Dystopian Dread of the Future Walk (Sketch)28/12/23

UPDATED 28/12/23

Proposal from Stephen Harding for January 25 th SOAK or wherever

Dystopian Dread of the Future Walk (Sketch)

Scene 1

* Performance space to be in darkness. In and around the space, amongst the audience, there are 6 performers lying on the ground.

These performers will be found by another performer walking around the space with a bright torch.

As each performer is found they will stand turn on their own torch and begin to walk round the circle cicuit that has been cleared.

* All the performers will be mumbling incoherently with only the odd word understandable

One by one they join the procession until all 7 are walking round and round. Heads looking down, no communication with each other or the audience.

At the edge of the space there are two tables one with water and one with bread. The performers can break away from the circular walk to go and take bread or water.

* As each returning performer comes back to the circular walk the direction of the walking performers changes.

This walking rhythm continues, sombre and dour until one by one the performers leave and return to lying down where they began with their torches still on shinning to the ceiling.

The last person leaves the circle and goes around and turns off the torches of the lying performers then walks out of the performance space.

Each performer to be wearing a coat, long if possible, hat and gloves.

Additional Actions. Each walker can make shadow shapes as they shine their torch

* Placed on the ground small obstacles to step up and over

SOUND

*Composed to be rhythmic and walkable. Variable rhythms so the walkers could vary the speed of walking.

Clock chimes

Crowd noise

Weather

Screech

Footsteps

Police siren

Water

Heartbeat.

LIGHTING

*General ambiance of low light or darkness

*Performers to carry torches creating an uneven lighting.

This performance brings to mind the dystopian images of Handmaid’s Tale and the darkness of Andrei Tarkovsky Stalker.

It evokes images of meditative walking or exercise walking in a prison/refugee camp. I hope that the atmosphere it creates will be sombre and serious. It tells of an extremely pessimistic view of what is to come for us all unless there are good outcomes in combatting climate change and the threat of violence and war.

The End Is Nigh

In a cave safe, safe in a cave, fire warming the dark chill stillness. Fire shadows dance and give us life down here. It is a place of refuge, no place else safe to go. Outside the cave the area is patrolled by The Projects forces who are on the lookout for non-members. I am one. I am one of a small number of surviving rebels who reject The Projects ideals. The Projects forces are forcing what remains of the human race into one small enclosure so that any resistance, any alternative thoughts, to their ideas can be squashed and quashed.

The cave with its concealed entrance, its about 2 feet wide, is a sanctuary for those of ‘wandering tendencies’ to meet. The cave and its tunnels have been used for thousands of years. The drawings and markings on the wall are a history of its inhabitants telling the stories of the people who gathered here. The oldest markings perhaps showing long extinct herbivores and carnivores. Hand prints of men, women and children playfully marked in ochre. More recently there are maps of the caves labyrinth of tunnels, layouts of The Projects enclosures showing where the food stores are situated. There is also debris, flints used to hunt and clubs and spears for defence. There is an armoury now with weapons for killing other project re-educated humans and destroying The Project ‘Dancers’ who patrol, brainwashed and zombie like, hunting down us rebels. The Project technicians have twisted ideas of how civilisation can progress. Any rebels that are caught, if they are not murdered immediately, are put through a programme of indoctrination. Firstly blindfolded for days, only with enough food to just about survive. They are interrogated viciously after which The Project begin the process of re-education. The only chance of survival is to become totally educated. The test is to be able to murder a rebel.

We are the descendants of Extinction Rebellion who’s marks also cover some of the walls. The walls have been redrawn with each new need for refuge, refuge from dangerous animals and a refuge from dangerous humans.

The cave system has several entrances in fact some more accessible than others. They are a secret from most rebels, who, when there is a significant need to gather are led here blindfolded, eyes darkened so they can’t reveal its location, even if questioned and tortured by The Project Dancers.

Today is particularly tense. Us rebels have called a meeting to begin to map out a strategy for the next assault against The Project. To fill you in The Project is in our view, the failed Industrial Project. It began in the mid 1700s with the escalation of fossil fuel burning and extracting every possible earthy resource. Here we are year 2150 and The Project has moved to the point of realising that the human race will die out. They have created machines whose intelligence can be inhabited by the human soul. This gives the machine abilities to continue for ever. They have created a machine that can advance its technology with every new generation transferring the souls each time. Which ever souls survive the extinction of the real life, will forever inhabit one of those monstrous machines. There is no need for any new life. At the end of life there will be no need for new life.

So here we are in our cave, fires burning, crackling brightening the darkness. It is so reassuring to see strong people, strong willed, with strong intentions.

We are planning a massive action. We intend destroying the main energy production facility. It will be difficult and dangerous but we have to succeed. We are determined, we have no choice. We are prepared to sacrifice ourselves to save life on earth.

As inspiration for this dystopian piece I would like to acknowledge

Stalker by Andrei Tarkovsky (1979). This film with dark and frightening imagery creates an atmosphere of foreboding and tension.

Michelangelo Frammartino Il Buco (2021) The labyrinth of tunnels and caves are inspiration for the hideout of the Rebels

I have now gathered together a group of other artists who have agreed to be in this experiemntal piece.

It is the first time I will have colaborated like this, so am a little apprehensive.

I need, as soon as we get back to get moving on some tryouts and begin.

I have contacted The House and have contacts for booking w/shop spaces.

A Dystopian Walk A performance Manifesto

Even though the theme of this work might seem dark and without hope we want to have fun making it.

The aim is, while creating the performance, we respect our environment, treading gently through the collaborative creative process, with concentrated intent.

Any guide lines we set ourselves in this non-hierarchical relationship must be fluid and lively to allow for free expression of ideas.

Open discussions on a framework for best ways of working and clear ways to communicate (this could include how we all contact each other).

Mapping of the areas that will be explored so we can push the concept to evolve towards discovering new narratives.

The goal, is a truly collaborative experience.

There may be, during devising, moments of individual and group risk taking. The group is responsible for supporting the risk taker and acknowledging that not all ideas will workout.

During the creative process dreams, memories and other sources of inspiration could be important to the creative process.

Friction and disagreements can be creative. With respect and care.

We want a to have a no cost no waste artistic process. If any materials are needed ideally they will be the performers own or preloved or found or borrowed. These items may also influence and give direction in the process.

For the group to be sustainable our dialogue should be honest, truthful and respectful to each other and the audience.

It is not cool to ignore stress and tiredness and no work can justify people being humiliated during their work.

Everyone should feel comfortable and confident in the performance.