Video Documentation from Installation/Performance March 2011

Somehow 3 months have passed. I have always found grasping the concept of time challenging - So changeable, amorphous and impossible to conceive or predict its perceived procession. Winter is here - solstice this week - the days warm & sunny to snowing & icy winds foretelling the shifting axis of the planets. I have completed an edit of all of the documentation from 'The Sound of Everything' My installation/performance at Thirning Villa - the culmination of my residency. Having 5 documenters present is great on one hand but also results in many more hours of editing : ) I hope you enjoy!

The Sound of Everything

Some photos from 'The Sound of Everything' the installation/performance at the end of my Artist in Residence at Thirning Villa. Photos by Nina Kourea, Carolyn Nowaczyk, Selwyn Hunt and stills I grabbed from video footage shot by Sue Wix and Carolyn Nowaczyk.

Its Over !

still taken from video 24.3.11

I moved out of Thirning Villa and finished off my residency over two weeks ago now. The Sound of Everything, my final installation/performance went well. I would, as ever, have liked to be more prepared for it.... but.... i knew I was trying to achieve slightly more than was quite possible. I am glad i aimed for the impossible. Much of the work was in building the theoretical framework and ideas for the project - finding ways to make sense of and articulate the work I do- the work which somehow emanates from me- which has a life of its own- which demands my attention irrespective of my wishes at times but which is wholly at one with my passions. The work has only just begun, as my creative process seems to centre itself in the documentation. Editing through the footage from 5 cameras- stills and video- creating stills from video footage- editing video - creating montages out of the footage- tweaking sounds- this is all in process now. It is many hours and is quite an intense process of reflection and criticism. Looking intently at what has been, opens up so many windows of possibility for the future of the project.

Ruth Allen's installation 24.3.11
photo Nina Kourea

It warms my heart that I have come up with the idea of an ongoing project. As it means the work I have done and am doing will feed directly into the next steps I take- what ever they may be. The first week after finishing the residency I was as ever bamboozled by the gaping lack of meaning that is always left when a big project is over. Suddenly I must rewrite my priority list- work out what happens next- my mind grappling with reality. Somehow I find it easier to deal with mundane reality when my whole being is consumed by a creative project. Creating aesthetic worlds- places within which our sensory capacities can be harnessed to the full- places with a sensory softness which allow us to open our eyes, ears, hearts and minds to their full extent. This is my passion. A society which has as a norm - social spaces where music gradually gets louder and more dangerous to the ears as the kegs of beer are drained and the punters get gradually deafer to reality in the short and long term must surely be questioned? Perhaps that is a conversation for some time and place else. Right now I will get back to editing and also finishing off my evaluation. Ciao

A few weeks left!!

Wow.... time has flown.. in between moving house and performing "Fragments" at the NGA and coordinating the drum activities for the Carnival of Cultures... life has been busy. The big news is I have finally been inviting people to come and participate in "The Sound of Everything" on the 24th of March at Thirning Villa. It will be an installation / performance piece with a number of phases.

Phase 1 : installation mode : a number of different spaces will be set up with sound and vision- One of these will incorporate live sound and vision making.

Phase 2 : performance mode : the performance of a number of my songs and a piano piece, with accompanying projected images and special guest musicians, including the wonderful Noah Hampson and Kevin White.

Phase 3 : improvisation/jam mode : with as many of my improvising collaborators who are in the mood : )

The current blurb goes something like this.

The Sound of Everything

an ongoing project

music, dance, film, installation, sound design

creating spaces to trans - form in

7.30pm : 24th of March : Thirning Villa : Ashfield Sydney

...........

sound- form - movement

ancient traditions - new technologies

improvisation - consciousness - integration

creative collaboration - shared visions- collective action
............

The Sound of Everything aims to create contexts in which practicing artists and community members can communicate and experiment with maintaining ancient improvisational forms and creating/consolidating new shared creative languages and more coherent, sustainable and satisfying performative contexts and creative processes.

The over arching theme of the project is the relationship between sound, form and movement. This theme operates as a theoretical underpinning, an aesthetic ground swell and a basis for choosing methodologies which prioritise improvisation, collaboration and process and which nurtures performance and creativity as means of inspiring conscious evolution.

For more thoughts on this project see my blog entry here on www.mariantheloucataris.com - leave me a message with your thoughts : )

New Artist in Residence & National Gallery of Australia

I discovered some great news that, by sheer coincidence, an old friend of mine is taking over from me at Thirning Villa as Artist in Residence in March. We worked together many years ago on a theatre project based around the stories of young migrants. It was a very powerful show.
Here is a link to her website : ) www.vanbadham.blogspot.com

After my drum and dance classes at Thirning Villa this week, both of which I am loving, I am off to Canberra for a Dance Theatre performance at the National Gallery of Australia. I will be dancing, singing, drumming and performing my new piano work 'Kandinsky'. Exciting : ) Here is a link to the NGA website.

More information here www.mariantheloucataris.com

Dance at Thirning Villa for 4 Weeks

Rhythm and Dance
with Marianthe Loucataris

Explore Hilal Dance body work and movement with a focus on the rhythmicity of the body. 

Hilal Dance training is a holistic practice of integrating, body, mind, emotion. It is a means of training for life- of developing strength, fitness, flexibility and increasing our ability to express ourselves physically. It develops a means of feeling at home, strong, flexible, expressive and joyous in our bodies !

For total beginners as well as dancers experienced in any form of dance, yoga or physical practice from tai chi, contemporary, folk or cultural dance.

Venue :  Thirning Villa

Dates :  Feb 1 - February 22

Tuesday Evenings
6pm- 7pm Body Work and Beginners Dance
7pm - 8pm For those experienced in dance, movement, rhythm from diverse backgrounds.

Bookings Essential

Anthia Hart   Community Development Worker
260 Liverpool Road Ashfield NSW 2131
Tel (02) 9716 1866

Back from the Pacific Islands

I just returned from an impromptu trip to the Pacific Islands. It is so beautiful out there. The oceans vastness eased my soul. Put things in perspective. Time, thought and space coalesced into a gliding totality. Shifting silently through the great expanse, every single worldly ambition and fretful desire oozed out of my big toe :) There was some time to think and write ...when I managed to drag myself away from staring into the vast blue. For now here is a photo. There are more on my flikr site.

Children's Drum Circle Workshops

Today I did 2 workshops at Thirning Villa for the School Holidays through Children's Services. It is great to work with children and their parents. Drum circles offer a wonderful way for children and parents to share in an enjoyable activity for both of them. There will be weekly workshops leading to percussion making and playing workshops and a performance at the Carnival of Cultures on the 20th of March. There will be ways for people of all experience to participate. If you are involved in the Rhythm Arts and would like to be involved. Send me a message and we can see what we can dream up : )

I have just been updating my drumming blog. It has some information on the nature of my Rhythm and Drumming Program. Here is a snippet.

Rhythm and Drumming : An introduction to World Drum Circles
A rhythm and drumming program which uses rhythm, movement, percussion, vocals and drums to explore the wonder of playing music in a group.

An engaging and fun introduction to World Beat Drumming. The program explores how to communicate through rhythm using drums, bodies and voices. Inspired by the world drum traditions including from the Middle East, Africa, India and Latin America this program taps into a cross cultural meeting point fantastic for the diversity of contemporary Australia.

Click here for more details on this program and a small video snippet of the Primary School Troupe.

New Release and progress....

I have just released my second album -betwixt- It is a compilation of works created for theatre, dance, film and installation 2000-2010. It is a trance inducing, evocative, ambient, sound based collection with bowed piano, piano, sounds, voice and digital explorations. It is a digital only release. I am currently working on a limited edition hard copy version. Let me know what you think : )

Light Portal

I have just posted some thoughts on the nature of being an artist. I am in the process of refining my ideas on collaboration,improvisation, performative context. I am interested in contributing to the emergence of a new/old model of being an artist. A framework Karl Cronin has referred to via Wassily Kandinsky and others as 'Total Art'. I am partly working on these themes as I wil be hosting a series of forums- improvised cross artform jams as part of my residency. You can have a read of where I am up to with it on my blog here. I will post details here when I have teased it out a little more : )

OLDER an Ashfield Youth Theatre Production at Thirning Villa

By a wonderful convergence, the local Youth Theatre in Ashfield which I had identified as a possible site of collaboration, happened to stage a production at Thirning Villa in my first month. After making contact with the Artist Director, James Winter I then had a chat with the Director of the current production, Aimee Falzon and embarked on a creative process to supply music and sound design for the production. It was a really beautiful and evocative piece and I am looking forward to exploring further collaborative possibilities. Here are some samples. Enjoy!


Cue 7 by audio.narcissist

Drift excerpt by audio.narcissist

Drumming at Thirning Villa

Egyptian Style Drumming
Frame Drums
Vocal Percussion
Finding your innate 
embodied Rhythm
Relaxing
Sharing cultural traditions
Improving your rhythm & musicality
Learning how to improvise



VENUE | THIRNING VILLA 
40 Arthur Street Ashfield
WEDNESDAYS | December 1st- 22nd
January 12th- March 2nd
4.30-5.30 Children aged 5-15 accompanied by an adult
5.45- 7pm Adults (young people 15+ welcome)
For total beginnings and those interested in sharing their rhythm skills in a group.
There may be performance opportunities emerging in March 2011.
FREE Everyone welcome!
Bookings Essential
Contact Anthia Hart (02) 9716 1866anthiah@ashfield.nsw.gov.au 
SPONSORED BY ASHFIELD COUNCIL'S ARTIST IN RESIDENCY PROGRAM
Join me on Facebook and check out the event page here: )

Week One

Thirning Villa is filled with gorgeous light. High ceilings, big windows, ornate ceilings, huge doorways and doors which make you feel a little like Alice. I feel very lucky and humbled  to be granted Artist in Residence until the end of March.

Time has been busy -Rushing towards the end of the year -Planning for the residency -Making a start with some drumming sessions - Making contact with the local Youth Theatre, Children's  Services, Disability Services - Setting up the studio space with mirrors so I can use it for dance. It will be small for dance but big enough for me and 5 others to be cosy : )

It is amazing how much being in a different space inspires new ideas and ways of seeing things. Doors and windows have become a fascination. The light is stark and dramatic here. So much of my work is inspired by ideas associated with blurry boundaries between things. Something about being from a diverse cultural background, something about being an artist and seeing endless possibilities in all things, something about being inspired by pantheist philosophy which sees an inherent wisdom and divinity in life itself, in nature, in ourselves. Many of the lyrics in my album ri-solv are inspired by these ideas. 
Here are some photos on my Flikr site of Thirning Villa.