First prototype @ Curious Lab!

Tomorrow we’ll be sharing our first prototype of Movement Alphabet, at Curious Lab, a day of experimental artworks that invite the audience to interact and be a part of the work. Part of a festival curated by the Barbican, it will be held at the Rose Lipman Building where the Open School East resides, a new art school and community space emphasising co-operation and experimentation. Last week we have been testing the live experience on people we’ve bumped into during our residency at G.A.S. station, a venue that also has a community and experimental vibe, that holds classes, workshops and labs for a diverse range of learners and facilitators including ZU-UK Theatre, Rosetta Arts Centre, and Newham Adult Learning Service. It’s coming together when I start getting to grips with the new buttons Tim (the coder) has created for me on my Samsung phone.  It will be linked via wifi to the 3D camera and Tim’s software to take people’s portraits with. It is an exciting challenge in learning how to get the right moments to press record – knowing when the participant is going to leap into the air or make that important move – or for how long they will stay in that intense still position so I can record its growth as lines on the portrait. Every second counts, and it’s inspiring to be working so closely with so many different individuals, all so unique in their stories and responses. When I walked out to go to the shops today, in a break, I noticed that everything and everyone had so much character… it was beautiful to witness, each person had their expression, full of body and movement… Jan Lee, 6 July 2016. Movement portrait of Rosie Ashworth stretching, cycling, running, swimming, 21 May 2016 at Queen Mary University of London.