Published on: Wednesday, 31 October 2012
Last updated: Wednesday, 5 October 2016
An innovative artistic performance is set to take place on train services between Ipswich and Felixstowe on Thursday 1st and Friday 2nd November as part of ‘SPILL’ – Ipswich’s brand new Experimental Art Festival.
Train operator, Greater Anglia is sponsoring the unique performance, called ‘Portal’ which will see performers from the 11:18 company taking the audience on a journey through past and future, local and global, land and sea, revealing that this small corner of the UK has perhaps had a greater impact on our lives than we could possibly imagine.
Audience members will have the opportunity to see their journey with fresh eyes, through the memories, stories and aspirations of those who have taken the route before them. They will wear headphones during the journey and hear a narrative and music which will set the scene for live performances that will take place on station platforms along the route during the journey.
11:18 was formed in 2011 by MA Graduates from Goldsmiths College. It specialises in making performances for real train journeys using audio and visual stimuli in collaboration with the existing landscape to tell stories and encourage looking. Company members are from Iceland, Thailand, Chile, Ireland and the UK.
Organiser, Charlotte Hodkinson, said, “11:18 aims to create work that pushes the definition of site-specific performance, while being accessible, engaging and thrilling for its audiences. We are very excited to be staging ‘Portal’ in conjunction with SPILL and Greater Anglia and bring this unique experience to the people of the region.”
Greater Anglia’s Head of Corporate Affairs, Jonathan Denby, said “We are pleased to welcome the SPILL Festival to the region and sponsor this performance which will allow participants to enjoy a rural train journey with Greater Anglia in a new and unique way.”
11:18 is among the 46 performers specially chosen for the SPILL National Platform.
Developed by Pacitti Company in collaboration with the Live Art Development Agency, and generously supported by the Jerwood Charitable Foundation, the SPILL National Platform is the UK’s open submissions platform for emerging experimental makers who receive funding from the programme as well as technical and marketing support.
Since its inauguration in 2007 in London, SPILL Festival of Performance, created by performance maker Robert Pacitti, has achieved national and international recognition from industry experts.
This year SPILL becomes an annual festival, alternating between Ipswich in October 2012, and London in April 2013.
Performers from 11:18 and members of the Pacitti company, SPILL Festival organisers, will be available at Ipswich station at 9.30am on Thursday 1st November for photographs and interviews.