Tuesday 21 February 2012

-----Oot 'n' Aboot-----

Welcome to Oot'n'Aboot. As you can see it is now in a streamlined calender format. I hope this will make it easy for me to upload quickly and for you to see what is happening where and when. The calendar is constantly getting updated so keep checking back as I may have added something new on any date at any time. For a list of most of the Live Art Venues and Festivals mentioned below click here. Enjoy! 




More about oot'n'aboot

Just recently it feels like London has been overflowing with performance and Live Art. It is literally everywhere: on stage, on the streets, in pubs, train stations, warehouses, squats, offices and even brought into your own living room. Performance is popular.

With so much choice of work to see over such a dispersed area it is often hard to keep track of what is happening so I have created this handy online calendar to keep you updated.

This is by no means a comprehensive guide and is totally subjective. I am merely writing about what interests me and what I hear about via my work at The Live Art Development Agency. I cannot guarantee it will be what you are looking for. 

This list will be varied, some of it you may call performance some you may not. 

I will also be writing about upcoming performances via Twitter, so please do follow me there if you wish. 

Thanks for reading and hope you find this useful.

2012



Bit of a Scottish Invasion this month with three fantastic Glasgow based artists performing in London. I have seen this show already but will be going again because I love how Gary approaches ideas about money and our relationship with it.

This performance has been cooking up a storm up in Scotland and it is great to see it back in London. With a wicked soundtrack and a charming performance from Kieran Hurley it is definitely one to watch.

Have managed to miss Fish and Game’s Alma Matter in both Glasgow and in Edinburgh so will be making sure I get to the BAC to see this piece whilst I can. Fish and Game are always great and this piece has had had some fantastic reviews. 

Amy Lame up close and personal with a Morrissey soundtrack – what more is there to say? Tickets booked, job done!

I have performed at Live Art Speed Date and it is certainly not for the faint hearted. The fun factor is amped up 100% and you are guaranteed to see some interesting and intimate performances at this event. If you haven't been to one yet then get down there. 

This was recommended to me via Twitter and after reading the blurb I think it looks pretty good so gonna try my best to check it out. 

Love the premise of this performance - reading news papers and talking actually sounds like a lot of fun to me (I sound really sad I know). Have heard great things about Uninvited Guests so it looks like I am gonna be off down south again. 

Was meant to perform here last year but had to cancel as I was getting a new hip! I was really gutted as it had a great line-up and this year definitely also looks interesting.

Never one to shy away from the weird and the wonderful composer Andrew Poppy’s new sonic project I think is definitely worth a trip down to Chelsea Theatre this month. 

This looks like a great festival. With the fabulous Brian Lobel, Bryony Kimmings and  Mr Forest Fringe himself Andy Field performing. Unfortunately I am in Liverpool that weekend to see Lorena Rivero de Beer perform at the Bluecoat but if you get the chance I would try and get up there for at least a day if not the weekend.


April
The most talked about event happening this month must be Forest Fringe taking over the Gate theatre. For two weeks Dan Canham and Chris Thorpe will be performing along with invited special guests. I cannot decide at all which nights to go on so my plan is just to buy one random ticket for each week and then go and enjoy.
I first met Oriana when she was performing at Temporary Autonomous Art in 2010. The performance was a durational piece which involved making pancakes, painting portraits and Skyping America whilst continually bouncing on a trampoline. It was brilliant! This new piece might be a little less frantic but I am looking forward to see what she has been up to recently.
Final Broadcast is an artistic response to the UK wide TV switchover from digital to analogue. I really like the sound of this event (and not just cause it includes dinner) I think its really nice that artists are getting together to mark the switchover.
So excited that Fringefest is back again as last year was brilliant and this year looks even more awesome. Highlights for me include Cabaret Wotever at the Hackney Picturehouse and Dragersize superstar Sharon Husbands who is performing twice over the weekend, which is perfect timing for me as I could do with a little work on my bingo wings.
What can I say about Nic Green? She is such a huge inspiration to me and my work and I can’t wait to see the second scratch of her new performance diptych Fatherland, Motherland.
As mentioned in last blog post Circusfest is happening at the Roundhouse this month. I am particularly excited about the Il Pixel Rosso performance as a little birdie told me about what might be in store for the audience and it sounds slightly scary but an amazing experience.
This looks intriguing. It is not the type of performance I would usually go to but it is always good to push yourself into different directions and I have heard interesting things about Leo Kay.
My very good friend Justyna Scheuring is performing her new piece at Colchester Arts Centre on the 26th of April. Justyna’s work is often very brave - she never lets an audience of the hook, which is probably why I enjoy her work so much. From what I know about this piece its going to be well worth the journey.
I am totally gutted not to manage to get tickets for Art Angel this month. If you managed to bag one then enjoy and please let me know how it was.
The programme has been announced for the LIFT festival and it is totally amazing. I want to see almost all of it but unfortunately my bank balance will not allow me but still gonna try and see as much as possible.
March
The one and only Stacy Makishi is at Arts Admin on 1st of March. She is a brilliant artist whom I met at the last Fresh Air Platform. I am really excited about this night.
Not sure how but I seem to have ended up on Victoria Melody’s newsletter list, not that I am complaining because I am liking the look of her work and looking forward to seeing this solo show.
Scottee, well what can I say about Scottee that hasn’t already been said by him on his website/ blog/ FB/ Tumblr/ Twitter/ You Tube channel. He was one of the highlights of Christmas Duckie at the Barbican and it will be good to see him back at The Vauxhall Tavern again, doing what he does best, especially with a subject so close to my heart. I was very tempted to enter Burger Queen this year but just not sure what my special talent would be!
Having known Brian Lobel as the man who locks you in a toilet cubicle and masturbates over you I am more than a little intrigued as to how he tackles a performance about testicular cancer - most likely in very graphic detail. I have to admit, I never thought I would be so excited in seeing a show about cancer.
Totally gutted I will be missing this as performing in Glasgow this weekend. Would have loved the Avon Ladies to come to my house. If you live 30 minutes away from CTP I would advise you to BOOK NOW for this show!
Another interesting performance at CPT. A 40 minute one-on-one performance about someone I have loved and lost might not appeal to everyone but this piece is right up my alley.
I really wanted to see this but it looks like all the cheapest priced tickets have gone on the nights I wanna go so I will probably have to miss it. If you have a spare £35 then I would make the effort to go as it will be an incredible performance
This Saturday the fabulous Brian Lobel is hosting another Cruising for Artevent. Some of you might think this is a shameless plug as I am performing there but the possibility of one-on-one experiences with Stacy Makishi and/or Lois Weaver makes the incredibly reasonable five quid ticket price worth it alone.
I disappointedly missed Action Hero when they played in Edinburgh this year as they were on at midnight and I had to catch the last bus back to Glasgow at the same time. They have been getting rave reviews all over the place so this is an event worth checking out.
CircusFest at Roundhouse is looking incredible. As this event is mostly in April I will write more about the highlights next month.
Last but not least I have to write a little something about Gatz (or my ex- colleagues at LIFT would never forgive me.) I am sure you have all heard about it already but Gatz is a total one-off and definitely a hot ticket in town.
Thank you very much for reading my first ever Oot’n’Aboot blog. I am open to all suggestions/ideas/comments so please get in touch contact@katybaird.com
Oot'n'aboot Xtra
I forgot to write about some performance because they were in my calendar and not my diary, so here are even more reasons to go out in London.
]Performance Space[ has, as always, some interesting live events happening over the next few months. I am especially looking forward to Tempting Failure on Sunday. Some of the artists I met recently at Inxclusion will be there and a lot of people have been talking about it.
Heard great things about Bryony, especially her last show which a lot of peole were raving about so I hope 7 day drunk will be just as enjoyable.
I noticed the other day that the Battersea Arts Centre is not on my list at all. This is surprising considering the key player it’s been in London over the last few years. Their scratch nights are great but it is too far and too expensive for me to travel from Tottenham to Battersea for a 20 min performance. Made in China has most definitely been making waves and is by all accounts a great show but I am still not sure if I will be making the journey down south for it.
Lastly Fierce is happening in Birmingham over Easter and I am seriously toying with the idea of going up for it. It has a good line up and the legend that is Ann Liv Young is gonna be performing which is reason in itself to be there.
February
Having totally loved ‘Office Party’ at the Pleasance last year which was co-written by Martinez I am really hoping that her solo show will be filled with the sharply observed detail and humour that made Office Party so successful.
Third Angel have been performing since the mid-90s and are firmly established in the performance scene. To my shame I have never managed to catch a Third Angel production, missing them in Glasgow on at least two occasions. Therefore I will definitely be checking this out and hoping to find out that a company that has survived for so long is still making interesting and thought provoking work.
Chris Goode is another one of those artists that have been around for a while and I have still managed not to have seen any of his work. This time he is talking religion, a subject that I have an opinion or three about myself.
Three events that I am disappointed to be missing because I am performing in Leeds that weekend:
Improbable are holding their yearly get-together Devoted and Disgruntled. This year they are asking the easy to answer question “What are we going to do about theatre?” Good job it’s over three days!
The same weekend the Others in Stoke Newington is hosting ‘Dirty Dancing’, a night of contemporary dance. It looks to be an interesting evening and it will be really fascinating to see how this type of performance works in such an informal venue
Jeremy Deller in Conversation. Yes, it is true I do work for Rowan Arts so this next choice may be conceived as a conflict of interest but it is going to be great! Jeremy Deller, the man who created ‘Acid Brass’- the fusion of traditional brass band music with acid house - is a bit of a legend to me so would have loved to have seen him chat about his work.