DIY: 2008 – Please keep your luggage with you at all times

A weekend looking at the role of the suitcase in live art and ways to explore this iconic symbol in performance-including a day for individual adventures.

Led by Geraldine Pilgrim.

Saturday 20 September and Sunday 21 September 2008.
Individual journeys to mystery destination starting point London.
Deadline: FULLY BOOKED.

The Project
As an artist, suitcases have played a significant role in my work throughout my career. In this project, I am interested in reflecting and experimenting with other artists on the role of the suitcase in contemporary live art using the model of an un pre-planned journey keeping a suitcase with you at all times and using it to contain the evidence of the adventure in order to show fellow participants the experience of the journey using the suitcase and its new contents as evidence.

This project is an opportunity for artists to go on an individual one day adventure reflecting on the power of the suitcase as an iconic object and its potential use in both performance and installation, exploring the role of significant objects in live art to represent experience and emotion, examining ways of looking at souvenirs/evidence to signify physical as well as emotional journeys and experiencing the joy of inspirational visits as a source for creating work.

All adventures will begin from a pre-determined starting point in London. All participants meet for complimentary coffee and croissants on the Saturday morning where the brief is given, suitcases and money are handed over and everybody leaves for their individual journey.

Each participant will be given a suitcase and £30 as a contribution to travelling costs. Participants will reconvene on the following day at Toynbee Studios to share the experience of their journey and reveal the contents of their suitcase.

Application Procedure
This proposal is open to all artists of different levels of experiences – emerging, recently graduated, mid career or established. Places are limited to ten and will be selected from open submission. Applicants are invited to send a short biog with contact details and a statement about what suitcases mean to them. Your application should be sent to [email protected]with ‘DIY 5’ in the subject line.

About the Artist
Director/Designer and installation artist Geraldine Pilgrim creates site-specific events in unusual buildings where the architecture of the site is used as the narrative.

Recent projects include The Greenhouses of William Turner an installation commissioned by CastleMorpeth Council Northumberland (2008); Handbag Scratch a performance commissioned by BAC for the Burst Festival (2008); Enchanted Parks two site-specific performances commissioned by NewcastleGateshead Initiative for the Winter Festival (2007); Dreams of a Winter Night an installation commissioned by English Heritage as part of the Picture Houseexhibition at Belsay Hall Northumberland (2007); Sea View an installation commissioned by the National Review of Live Art, Glasgow (2006); Deep End a site specific performance at the empty Marshall Street Baths, Soho a Corridor event (2005); Star Dust commissioned for Variety Acts at the De La Warr Pavilion, Bexhill on Sea (2005); and Spa a site specific performance at the Elizabeth Garret Hospital Euston a Corridor event (2003).

Any Questions
If you have any questions regarding Please keep your luggage with you at all times please contact Geraldine on [email protected].