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Discover ‘Dancing in Peckham’ a video from 1994 by the British artist . This is one of 14,000+ works of art from the Government Art Collection which are displayed in UK Government buildings in over 130 countries; that is nearly every capital city around the world!

Gillian Wearing ‘Dancing in Peckham’, 1994 colour video for monitor with sound 25 minutes Ready to find out more? © Gillian Wearing courtesy , Read online, download or ‘pick and mix’ any activities that you like. Try them at home, at school or with friends. You don’t have to do them all in one go! Look out for this icon for 10-minute quick 10 and easy activities… 10 facts about... Gillian Wearing

* Gillian Wearing was born in * Wearing did not initially immediately * Wearing’s bronze statue of suffragist in 1963. She exhibits her work consider a career in art. At 21 she lived in leader , ‘Courage internationally, and in 1997 she won London, and worked as a secretary in an Calls to Courage Everywhere’ is the the . animation studio. first-ever monument of a woman, * Wearing graduated from Goldsmiths * On her use of masks, Wearing said in and the first created by a woman, for College, London. She was one of a group 2014: ‘It’s like Oscar Wilde says, “Give Parliament Square. It was unveiled in of artists in the 1990s, including Damien someone a mask and they will tell the 2018 to coincide with the centenary Hirst and , who became truth.” When we talk with our faces, celebrations of women’s suffrage in known as the ‘’ we are very aware how people are the UK. Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, or ‘YBAs’. perceiving us. Masks protect you quite said: ‘Finally, Parliament Square is no longer a male-only zone for statues… * Much of Wearing’s work uses photography a lot actually. They give you a little bit of empowerment.’ [This statue] will stand near Mahatma and performance to explore themes of Gandhi and Nelson Mandela - two identity, self-portraiture and gender. * ‘Dancing in Peckham’ was made in 1994, other heroic leaders who campaigned * Wearing’s work often plays with the a decade before mobile phones came for change and equality.’ into popular use. spaces between public/private; how we * A maquette for the sculpture, along appear/how we are, and what is and is * The soundtrack Wearing plays in her with artist’s proofs, are in the not considered acceptable behaviour. head in ‘Dancing in Peckham’ is by the Collection: * The idea for ‘Dancing in Peckham’ came rock band Nirvana and soul singer Gloria to Wearing when she saw a woman Gaynor. In 1994, Nirvana broke up after dancing wildly at the Royal Festival Hall the death of lead singer Kurt Cobain, in London, unaware that other people while Gaynor had already enjoyed a 20- were laughing at her. year career. Her anthem, ‘I Will Survive’, featured in two major films that year - ‘The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert’ and ‘Four Weddings and a Funeral’. 02 Here are some questions to encourage Take a look at the six photographs taken you to look closely for clues. from the film (called ‘stills’) on the left There are no right and wrong answers: of this page. say what you see! - What does the film give us that the stills do not? Watch the film - What do the stills reveal that you don’t - Describe the shopping centre: what get from watching the film? Starter questions sort of place is it? (consider the shops, to help explore signs, etc) Your turn: make a graphic novel - The film was made in 1994: what clues - Print the film stills onto a sheet of A4 the artwork tell us it was made then and not now? and cut them into individual frames, - What can you say about the dancer? - or if you like, draw them. - How do you think she feels? - Stick the stills onto a larger piece of paper. - Is she enjoying herself, or not? How can you tell? - Write ‘thought bubbles’ for what you imagine Wearing and the passersby - Why do you think she is dancing? are thinking. - Does the dancer know she’s being filmed? (Any clues?) - Imagine you are one of the passersby: how would you describe to friends what you saw?

Gillian Wearing ‘Dancing in Peckham’, 1994 colour video for monitor with sound 25 minutes © Gillian Wearing courtesy Maureen Paley, London 03 ‘Dancing in Peckham’ is a ‘production still’, ! a photograph taken while the film was Wearing made a recording of her Peckham Enter the world being made. dance - first by filming it, and then creating of Wearing R-type photograph stills. Without the film, it would be difficult 1994–97 now to get a sense of the dance. Dance ‘notation’ is a way of describing Your turn: restage the moment movement through marks, symbols and signs written on paper. - Can you and your friends recreate the photo, including all the background - Find out more about how to write dance characters? - Where will you set it? (If you can’t find a similar location, can you recreate the scene somewhere else?) - Can you develop a performance from 10

here, with each person in the group taking on the role of one person in the photo? Your turn: capture the movement - ‘Improvisation’ is doing something - Draw Wearing while watching the film of without pre-planning. Try it. What her dancing. happened a few minutes before, and what will happen next in this photo? - Using a large sheet of paper and a soft pencil, without looking at the paper, - Instead of acting the scene out, write allow your hand to make marks as you about it from one person’s viewpoint: watch the dance. who will you choose to tell the story? - In pairs, draw each other dancing (you can do this online, if you like). - Keep it loose! Hold your pen or pencil lightly, and respond to the movement. Gillian Wearing ‘Dancing in Peckham’ 1994–97 R-type photograph © Gillian Wearing courtesy Maureen Paley, London 04 Wearing used a remembered soundtrack Your turn: make some moves to give her confidence. - At home - create a sequence of movements Dance like nobody’s - What would work for you? How does in response to each of the different rooms: watching different music affect the way you feel? what sort of shapes work in the kitchen? How about by the front door?

- Invent a short dance move and film it on ‘Artificial Things’ your phone. Work with a song’s lyrics: Choreography is the act of designing what moves tell the song’s story? dance. Take time out to enjoy this 25 min film by the award-winning Stopgap Dance - Think about the edges of the camera frame Company, and consider these questions as to help shape your move. you watch. - Show or send it to a friend and ask them - How does the choreographer celebrate to give it a name. the different abilities of the performers? Take it further - How has she used the space and the - Find a public space eg. a shopping centre, camera? or park. - This film is described as ‘exploring - Working in small groups, with one as human interdependence, strength and choreographer and two or more performers, vulnerability’ - what do these qualities create a sequence of movements that ‘Artificial Things’ mean to you? use the qualities of the place. Contemporary dance film by Stopgap Dance - Compare Wearing’s film, ‘Dancing in - If you want to, you can develop this Company (inclusive dance) Peckham’ and this film: Is Wearing’s into a film. Commissioned in 2019 by The Space. film choreographed? What differences Winner of dancescreen 2019 award are there in how the performances in the category of screen choreography - Your turn: silent disco over 15 mins are filmed? Explore different playlists on headphones while out somewhere public (or at home). Have a dance!

05 Among Wearing’s most famous works is Your turn: question appearances ‘Signs that say what you want them to - Gather a selection of photos of say and not Signs that say what someone What’s your sign? people in newspapers, magazines, else wants you to say’ (1992–93). postcards, etc. Stopping hundreds of people on London streets, she invited them to write - Taking inspiration from Wearing’s photos, whatever they wished on a white card, write a caption for each picture that then photographed them. challenges what you can see. ‘I’m desperate’ 1992–93 - Using the sets of photos and statements, work in pairs and try to match photos with Your turn: make a sign of your own statements.

- Think of a sign that says what someone else wants you to say. - Think of a sign that says what you For inspiration, watch artist Martin Parr want to say. introducing ‘Love Cube’, a work he made in 1972 about pairing people into couples. - Make it: create a self portrait of you holding a sign saying what you believe/feel/want. - Things to talk about: is there a difference between how we present ourselves to the world, and how we feel inside?

Gillian Wearing ‘EVERYTHING IS CONNECTED IN LIFE THE POINT IS TO KNOW IT AND TO UNDERSTAND IT’ 1992–93 C-type photographic print

© Gillian Wearing courtesy Maureen Paley, London 06 Wearing uses masks in many different Who said that? ways: Go to ‘10 Facts’ and read what Another way Wearing plays with disguise is Play, protect Wearing said about Oscar Wilde and masks. by switching around the speaker’s voice. and empower Your turn: explore making two Watch one of a series of films she made very different masks where the performer’s voices are swapped - Do you have an old cardboard box handy? Transform it into a mask. For inspiration, Talk about this look at these photos featuring masks What’s the effect of seeing someone mouth made by Inge Morath & Saul Steinberg: the words of someone else (this is called ‘lip - Draw a face on the front of the syncing’)? cardboard box. It doesn’t have to be Your turn: swap voices realistic. (This is tricky and may take a few attempts - Working in pairs, try photographing to perfect - but persevere!) each other posing and wearing your - Find two people each with a phone cardboard box masks, but keep (especially if they are different in age/ everything else about the photo gender/interests). Name them A and B. absolutely normal! - Using one phone’s dictator function, Look through your own photos of friends A records themself saying something. USA. Untitled. (from the Mask Series with Saul and family, and choose one to print to Steinberg), 1962. fit as a mask to wear on your own face. - Write out this short speech for B to Photograph by Inge Morath/MAGNUM PHOTOS. Follow the guidelines in Andy Weiner’s learn/read. (Rehearse...) Mask by Saul Steinberg © The Saul Steinberg film, which includes an introduction to - Using the camera on the second phone, Foundation/Artists Rights Society (ARS), NY/DACS, his project, ‘Visitation Scenes’, and a film B lip syncing to A’s recording. London 2020 practical demonstration of how he uses (Repeat with opposite roles) photographic masks: - Edit the two together, and share. - Working with a partner, stage a scene - What effect have you achieved? wearing this mask. - Was it funny? Disturbing? Revealing? Why? - Where will you set it? - What other props do you need?

07 Places to visit/online The Government Art Collection is - Your own local shopping centre, or any the most dispersed collection of other interesting public spaces near to you, where you might re-stage Wearing’s British art in the world. On show dance (or create one of your own). in UK Government buildings in - Britain online nearly every capital city, the What next? - Parliament Square, London Collection promotes British art - ‘Art is where the home is’ and supports British cultural Firstsite’s free artist-created activity packs (contributions from UK artists, diplomacy, culture More to explore including Gillian Wearing: ‘create your and values. own monument for a key worker’, and Masks can be used for a whole range of ‘design your own sign’). things, including disguise and protection, / One national collection to celebrate and to play. - Stopgap: Artificial Things. / Over 14,000 artworks Discover other Collection artworks featuring Stopgap Dance Company are experts of / On show in over 130 countries masks. How have artists used masks in each inclusive choreography with extensive www.artcollection.culture.gov.uk of them? experience of nurturing disabled and non- Mask 1 disabled artists for making collaborative Mask 2 works. Read Stopgap Artistic Director Photographic credits: unless credited, all images are © Crown Copyright Mask 3 Lucy Bennett’s interview from The Mask 4 Guardian, 8 April 2014.

- Watch a clip of ‘Rehearsing for Peckham’ by Gillian Wearing (NOWNESS)