A mountain of paperwork...

I've recently came across the work of Guy Laramee and his book sculputres.

Biblos and The Great Wall are two incredible series of carved book landscapes and structures where the dense pages of old books are excavated to reveal serene mountains, plateaus, and ancient structures.

The artist says:

So I carve landscapes out of books and I paint Romantic landscapes. Mountains of disused knowledge return to what they really are: mountains. They erode a bit more and they become hills. Then they flatten and become fields where apparently nothing is happening. Piles of obsolete encyclopedias return to that which does not need to say anything, that which simply IS. Fogs and clouds erase everything we know, everything we think we are.

Glamsterdam...

Yes, its that time of year again for our aerial groups annual Boot Camp. Usually we go camping somehwere in Scotland for a long weekend of acrobatics, but this year we got to go over to Amsterdam!!! We collaborated with the Movement Academy over there doing aerial workshops, yoga, massage and our perfomance group did a show on the Saturday night.

The space we were training in was a lot smaller than we were use to but, it was nice to have a everyone in the same room so you could see what each group was working on. Boot camp is a great change to learn new trick and work on equipment you dont usually get the chance to in normal classes. I learnt some cool new moves on the silks, hoop and got to do some more doubles trapeze.

 I perfomed on the hammock (or aerial sling) again for this show. I chose Nina Simone's Blues for Mama for my routine, which is a bit slower than other music I perfomed to. I usually get pretty nervous performing but the show was quite intimate this time and I felt a bit more relaxed. Maybe the music had that effect on me?

 The rest of the performers. The venue we were in was covered in graffitti so there were lots of photo opporunities...

             

It was a really brilliant weekend with my friends, the people over there were lovely and really keen to learn so hopefully we'll be able to collaborate again.....

A wee night in....

Its been a pretty tiring few weeks, running two shows at once. Now for a little downtime.
I have some stuff to sort out for going to New York (um.....like my visa, which STILL hasn't come through).
I'm also off to Amsterdam at the start of next month for my aerial groups annual bootcamp! Usually we go camping around Scotland for bootcamp but this year we've teamed up with a venue in Amsterdam for a wholelong weekend of workshops. (and a show which I've just been told I'm a part of...)

Lots of exciting stuff coming up,but for now I am chillin with some tea and good book.....

This is a circus masterpost..........

Well, today is World Circus Day so I have decided to share with you some of my favourite pictures I have been collecting of various acts.....

One of my personal goals for the year is to be able to touch my head with my feet. At the moment, if I lie on my chest I can get about 6 inches away (ITS GOING TO HAPPEN!) but this lady's bend is crazy and amazing.

And of course I had to add in one of my own, we decided to take a group picture at my acro class, generally as I'm the smallest, I get to do all the high up top bits. There I am on top of my friends shoulders.

Circus antics...

Well, its been a crazy few weeks!
My acrobatic troupe have been devising a new show for a gig we have at my old university!
Each year the students of the Technical Theatre course at RCS have a Grad Show, where they invite industry professionals along to view their work and have a chance to meet.
This years graduates decided they wanted something a little different and asked if Spinal Chord could provide a short circus themed show.

I am actually a graduate from the same course, so it was a little strange for me to be back as part of the performing group rather than a student.

On the Friday went along to help with the set up, rigging the trapeze and silks, making sure everything was ready for our first onstage rehearsal on the Saturday.

I was a little sad I wasn't performing in this one, I was suppose to be but pulled my hamstrings in a rehearsal and had to pull out. I took on more of a stage management role instead, as there was alot of organising and liasing with the students of the course to ensure the show went up.

We opened on the Tuesday night and all seemed to go well, the audience enjoyed it, the pyrotechnics went off in the right place.....
Heres a wee sneak peak.... (apologies for the photo quality, they are stills from the video camera)

Just another day at the office....

Im working at the Citizens Theatre this week, helping out with the painting for King Lear. I've only worked here once before, at Christmas,  it was nice to be back though!

Kids and creatures...

As a freelancer, I've worked in some pretty  and interesting places. However, this weekend I ended up on a bus complete with monsters and a slide!

I was taken on board the Moshi bus as PR/events staff, where my days consisted of colouring in, badge making and trading toys and cards with the avid Moshi fans that came to visit us.   

I had no idea what this craze was before I started so was pretty surprised when I turned up on my first day to see a very long queue already waitng for us!!!

The rest of the day was just as crazy, people literally queued for 4 hours just to get on the bus! 

                                            

It was a really fun way to spend my easter weekend (and earn some money). I've worked with kids quite alot before and its always a......... unique experience?!

Also... good practise for this summer when I'll be going over to New York for camp- more on that later though!!!