Welcome to the exciting, ephemeral, and ever-learning Performance Lab + Workshop to be held at Sol Art Center, 6 Byers St, Staunton, on Sunday May 19th, 6-9pm, a series for performers looking to both hone their work and add skills to their toolbox. The Lab + Workshops was conceptualized in response to a lack of spaces for non-traditional performers to show works in progress & sharpen their performances in the Shenandoah Valley.
Each gathering will feature a 45-60 minute performance workshop followed by 90 minutes of performance works-in-progress presented by folks who reserved a space beforehand through this form. This is our first time running the series, so logistics may change over the next couple of weeks, but we'll contact all participants via email if need be. Your patience and email addresses are a wonderful way to stay connected.
Can you feel the energy building??
The Lab is open to performers making new and/or innovative work in performance art, dance, choreography, sound, music, film, drag, performance poetry, and experimental theater. Please sign up to perform for the Lab by Wednesday, May 15th. If we have "too many" performers (how glorious!!) or if folks sign up after May 13th, you'll be put on a wait list and prioritized for the next Lab + Workshop.
We encourage all Workshop participants to engage by observing and, if invited, providing feedback on the pieces shared. Your input helps inspire performers to keep refining and nurturing their work. Our first workshop will be movement-based and presented by ecosomatic practitioner, Victoria Maria. Participation in the Workshop is Pay What You Can via Venmo or in cash dollaz. We suggest you offer $5-$40. 80% of the donations go to the facilitator and 20% goes to SolArt.
For the Lab, each event will be preceded by a call for performers who would like to show work; signing up beforehand is essential so time can be allotted for set up, performance, and feedback.
Each performer will be given 3 options for feedback:
No formal feedback; I just need to show the work in public.
Light feedback in the form of verbs. Viewers will say things like: “I saw… I heard…” This gives the performer(s) an idea of what is standing out to the audience, eg “I saw you leaning to your left as you spoke.” Or, “I heard a loud high pitched sound throughout the whole piece.”
More intense feedback with someone facilitating Liz Lerman’s Critical Response Process. The performer should bring questions they would like the audience to answer about specific things. The audience can answer and ask consent to offer opinions. An example of how this process works will be shown, but those who are curious can find a full description here.
The Performance Lab + Workshop is committed to consent-based feedback and participation, and acknowledges that the power and privilege dynamics in society are often reflected in performance spaces. Therefore, we move with intention and mindfulness. We seek to do no harm and to excite each other’s work, whether we agree with or understand it.
