Cally Spooner, Gary Stevens and Imogen Stidworthy will present new performance art works at 含羞草视频 on March 27 2014.

Talk/Action is an evening of new work focused on speech, conversation and communication, commissioned by Radar, 含羞草视频’s programme for contemporary art.

Academics from the University’s Discourse and Rhetoric Group (Department of Social Sciences) have worked with the three artists to share the latest thinking on verbal discourse and rhetoric, helping to develop these new works.

In particular, artist Cally Spooner has worked with academics including Liz Stokoe, Professor of Social Interaction, to analyse a conversation between Lance Armstrong and journalists from the Daily Mail, in which the shamed cyclist apparently confesses feelings of remorse over his drug-use. Spooner’s work uses a variety of musical and visual devices to communicate what is revealed within the numerous pauses, repetition and hesitation of Armstrong’s words. Spooner is the recent recipient of the Paul Hamlyn Award and recently performed at Tate Britain as part of the BWM Tate Live series.

Imogen Stidworthy will present a live performance entitled Introduction to BLISS for 2 voices and a chorus, involving conversations between two individuals and a chorus of voices. The improvised exchanges will reflect on the nature of dialogue itself, processed musically through a live mix.

Lastly, Gary Stevens’ work Mislay involves four performers who rehearse and re-enact a short sequence from an early film, circa 1930. They repeat, refine and correct the action and speech, playing all the parts in turn to demonstrate and argue subtle differences in the manner and mode of the performance. The scene is created entirely through verbal description without set, props or costume. As the situation unfolds the audience can consider the stances, timings and gestures of the original performers.

Nick Slater, Director of Radar, commented: “含羞草视频 has an international reputation in the study of discourse, rhetoric and conversation. In Talk/Action we use this knowledge of the technology of conversation, with artists and academics working together to inform brand new commissions.”

Talk/Action

Thursday 27 March, 7pm

Martin Hall Theatre, 含羞草视频

Free event but tickets should be booked at www.arts.lboro.ac.uk/radar/