Park Wanderings // (after Alec Finlay after Paul Celan)

Sarah Archdeacon, Director of Corali talks to our Public Engagement Manager Deborah Herring about Corali’s new commission and reflections on the experience of working remotely for this commission with Bethan Kendrick, Dancer; Josh Ben-Tovim and Roseanna Anderson, Impermanence - Film Directors; Pam Tait, Designer; Jacobus – Movement Director, Corali Associate Artistic Director; Andy Balcon - Music; Peter Kendrick - Camera and Jenny Kendrick – Stage hand/Dresser.

Park Wanderings // (after Alec Finlay after Paul Celan) is commissioned by Southwark Park Galleries and generously supported by Arts Council England and the Mayor of London.

Deborah Herring: We are excited to Elevate, set up to forward ACE’s Creative launch Corali’s new work, Park Case for Diversity. Corali wanted Wanderings // (after Alec Finlay after Southwark Park Galleries (SPG) to be Paul Celan) this month. This commission one of the venue partners for our is a partnership between Corali, Elevate project because of our Impermanence and Southwark Park longstanding creative relationship with Galleries. It’s been a conversation over the gallery. Alec Finlay’s sculpture trail the past two years and came about as a resonated with all of us so much, in so response to Scottish artist and poet Alec many ways, we really wanted to make a Finlay’s Nest box trail, Questions & dance piece in response to it. On our Answers (After Paul Celan) which we visits to SPG, we had all enjoyed the unveiled in Southwark Park in 2018. relationship between the gallery and the Finlay’s work is a permanent sculpture park, and so Alec’s work was perfect. trail of eighteen nestboxes across the The nest boxes are so poetic, they gallery’s park surroundings, each nest ofered rich starting points from which box is emblazoned with poems that to create movement. They also had refer to the park and also function as a humour and made us laugh, so they home to the local birds. were also a lot of fun to work with. Alec’s work was a springboard for our own Can you tell us more about Park imaginings and we found them very Wanderings and what inspired you to inspiring. make a response to Finlay’s nest boxes? DH: You have been at the head of Corali Sarah Archdeacon: Corali was a for over 30 years now. How did Corali successful recipient of a strategic fund begin? from Arts Council England (ACE), called SA: Actually I have only been at the helm mark the new millennium. At that time for 27 years! I was a volunteer before our ofce was based in the Beormund that. Corali started in a daycentre for Centre, not far from the site of people with a learning disability. The Bermondsey Tube. The tube station was centre was on Grange Road, just down yet to open and the glass fronted shop the road from SPG. The company was next door to it presented an exciting set up by Virginia Mofat, who was a performance space. Bridget Chew social services worker at the centre. She (Corali Associate Artistic Director) and was asked to do a make-up session on a myself managed to persuade Transport Thursday afternoon but didn’t like for London that a performance in the make-up, so led a dance session instead. site would be a good idea, and we were Everyone loved it, so the informal granted permission to put on the show. Thursday session grew into a dance There was an audience on the inside of company. I was volunteering at the day the shop, but passers-by also watched centre and when the dance company from outside, and the action took place went independent in 1990 I began to co- both on the inside and outside. It was a ordinate it, as Virginia wanted to step fabulous experience that we’re still away. Just so you know, Corali is proud of. It is also testimony to the anagram of the first company members strength of the partnership; because names. SPG trusted Corali’s vision we had the confidence to take the risk and make DH: We have a wonderful history of the work. I remember a friend said to working together, both in previous me back then, that they had never commissions and through the heard of such a great partnership, Bermondsey Artists' Group, the group of ‘maybe in Berlin they said, but never in artists (which you, Sarah, were part of) London!’ I knew then how lucky we were who formed Southwark Park Galleries to work with the gallery, and how back in 1984, then known as Café important our work together was. It not Gallery. Can you talk more about our only expands our own practice, but also first ofcial partnership project together demonstrates to the rest of the art which I believe was In 24 Hours (2000) world, and society, the value of diversity at Bermondsey Tube Station? How did in the arts, and the value of that project develop? partnerships. In 2018 I wrote a blog post that expresses the energy of our SA: Corali has always been interested in partnership. working with visual arts and very early on had begun performing in galleries. DH: As an organisation that champions We approached SPG (back then Café diversity and equality through dance, Gallery) to put on a performance in 1996 what is Corali’s current priorities as you and they agreed. The name of that show look ahead? How do you feel we are was Diary of A Dead Artist. Lots of addressing diversity as an industry and people came and it went really well! what more needs to be done? That was the start of our great partnership, and it was so exciting to SA: Now that the UK is beginning to ease build a crossover audience together. out of lockdown we are acutely aware that the pandemic has hit some In the year 2000 we were commissioned communities harder than others. People by SPG to create a performance to with a disability are one of those groups, as are individual freelance artists. Our all together with Jacobus, looking at number one priority going forward is to specific details for each film. We went ensure the profile of our dancers within over it a couple of times and that’s how I our practice is raised further and they made the process. are recognised for their invaluable contribution to culture. Park I enjoyed my filming but it was long Wanderings, is a good example of what days and was tiring. We had to do my this might look like. Dancer and filming at home, but it was good to do it. choreographer Bethan Kendrick steered Josh Ben-Tovim and Roseanna the project’s direction, enabling the Anderson, Impermanence - Film artistic team to open up our creative Directors: Communicating online felt roles in new ways. very strange at first; creating movements, reflecting on them, sharing In terms of what we do as an industry, notes, creating storyboards... all of this we need to be asking ourselves, and through a screen felt somehow more each other, what and how we can do complicated and formal. We felt a real things better. How can we make real desire to be in the same room, and to be and lasting change to break down in a shared space after so long in virtual barriers to promote artists from diverse isolation... but then one day it just backgrounds, and create a dynamic clicked. It felt like the new normal, we'd relationship with the mainstream. found a new rhythm for collaboration and the exchange of ideas. Through a DH: What has the experience of working lot of thinking and hard work, on the remotely been like for the artistic team, first day of filming, it felt like we were all under lockdown? Tell us about the on the same page. filming process, I’m sure you have had to think creatively on how to work The filming process ran smoothly, together, while apart. Bethan was incredible "on set" and brought so much energy and focus. Film Bethan Kendrick, Dancer: My crews have a clear structure where each experience under lockdown has been person has a specific role, allowing a easy really. It’s been diferent, but still ritual like rhythm to emerge which keeps the same in some ways because I have the cogs turning. We tried to create a been very busy with Zoom sessions, very clear set of instructions so that we baking and tidying up. I thought our all knew what was happening on the dining room was a good place to do my day. The set up was Bethan as filming. It was a good space to be in and performer, Jenny on props, set and I had plenty of room to do lots of costume and Peter as cameraman who moving in my own home. were all together in their front room, and then via Zoom; Pam as production Before I started my filming I had to have designer, Jacobus as movement rehearsals with Jacobus on Zoom, to go director, Sarah checking in to oversee, through the movements for Moorhen, and we were directing. Josh would check Statues and Rose Garden. We had to get everyone was set before each take and the right details, such as doing each then called "Action" which travelled a movement in diferent directions and sum-total-round-trip of 700 miles into looking at sizes like big and small, and the Kendrick's living room and back. It getting it in the right order. I had to put it was an amazing lockdown tonic, a testimony to patience and passion This pre-lockdown site experience where lots of discoveries about long helped to connect us together in the distance collaboration were made which subsequent shift to remote lockdown we can and will carry forwards with us. working. I think the gradual building up of the remote “Zoom” process over Pam Tait, Designer: A pandemic several sessions was important, as was annihilates reality: suddenly everyone is developing clear roles and visual notes. swept up, tied down and delivered at For the first remote rehearsal, I worked breakneck speed to the tempest, the with Bethan to support the creation of cataclysm, utter chaos. Out of a movement material from photographs springtime of fear and confusion comes and memories of details seen in the a film. We had time for a chat, a little park. The costume design responded to recce of the locations, a friendly cup of Bethan’s initial creative vision, then the tea. costumes themselves helped further generate movement material and ideas. Working remotely was no problem at The next movement rehearsal brought first, it’s normal in the early stage of the more of the team into the remote work, there’s abundant love and trust working process, and for the filming about and the ideas are strong and days the Zoom crew grew larger again clear. But when the lockdown came, with the whole team involved. During there was no chance to meet Bethan, filming it was sometimes challenging for the performer, no chance to measure everyone/anyone involved to know her, talk to her, it was all done on exactly what had been captured on film, guesswork. watching the live action through another device or screen at a diferent angle. The films were made in the sitting room However, this element of managed of her house, her parents operated the unknown meant we were all united by a camera, set and costumes. Without the shared collective imagining, from which touch of Bethan I had to rely on a kind emerged some creative, warm and of concentrated intuition, to conjure up collaborative practice. her body and the things the costume must do for her. This being dance, the Andy Balcon - Music: The prospect of costumes had to be comfortable and working with Corali whom I'd discovered flexible, fun to wear and move around in. through my friends in the dance Thanks to the concentration and a great community earlier last year was a very deal of luck the costumes fit, Bethan exciting opportunity for me. When was happy, the props and backdrops receiving the unfinished production, I made sense to Bethan’s parents. It was compelled to start work right away! seems like the project held together. And And though it took me a few attempts to we filmed. find my voice in accompanying the pieces, I was very much driven to paint Jacobus – Movement Director, Corali the picture of how both Bethan’s Associate Artistic Director: As we movement and vision afected me. The walked round Southwark Park together, process of writing each piece took me looking at details surrounding the on an interesting journey of artworks by Alec Finlay, we didn’t know experimentation which finally led me this would be the last moment of back to something I was already physical togetherness in this process. familiar with, and though on initial attempts I found myself pursuing an We were very keen to do the best we audio landscape quite far from what I could, and having Josh, Rosie, Jacobus would usually be accustomed to, I felt and Pam with us via Zoom made us feel the journey itself helped uncover my less 'alone' with the filming. We followed voice in a way that supports the their instructions as best we could, and I pieces in an honest and genuine way. I think our ability to understand and do think it's very easy to over-complicate what was needed improved as we went things when you don't allow yourself along. space from the Art you are creating. Due to the circumstances surrounding It was a great pleasure to watch this period of creation, I did find myself Jacobus working with Bethan to create going down the odd rabbit hole, but movement - we haven't been part of the finally, I do feel as though I arrived at creative process before, so that was something that reflects the nature of the very exciting to see. It was also a joy to pieces, and compliments Bethan's work dress Bethan in Pam's wonderful which makes for a fantastic costumes. collaboration. Sarah Archdeacon – Corali Artistic Peter Kendrick - Camera: It was a Director: I emailed Josh, Rosie, Pam and privilege to be involved, but very Jacobus two days before lockdown challenging to attempt to help with the ofcially began, the email reads ‘we CAN production of the film as we are simply do this remotely’, meaning make our the parents of Bethan, the Dancer. film together, the one we had planned to Not being able to travel, we had to work shoot on location in Southwark Park. out with Corali and Impermanence how Bethan’s enthusiasm for the film, to use the house we live in with the everyone’s great ideas, and the lighting/ lack of lighting and my Nikon wonderful drawings that Pam had D5600 which I’d never used for video already created, inspired me to want to before. When checking on how best to try. use the video facility, the reviews said, “The D5600 does have video facilities, But when I had written ‘we CAN’, I didn’t but if you really need to video use a know anything about the HOW. I’d had a diferent camera”! This was all we had, couple of Zoom meetings and suddenly so this is what we used. thought anything was possible. With thanks to such a fabulous team, it was. A challenging experience, but fun to be But not without big challenges. What we involved. learnt is that the biggest HOW in ‘how’ we made the film, was everyone’s Jenny Kendrick – Stage hand/Dresser: generosity, artistry and commitment. I acted as stagehand, dresser and Now the films are finished, we have dogsbody for the project. Using our started talking about them as ‘nuggets dining-room and lighting it with daylight of beauty’ and they certainly are. A and domestic lighting was quite triptych that illuminates what creativity challenging: the space is small and the can overcome and ofer hope in ambient light level is low. Keeping otherwise such difcult and uncertain Bethan's lockdown fringe out of her eyes times for everyone. was challenging too! DH: How will the Park Wanderings films Our films will be uploaded to the live on in Southwark Park? internet, and QR codes will be printed and sit throughout the park. You will Josh Ben-Tovim and Roseanna then be able to very simply scan these Anderson, Impermanence - Film codes on a phone and instantly be taken Directors: We've wanted to make to the films, so you can watch them as something in Southwark Park with Corali you stand there in the park. It's nice also for a long time. We came to look at Alec to think that this could be an Finlay’s nest boxes and straight away accumulative installation which we add thought that the work, as well as the to over time. We've been collaborating idea of a trail was really beautiful. Alec's with Corali for a number of years now nest boxes were also made 'after' Paul and it would be lovely to have this Celan's poems, and are in themselves a project, in this place, with this source of call and response, so it felt like there inspiration, as something which we can was a lovely symmetry in using them as return to over the coming years, a departure point for the films. At one working our way through the 20 nest point we were thinking about making boxes, slowly filling the park with dance. the films function in some sort of augmented reality, where you could follow the action through the park on your phone, but in the end we wanted something that was much more immediate in its production, as well as Lo-Fi in its digital / physical existence and interface. There is something understated about the nest boxes, which lets the poetry and the idea sing through, and we wanted to reflect this as well as the feeling of each poem.