Our initial encounter with Great Central Warehouse Library was a really interesting one. Our first hurdle was establishing what we mean by ‘site-specific performance’ before we could even begin to think about such performance in this erudite and enigmatic environment.
We began by considering how we differentiate ‘site’ from both ‘space’ and ‘place’. We came to the conclusion that a ‘space’ is empty, until you fill it and therefore has great potential and possibility. A ‘place’ however is inherently active, a physical setting for people to inhabit and interact with. A ‘site’ then is a focused framing of space being used in a place, where something has happened / is going to happen.
This however led to further discussion of the purpose of site-based work; realising that site-specific performance is not about the physical space but its conceptual perceptions and identity. Followed by a consideration of space’s place within its surroundings, not fixed within a theatrical context but based on a hyper awareness of the dialogue between a performance and its surroundings.
We then went on to explore the library, walking around each floor observing and listening to people as well as discovering spaces – such as the Zibby Garnett Library – that we didn’t even know existed! We had the interesting task of finding a space to sit and create a stream of consciousness, noting everything; sights, sounds, smells and our thoughts and feelings create by this experience. The thing I found most interesting about this task was taking a seat on the third, supposedly silent , floor and realising just how full of sound it was. I found the coughs, rustles, clicks, bangs, slams and even a ringtone considerably more distracting than the hub-ub of the lower floors.
Personally, this early discussion opened my eyes to the broad scope of site-specific performance and corrected a lot of preconceptions I had had about the simplicity of site work. Exploring the library in this way made me far more excited to explore the possibilities of site work in such a dynamic setting full of structures, contradictions and most significantly, life.