Pedestrial Acts is a multimedia, multi-site collaborative arts series which took place in locations around Belfast, Northern Ireland on the 30th of July, 2011. The performances acted as the culminating conclusion to a six-month collaboration between the producer, John Osburn, and four American modern dance artists. This series consisted of five site-specific performance art pieces which either provided the community with access to unique demonstrations of modern art at no financial cost to them, or investigated ways in which performance art can be used to encourage interaction between the performers and the spectators. Prior to the performances, the dancers joined Osburn in Belfast to undergo twelve days of intense rehearsals from the 18th-30th of July. During this time, the overall concepts, choreography, and sound design of each work were created, rehearsed, and developed at both the Sonic Arts Research Centre, as well as the sites themselves, when available.
Part 1 - let go by Megan Yankee
"let go" is a collaborative, integrated sound-media and dance work created for St. Anne's Cathedral in Belfast, Ireland. All of the movements and sounds of the performance were inspired by or directly sampled from the architecture, stone and marble work, artifacts and the breath-taking awe they inspire. While the performers, choreographer, and arranger welcome multiple interpretations of the work, its aim is to illustrate the toils we all go through with regards to faith and hope.
--M. Yankee
Part 2 - Pass the Plate by Nicole Touzien
"Pass the Plate" is an improvisational movement and sound score utilizing ensemble-thinking. Dancers and musicians compose the work in real-time, based upon unplanned group choices in response to the activities and energies present within the performance space. Using pedestrian movements and gestures as inspiration for movement, performers strive to challenge the boundary between performativity and the ordinary.
--N. Touzien
Part 3 - Two Pence by Lauren Guyer
"Two Pence" is a multimedia performance intended to create a kinship between Northern Ireland and American students. Four Americans hope to build an open dialog with the Belfast student population by investigating topics such as education fees, job market anxiety, and the validity in higher education using video installation and movement to reveal a humanistic side of each performer. By establishing common ground, "Two Pence" hopes to encourage the idea of communication as a catalyst for progression.
--L. Guyer
Part 4 - a poet or a fool by Bethany Nelson
"a poet or a fool" is a blend of improvisation and set choreography performed in the Paragon Studio / Project Space. Sourcing movement and sound from an international pop star that the artist wishes to keep anonymous, the work is presented as a performative movement and sound ritual that the audience must witness through the large windows of the gallery.
--B. Nelson
Part 5 - Finale (A Day in the Life) arranged by John Osburn
"A Day in the Life" portrays main ideas from the performances which took place earlier in the day. This piece was performed in the Sonic Arts Research Centre's Sonic Lab which offers a neutral environment to reconceptualise the four pieces and perform/view them under a new light.
--J. Osburn
