SOPORIFIC RAIN - June 2011

TOPOPHILIA AND TOPOPHOBIA – JUNE 2009
DANCE NOT DANCE CLIMB NOT CLIMB – AUG 2009
SENSING. FEELING. DOING – OCT 2009
CIVILITY AND ALTITUDE – OCT 2009
UNPREDICTABLE SPACES – NOV 2009
TEXTURES IMPRINTS FRAMEWORKS – JUNE 2010
EMBODYING LANDSCAPE AND VERTICAL LEVELS – Sep 2010
THE DAY SNOW CAME - Dec 2010
MEANING AND LOCATION – Jan 2011
THE LOCATION IS WHERE IT SHOULD BE – Jan 2011
IDEA BASE CAMP – Jan 2011
THE COVE – Mar 2011
NAMING SOME THINGS (1) – MAY 2011
NAMING SOME THINGS (2) – MAY 2011

SOPORIFIC RAIN - June 2011

Steve and i spent two nights at the cove.

We camped outside the cove on the softer flat grassy banks by the small rocky beach. It was dry when we arrived Saturday aft. we explored bouldered and scambled about like young kids thinking we had forever there.

Then it started to rain....

It rained all day sunday. It became an event to be dry as apposed to getting wet being the event. It didn't matter - we were there to spend time no matter what the weather. We needed to see if it was ok.

It was ok. No actually it was brilliant.

My face was still tingling from the rain two days later.

When do you get to sit in a tent and do nothing.

The pitter patter on the tent fabric was soporific - SOPORIFIC RAIN. Beautiful.

We saw and did so much but that's perhaps another post.

mostly we scrambled about, made hot food and drinks and slept.

NAMING SOME THINGS (2) - MAY 2011

TOPOPHILIA AND TOPOPHOBIA – JUNE 2009
DANCE NOT DANCE CLIMB NOT CLIMB – AUG 2009
SENSING. FEELING. DOING – OCT 2009
CIVILITY AND ALTITUDE – OCT 2009
UNPREDICTABLE SPACES – NOV 2009
TEXTURES IMPRINTS FRAMEWORKS – JUNE 2010
EMBODYING LANDSCAPE AND VERTICAL LEVELS – Sep 2010
THE DAY SNOW CAME - Dec 2010
MEANING AND LOCATION – Jan 2011
THE LOCATION IS WHERE IT SHOULD BE – Jan 2011
IDEA BASE CAMP – Jan 2011
THE COVE – Mar 2011

NAMING SOME THINGS (1) May 2011

NAMING SOME THINGS (2) - MAY 2011

Stuff

Headland

Sea Moss

Block

Smooth rock

Cracked rock

Pitted Rock

Causeway

Pebble

Lobster Pot

Sea weed

Driftwood

Slabs

Cave

Seals

Grasses

Slope

Buttress

Prints

Sand

Cove

Boulder

Heather

Yellow mos

Red Lichen

Green Lichen

Grey Lichen

Yellow Lichen

Arch

Junk

First time visitor

My first visit to Port-o-doris was a wet and windy affair.

We parked at the side of the road leading down to Shroove beach and descended through a beautiful green meadow to the rugged coast line. Some lovely bungalows with views across to Shroove lighthouse and further over the lough to Downhill. Not much scrambling required but surefootedness at least. There was quite a lot of noise coming from the distance, a shooting range across the Foyle at Magilligan, Steve suggested. Thought of how my parents told us to get off the rocks at Culdaff beach, 'play on the sand'! We were always drawn to rock-climbing though, I had forgotten.

At the foot of the headland, possibilities for the base camp on a small flat-ish area. Alien looking seaweed and algae on the rocks. Beautiful wild flowers. Rusty old fridge. Interesting colours. Purples, yellows and greens against the blue, black and grey rocks.

Entrance to the cove is very special, worth waiting for. Immediate thoughts were very impressed, a secret hideaway, a pirates cove, remote but accessible, step back in time, Planet of the Apes.

Spent at least half an hour or so in Port-o-doris. It's a magical place. Lots to see and do. Rock formations, seaweed, seals, birdlife, pebbles and dragons. Potential for photography, video, crafts. As well as climbing, basic rock-climbing and more serious stuff. You could lose yourself here for a while. Definitely see why Steve and Dan would like to bring people here. But keep it a secret too, not too many people.

A baby seal joined us for a while. On the way back we saw an older seal on a distant rock. Birds fishing. Also a very green fly. Unusual, but maybe I need to get out more?

Getting wetter as we walk back up. Thinking of practicalities now, what's possible, what's affordable in the budget, transport, who we can invite, PR materials, we should use the landscape or natural materials there.

We need to decide everything soon. I need waterproof shoes.

NAMING SOME THINGS (1) - MAY 2011

TOPOPHILIA AND TOPOPHOBIA – JUNE 2009

DANCE NOT DANCE CLIMB NOT CLIMB – AUG 2009

SENSING. FEELING. DOING – OCT 2009

CIVILITY AND ALTITUDE – OCT 2009

UNPREDICTABLE SPACES – NOV 2009

TEXTURES IMPRINTS FRAMEWORKS – JUNE 2010

EMBODYING LANDSCAPE AND VERTICAL LEVELS – Sep 2010

THE DAY SNOW CAME - Dec 2010

MEANING AND LOCATION – Jan 2011

THE LOCATION IS WHERE IT SHOULD BE – Jan 2011

IDEA BASE CAMP – Jan 2011

THE COVE – Mar 2011

NAMING SOME THINGS (1) - MAY 2011

Climbing routes

Cup Final Alternative

Nelson Drive Special

Dischord

Storm Bringer

Crack a Toa

Micro Wedge

Cream Cracker

Kelp

Toby Jug Wall

Purple Patch

Chockstone Trundle

Juggernaut

Doughin Doris

Strawberry Blonde

Pauline’s Crack

Scarcasm

The Crawler

Novice Outing

Thrills

Straw

Chop Chop

Windy Gap

PROJECT UPDATE - April 2011

Great to see the blog up and running.

We've retrospectively archived email conversations which happened over the months of development since 2009 - so you can follow the topics of discussion below and in the archive links on the right.

TOPOPHILIA AND TOPOPHOBIA – JUNE 2009

DANCE NOT DANCE CLIMB NOT CLIMB – AUG 2009

SENSING. FEELING. DOING – OCT 2009

CIVILITY AND ALTITUDE – OCT 2009

UNPREDICTABLE SPACES – NOV 2009

TEXTURES IMPRINTS FRAMEWORKS – JUNE 2010

EMBODYING LANDSCAPE AND VERTICAL LEVELS – Sep 2010

THE DAY SNOW CAME - Dec 2010

MEANING AND LOCATION – Jan 2011

THE LOCATION IS WHERE IT SHOULD BE – Jan 2011

IDEA BASE CAMP – Jan 2011

THE COVE – Mar 2011

Here's the outline we drew up at this stage (of course everything is provisional)

Dan’s work has often rooted itself in, and reflected on, his practice as a rock climber and he has consistently linked his artistic research and production to the tradition of landscape painting and environmental, site specific, art. Climbing can be seen partly as a way of engaging directly with the landscape and offering opportunities to relate and create through this direct engagement.

Steve has been creating work with a process that he calls “Embodying Landscape” in various forms since the 1980’s. The process is a refined way of creating “movement poetry” from direct sensory and bodily experience. It involves relatively complex processes of mediation which are controlled and technical as well as intuitive. He has also been interested for a number of years, at a novice level, in climbing.

This project brings this shared interest into sharp focus. It raises questions about the degree to which climbing is really a sportif activity and in what ways it might be seen more as a spiritual or creative endeavour.

The project consists of two parts.

Part one

Dan and Steve will create a “base camp” at Port-a-Doris, Shroove, near Greencastle, Inishowen Donegal. Near to a beautiful and magical cove with an entrance through a natural rock arch. The cove is intimate and yet it has a very wild ambience. It offers a range of rock climbing possibilities and a huge variety of micro-environments where the details of the landscape differ radically from each other. For two weeks, from 27^th August to 11^th September, Dan and Steve will establish their practice here. Climbing, reflecting, writing, developing movement processes, videoing, photographing, creating art objects in relation to and with materials in the environment. A major part of this process will be an invitation for other people to join them in this process. They will invite specific artist colleagues to came to the “camp” at particular times to engage with them and the environment and there will be a open invitation for anyone interested in the work to join it over two long weekends Friday 2^nd – Sunday 4^th September and Friday 9^th – Sunday 12^th September. During these weekends there will be a programme of participation events including climbing, (Dan Shipsides is a qualified climbing instructor) discussion, art-making processes, photography, video making, movement based processes, shared food, and film/video projection.

During this period there will be the opportunity for visitors/participants to camp in the environment. We will provide the basic neccessities to make this public engagement possible while preserving the “wild” nature of the project. The wildness of the environment will be respected and the principle of “leave no trace” will be respected. Any “left overs” of our camp will be fully organic and degradable.

Part 2

Part two of the project involves creating an installation exhibition in a gallery or similar space in Derry/Londonderry as a response to the “base camp” experience and an imaginitive transformation of it. It will involve video, writing, photographic and organic “environmental art” elements created in and collected from the site specific processes. It will also involve the collecting and organising of the “detritus” of the “base camp” materials. Perhaps these might be things such as ropes, tents, cooking equipment, the burnt left overs of a cooking fire. The installation will be a layered creation consisting of objective creations produced as a reflection on the site specific experience, things created in the site specific circumstance and transferred to the “gallery” environment, and objects that echo the practical necessities essential to human engagement with landscape in this way. The installation process will take one week and it will be open to the public for one week.

Background

Vertical. Nature. Base. is a climbing/ art/ dance project produced by Echo Echo Dance Theatre Company as part of its Into Contact programme funded by the Legacy Trust UK Connections programme. The Connections programme has been set up to help build a cultural and sporting legacy from the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games and is managed by the Arts Council of Northern Ireland.

As a lead partner of the Connections programme, Echo Echo Dance Theatre Company's Into Contact with Dance and Sport programme has been running since 2010 in the build up to the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

The mission of this project is to deliver an innovative public programme of arts and sport events that will bring people into contact, create and develop cultural partnerships, demonstrate excellence in contemporary dance and sport, and leave a lasting legacy for people in Northern Ireland.

The Into Contact programme consists of a wide range of education, performance and production elements. They are linked by a concern with taking a side-on point of view in relation to sport. We have produced The Chess Piece in 2010 (to be recreated in summer 2011) which was a large scale professional production with large community involvement and we will be creating a “suite” of performance, installation and video works in 2012 in collaboration with a number of local artists. 

This year we will be producing Vertical. Nature. Base.

V.N.B. is a collaboration between Echo Echo Artistic Director Steve Batts and Belfast based artist Dan Shipsides.

Dan’s work has often rooted itself in, and reflected on, his practice as a rock climber and he has consistently linked his artistic research and production to the tradition of landscape painting and environmental, site specific, art. Climbing can be seen partly as a way of engaging directly with the landscape and offering opportunities to relate and create through this direct engagement.

Steve has been creating work with a process that he calls “Embodying Landscape” in various forms since the 1980’s. The process is a refined way of creating “movement poetry” from direct sensory and bodily experience. It involves relatively complex processes of mediation which are controlled and technical as well as intuitive. He has also been interested for a number of years, at a novice level, in climbing.

This project brings this shared interest into sharp focus. It raises questions about the degree to which climbing is really a sportif activity and in what ways it might be seen more as a spiritual or creative endeavour.

This blog will follow the creative, research and thought processes of the project including images, email exchanges and more. It is hoped that people with engage with this blog and be encouraged to attend the VNB event in September 2011.

THE COVE REPORT - Mar 2011

TOPOPHILIA AND TOPOPHOBIA – JUNE 2009

DANCE NOT DANCE CLIMB NOT CLIMB – AUG 2009

SENSING. FEELING. DOING – OCT 2009

CIVILITY AND ALTITUDE – OCT 2009

UNPREDICTABLE SPACES – NOV 2009

TEXTURES IMPRINTS FRAMEWORKS – JUNE 2010

EMBODYING LANDSCAPE & VERTICAL LEVELS – Sep 2010

THE DAY SNOW CAME - Dec 2010

MEANING AND LOCATION – Jan 2011

THE LOCATION IS WHERE IT SHOULD BE – Jan 2011

IDEA BASE CAMP – Jan 2011

PORT O DORIS – Mar 2011

THE COVE 9th March:

We traveled out to XXXXXX for the day with the aim of spending time at the location getting a sense of possibilities and factors which will shape how we approach the project.

It was windy and wet.

Massive rollers coming in from the north Atlantic.

We first went to the top of the headland to walk in from the top. There's parking and a swing gate into a field.

The path is quite short through a sheep field then down steep banking ot the top of much steeper slopes / cliff. It brings you out tot he spur ridge that some of the Toby wall climbs top out onto - there is also a walk down from here. It is a quick way in - but no good in wet, windy conditions or if you are carrying much. Would be worrying in the dark also.

Great views from the top - looking down into the cove.

Then we walked back and re-parked at the bend into Shroove before the main beach. There's parking outside a cottage and another swing gate into another sheep field. This field brings you directly onto a beach 5mins east of Port O Doris. It cuts out much of the clambering from Shroove beach - although that route is quite adventurous and fun. This route is best if we have stuff to carry or are bringing people in.

The walk from this field is ok - some rocks to clamber but mostly a decent path. It's also far enough away from the road that it would prevent casual visitors - especially in the dark - as you still have to venture across a few grassy bays, beaches and headlands. Some of these grassy bays close tot he cove would provide ok camping ground.

Thoughts:

Do we keep the cove as a place of work / investigation - and accommodate ourselves away from it - so it become a place we go to for specific reasons?

or

do we accommodate ourselves in the cove - so it become our habitat?

So – making the cove a place of investigation structured encounter

or

making the cove a place of investigation through habitated encounter

both have strong possibilities. Steve thought the first approaches it as being sacred (making it a place of worship of sorts) the other make's it a place of existence - the everyday.

Ideas about structure in the cove:

Shanty - made from what we find? difficult.... bit Robinson Crusoe set...

Timber and ply - possible - easier and clearer design - would bring stronger sense of purpose.

Non-natural material - really introducing a modern or alien aesthetic - shiny, metalic, reflective etc.

structure:

Low profile

to provide:

Presence and sense of purpose and secondary focus

Shelter (for equipment and possible people)

platform (possibly for dance / movement activity, screenings, talks, meals, bar etc.)

a base

Good area at apex of cove - reasonably flat ground where grass meets the sand - some rocks in way - could build around - into. Could consider building into large rocks and cliff wall.

some low level bouldering - cold.

West wall dries very quickly in sun and breeze - east wall slower. Could easily set up top ropes on this steeper wall tho.

Need to examine and check stakes on west wall - how many where - which routes do they cover.

Idea not to overly use the guide book - so we re-explore potential for climbing...

Is there possibility for new routes?

We also explored the east side rock - over the plank bridge.

Possibilities for over night sleeping on the rocky causeway - noisey, exciting wild. helps to move perspective from the apex of the cove where the structure would be.

Interesting flora - lichens - micro worlds

Different textures, patina and flora of the rocks - depending on sea or land facing orientation.

Big waves.

Would be tricky bringing stuff in via boat - unless very calm....

How possible is swimming??

Need to establish dry zone / spot.

High tide levels - need to check tide tables for sep - see when very high tides are. Would be great to have structure at waters edge of high tide - could be risky if high seas tho...

Time went very quickly.

Dan