, technical and rigging possibilities.
• Draw up production schedules.
• First intensive devising week with materials and performers.
• Open and invited workshop weekend for musicians and performers.
• Models revised and developed.

Step 4

• Further information and developments forwarded to collaborators.
• Marketing pack and website completed and launched.
• Models completed.
• Second intensive devising week with materials and performers.

Step 5

• Final Marketing push...
• Production and presentation of the R&D results in performances at Theatre in the Mill and Wakefield Theatre Royal and Opera House.