HIGH ANGLE BATTERY Proposal

A silent figure dressed in grey is your guide. The guide cannot speak he/she only has a roughly hewn slate and chalk in order to communicate. As you walk into the main site on one side you see a large pile of discarded radios none of which seem able to crackle into life. On the other, a long tunnel reverberates with the sound of a myriad voices being slowly lost into nothingness. Around the batteries are dotted hundreds of small blue butterflies, pinned to the ground stunted by the lack of a lifting wind. As you progress further through the battery, a tunnel reverberates with a huge, raucous sound of laughter.. and then nothing. Inside another cave a long, high clear note sounds, reverberates around the space then disappears into the ether. A young woman suddenly appears as if from the ground tries to speak but her voice is unusable
This proposed piece at high Angle Battery, will be a durational installation, running around 4/5 times on the afternoon of the 27th of July. Each visit by the audience would last around 20/30 minutes. The material for the piece is inspired by Doldrums supposed habitation of the High Angle Battery but the content will be curated from a community myth making project asking people to talk about their take (in their own words) about the story of Doldrum coming to be in Portland. A key element of this project is an audio installation, the trapped voices of local people, which are sampled, looped and then replayed to eerie effect. We are hoping to work with James Price (a multimedia artist) who is experienced in making sound/audio work with members of the community. Lorna Rees, Theatre Producer for Activate Performing Arts, will be artistic lead/creative producer. We believe that weve a unique opportunity to work on this site specific project which will form part of the opening weekend of the Olympics. In terms of dressing the site, we are keen to create something autochthonous to the landscape. Lornas practice almost always involves story as a starting point, and in this instance we have the new myth of Doldrum who steals the wind before the sailing events take place. Doldrum who is made of rock is determined to not erode so he captures the wind around him including the voices from the people he meets. We wish to engage in this process of community myth making with the residents of Portland, be they in local schools or in libraries or community centres.

We might approach this by encouraging people to talk about the Doldrum myth whilst making some of the thousands of blue butterflies* which will adorn the grassland around the site. Thematically the key concept of outposts resonates strongly with this proposal, it forms Doldrums own outpost as well as being a very real outpost in the landscape.

Images of the High Angle Battery on Portland Because of the challenges of getting large groups of people we want to mediate the site in clever ways and to have a strong social media/web presence to the project. Wed hope to use QR codes on specific spots in the high angle installation - these link audience members to a trail of blogs/websites detailing different perspectives of the loss of wind and the lack of sound waves. For example, a Doctors site detailing the inexplicable loss of childrens voices, another, a facebook page from a girl whose voice has been lost, another is a technical metrological website about the anomalous Beaufort scale readings. In order to animate the space we will be working with a new community youth dance group which will be set up on Portland. This will be a group led by dance practitioner Carly Reader (who specialises in youth dance/site specific work) who will devise new choreography in response to the site and the Doldrum myth. This work forms part of the Community Youth Dance Project and is already part of Activates strategic plan for dance in 2012. Other young people/volunteers will be involved in guiding audiences round the site to experience the installation. These performers would work with the audio tracks composed by James Price.

The Cretaceous Silver Studded Blue is only found on Portland, underlining the importance of the island as a butterfly habitat. This butterfly can be found towards the end of June and into early August, almost perfectly timed for the Olympic period. Clouds of blue butterflies can sometimes be found at the High Angle Battery and it is a specific conservation area for many species of Blue Butterflies.

Draft Budget
This budget is very much an outline of costs. Lorna has negotiated with Activate who have kindly agreed to give Lornas time as Creative Producer inkind for the project. Activate have access to office resources and networks. DRAFT BREAKDOWN OF COST Audio Equipment. The main cost is for 8-10 audio stations, which need to be battery operated as there is no mains power on the site. I-pod docking systems of decent quality are around 60-80 each. Community myth-making days workshops (library, Island Community Action etc). Materials for the site/set dressing/QR code signs (facsimile butterflies, signage, slate/large wall posters etc.) Co-ordination of school/community visits Liaison with Portland Youth Dance Company during residency James Price: 2 days of gathering sound @200 per day James Price: 4 days of pre and post production sound work James Price/Lorna Rees: 2 days installation on site Lorna Rees Yurt/tent production station (?) Permissions for land use Public Liability Insurance (already covered by artists own and Activate) Community Youth Dance programme (residency February half term) led by Carly Reader. TOTAL COST 900

500 500 In kind 200 600 600 400 In Kind n/a n/a n/a

3000

6700

James Price: Background

Left is an image by James Price, from an installation at the Night Of Light Somerset Arts Week at Hestercombe Gardens Taunton sept 30th.(Hestercombe zip) Installation took form of a projection onto the reverse side of window openings, family portraits were filmed in a silhouette fashion with a soundscape composed from voices of family members talking fondly about one another. Right is part of a community film making project which won the Young Voice Award from First Light Films. http://vimeo.com/21475270 Until my Hearts Like Finished.

James Price is experienced in an artistic, animation music, sound design and film-making. Date of Birth: 26/10/63 Contact details: Ash Farm, Pineapple Lane, Salwayash, Bridport, Dorset, DT6 5HY Mobile Tel: 07731767807 Home Tel: 01308488792 Experience 2006-2011 I am working as an animator/filmmaker and musical composer on a freelance basis for several organizations inc:PVA MediaLab, B-Side, The Engine Room, Wave Arts in Education Agency, Activate, Inside Out, Exeter Phoenix, Interim. I have experience working with various groups of young people and adults. People with:Learning Difficulties, Partially Sighted, Deaf, Aspergers, Autism, The Elderly, Ethnic Diversity, Young Mothers, School Children, Youth Organizations, New Age Travellers, Gypsies. Currently I am working on Animation, Film, Music, Digital Story projects and family radio with the Engine Room in Bridgewater. Short Films:"Never Forget" (Part of a first Light film project 2011) "It'll Be Fine" (Part of First light film project 2011) "Can You Teach A Worm To Tango?" (School animation Project) (winner best animation First Light film awards 2011) "Upsticks" D.O.P. Producer (School Fiction Project) "Into the Deep" D.O.P. (Documentary) "Smashed" D.O.P Composer (commissioned by Somerset Police.) "Hanging Boy" Director (Winner of two awards for best one minute film, Kids for Kids uk, Durham film festival). "Imaginary Friends" Animator "Xarxa Veles e Vents" Director, Editor (Documentary) "The River Piddle" Director, Editor (Educational Documentary) "A magical quest " Director, Editor (U.V puppets) Playtime Director, Editor (School short film Project) "We're OK Aren't We?" D.O.P. "You're Meant to Like Them" D.O.P. (San Diego-International Children's Film Festival, Leicester-International Short Film Festival, Sheffield-Showcomotion Nominated for a Unicef Award) "One Week Later" D.O.P. (Bristol-Watershed Encounters Short Film Festival, Screened online at I.T.V. Local, Australia-Auburn Children's Film Festival Nominated for Tadgells Bluebell Honor, Manchester-Underexposed Student Film Festival AWARD WINNER Leicester-International Short Film Festival, Odeon Leicester Square-First Light Movies Awards WINNER BEST DRAMA AWARD, Falls Church Virginia USA-Annual Shortie Awards Runner Up, Chew TV, Croatia-Four Rivers Film Festival.

"Site Crew" D.O.P. (Documentary with New Age Travelers) "Taking Pictures" Tech support "Fairy cakes" Tech support "What Are You Going To Do?" D.O.P. (Documentary film for First Light) "When You Go To Work" Director, Editor "T is For Teenager". D.O.P. (BBC-Big Screen Online Film Festival, Bradford-National Film and TV Centre Co-op Young Peoples Film Festival, London-The Barbican Children's Film Festival) "East Cliff, West Bay". Editor "Bridport Novice Hurdles" Director, Editor (Film made with Young Mums) Previous Education/Experience Art Foundation, BA (hons) in Music Design (Music for Film) Bournemouth University. I am familiar with both PC and iMac platforms and have gained experience with many software applications that support creative work; Reason, Cubase, Logic, Sound Forge, Flash, Motion, DVD Studio Pro, Final Cut studio, iStop, Frame thief, Photo Shop, Animation Master (3D animation environment), After Effects, Cinema 4d.

Lorna Rees: Background

Personal Details Name Lorna Rees Date of Birth 14 December 1978 Address: 37 Elizabeth Avenue, Christchurch, Dorset Mobile: 07815 756946 Email lornarees@googlemail.com or lornarees@activatepeformingarts.org.uk Personal Statement Lorna Rees is a creative producer and theatre artist who has worked on a range of large and small projects across art form, but mainly in the performance/live art realm. She specialises in working with young people and in community settings, as well as bringing performance elements to installations. Lorna has recently produced a significant part of the Bournemouth Festival Light Night programme, bringing five new commissions to fruition including producing a new piece by The Paper Cinema in Bournemouths Bandstand. Her practice as a theatre artist is occupied with rendering places strange.

Image of Lornas recent work as a creative producer with The Paper Cinema. Photo credit Roy Riley.

For Lornas most recent Creative Producing work please see: http://www.scribd.com/doc/71915006/In-the-Garden-10-PRINT Theatre Producer, Activate, Nov 2008-present Producer (Theatre) for Activate Performing Arts, the dance and theatre development agency for Dorset Bournemouth and Poole (job share). This role involves raising the profile and assisting the growth of theatre through the development and management of strategic projects, practical partnerships, and the support of professional theatre practitioners. Co-artistic Director Gobbledegook Theatre 2004 present Gobbledegook Theatre make work for children and families. We are theatre artists who create works which hope to 'render the familiar strange' for young audiences and their families be it on a sea front promenade, in public gardens, libraries, classrooms or playgrounds. We believe very strongly in play and that the link with theatre, playing and making stories is very close indeed and we believe strongly in the power of stories. Please see more about at: http://gobbledegooktheatre.blogspot.com/

Independent Artist/consultant/ creative producer Work has included drama and storytelling work in nursery, primary and secondary schools, running INSET workshops for theatre and dance practitioners, writing project evaluations, business plans and funding bids for theatre companies, practitioners and organisations such as Bournemouth and Poole Libraries, Lighthouse and Dance Bytes Back, guest lecturing work for DeMontfort University and Central School of Speech and Drama, co-deviser and performer forThe Roundhouse and the National Theatre (as part of the Watch The Space Festival), Education Consultancy work for Londons Tower Bridge. Project Manager and Programme Co-ordinator: Activate Performing Arts 2006 - 2008 For Activate, I have taken a lead on key education projects. I have been focussed on two programmes; firstly the Cultural Hub, which has led me to work in partnership with local schools and arts organisations delivering exciting innovate projects. Secondly, I have been Development Co-ordinator and Programme Manager for Activating Youth. As part of Activating Youth I set up and administrated the new county youth dance company: Portrait. Education and Community Manager, The Broadway, Barking, Sept 2004 April 2006 The Broadway was a brand new, multimillion pound state of the art performing arts venue which opened in December 2004. It was the first tranche of a large regeneration project for Barking town centre, an incredibly deprived area of London. My position as Education and Community Manager saw me establishing an education department and creating exciting music and theatre community projects, as well as starting and running a highly successful youth theatre (BYTe) and contributing extensively to fundraising and business planning for the venue. Education Manager Greenwich Theatre April 2002 August 2004 This role required the development of education strategy for the theatre and the administration of all education and community activities. Greenwich was a hub for New Musical Theatre talent, and 2003 saw us pioneer a project for a Musical Theatre Academy (GMTA) in conjunction with Negus Sixth Form Centre. The GMTA was a unique course, which targeted minority ethnic groups and NEETS (those not in education employment or training), which I managed, co-fundraised for (well in-excess of 100k) and creatively planed for. I administered and ran the extensive outreach programme. I carried out community-liaison work and was on several Greenwich Development committees, including the board of the Greenwich World Heritage Site. Part-time Lecturer at the College of North East London Teaching on the BTEC Performing Arts course. I ran the Physical Theatre, Professional Practice/Arts Management and Directing units, and carried out a range of teaching, assessment and organisational duties. Facilitator, Grendon Prison Project, April December 2002 (Royal Court) Facilitator and script support worker for the Royal Courts Voices From Within project at Grendon Prison in Aylesbury, where I collaborated with the playwright Simon Stephens. Freelance Script Reader, Royal Court Theatre 2000 2006 This position involved reading submissions to the Courts Young Writers Programme and making recommendations as to their suitability for production or for the inclusion of writers in some aspect of the Royal Courts work. Administrator, Royal Court YWP September 2001 June 2002 In this role I organised the reading and distribution of all scripts submitted to the Royal Court Young Writers Programme. I selected a readers panel and liaised with numerous professional playwrights. Education 1998-2001 Central School of Speech and Drama, Embassy Theatre, 64 Eton Avenue, London NW3 3HY st BA (Hons) Drama and Education: First Class (1 ) Course Representative to Centrals Board, Student Union Welfare and Womens Officer Interests As well as being passionate about theatre, I am very interested in film and visual art. I sing regularly with a community choir in Christchurch and enjoy walking, swimming and finding fossils along the Dorset coast. I also have a keen interest in comic books, graphic novels and play various instruments including my favourite, the ukulele.