Week 2 will be remembered for its long and exhausting days, but also for being highly productive and interesting. The Explorers experienced both sides of the borders with eyes wide open and then blindfolded, got to walk along the borderline looking for the edge of the edge: potential performing spots away from the tourist-friendly central places, exchanged dances, games and songs, and had their first direct interactions with the public.
Although we have been here for a couple of weeks and featured on local newspapers, TV and radio, there is still a fair amount of people surprised with our presence and naturally curious about why there is a bunch of funny languages-speaking people wandering about blindfolded sniffing their market stalls, playing music with balloons around a tree near a bus stop or climbing a statue to collectively fly a kite made with some sticks and an old carrier bag. Most people either ignore us or watch from a (safe) distance, but there were a few brave enough to come forward and interact with the group.
On Wednesday, there was Leonora. We had been taken to the vicinity of the Cuaró area on the Uruguayan side as a result of an exercise. Alice, Sarah and Jessie had walked north along the borderline and chose this small green bit in the middle of a busy road to try out an idea. Inspired by the blindfolded exercise we had done two days before, they led their audience (me, Louisa, Eli, Julia, Pat and Gwen - Andy was just filming) blindfolded through the bushes while reciting extracts of their chosen texts. Right next to our starting point, there was a small shack where a woman was selling cigarettes. She observed us for a while and once she identified a member of the group that could speak Portuguese, came forward and asked what the hell we were doing. Julia briefly explained it to her, but called me and asked me to provide more detailed information. Leonora (the woman) seemed very humble and most likely not educated to a high level, but demonstrated positive interest in our project. I invited her to take part in our exercise and she quickly grabbed hold of a friend who was passing by to keep an eye on her stall as she let herself go in the hands of a complete stranger who didn't speak her language and was about to lead her blindfolded self through a green island that she looks at every day sitting by her shack. Sarah kindly took her on her journey and it was a beautiful experience for both of them. We are sure Leonora will never look at that green spot the same way again, and will be telling this story for quite a long time.
On Thursday we had good weather, and Tanise came back to take the group to the streets for some clowning, singing and dancing. Under her guidance, the Explorers devised a "balloon orchestra" and tried it out at different spots around the city centre. Their first run was in the middle of the Park by the Water Feature. There weren't many people around, and the reaction of the handful that watched it wasn't entirely favourable, yet funny. Tanise and I heard some guys wondering how high the girls were and what kind of illegal substance they had taken. We then took the orchestra to perform near a bus stop on the Brazilian side and that was better, with people gathering around and smiling at us, even clapping at the end. The best result was in the market right on the border. As soon as the "orchestra" started warming up, one of the stall holders began whistling and clapping along to their rhythm. A few people gathered round and got their phones out to film and photograph, and by the time they finished, a handful of kids surrounded them and asked for the balloons. Sarah passed the hat and we actually made back the money spent on balloons! As a final street exercise, Tanise taught them a song to walk down the street to and the group set off down the Brazilian high street. The fact that they weren't in costume or makeup might have confused people, and we heard comments such as "it's a bunch of faggots" or "I think it's a protest", but the best was a conversation between two old ladies who were wondering if this had anything to do with the blindfolded girls they had seen a few days before: "I'm sure that boy with the camera is the same".
On Friday the Explorers took to the Park again, this time doing an exercise proposed by Michel. There were a few problems with this one due to short time and big pressure, but some gorgeous images were achieved nonetheless. They included more direct interaction with audiences for this one, circling a couple who were making out on a bench and asking people "donde está el cielo?" (where's the sky?). Each performer had an object that they had found somewhere on the border in the past few days, and my favourite audience interaction moment was when Gwen presented her object to an old man sat on a bench, who seemed reluctant to accept it but took it in the end. Gwen said afterwards that she felt that was the strongest connection she had made that day because of the uniqueness of the moment.
So this is us. Week 3 starts now and it is completely dedicated to creating some sort of raw performance to showcase on Saturday. The girls have a tonne of new tools and material to work through and I can't wait to see how the people of Riveramento will react to whatever we come up with.
Although we have been here for a couple of weeks and featured on local newspapers, TV and radio, there is still a fair amount of people surprised with our presence and naturally curious about why there is a bunch of funny languages-speaking people wandering about blindfolded sniffing their market stalls, playing music with balloons around a tree near a bus stop or climbing a statue to collectively fly a kite made with some sticks and an old carrier bag. Most people either ignore us or watch from a (safe) distance, but there were a few brave enough to come forward and interact with the group.
On Wednesday, there was Leonora. We had been taken to the vicinity of the Cuaró area on the Uruguayan side as a result of an exercise. Alice, Sarah and Jessie had walked north along the borderline and chose this small green bit in the middle of a busy road to try out an idea. Inspired by the blindfolded exercise we had done two days before, they led their audience (me, Louisa, Eli, Julia, Pat and Gwen - Andy was just filming) blindfolded through the bushes while reciting extracts of their chosen texts. Right next to our starting point, there was a small shack where a woman was selling cigarettes. She observed us for a while and once she identified a member of the group that could speak Portuguese, came forward and asked what the hell we were doing. Julia briefly explained it to her, but called me and asked me to provide more detailed information. Leonora (the woman) seemed very humble and most likely not educated to a high level, but demonstrated positive interest in our project. I invited her to take part in our exercise and she quickly grabbed hold of a friend who was passing by to keep an eye on her stall as she let herself go in the hands of a complete stranger who didn't speak her language and was about to lead her blindfolded self through a green island that she looks at every day sitting by her shack. Sarah kindly took her on her journey and it was a beautiful experience for both of them. We are sure Leonora will never look at that green spot the same way again, and will be telling this story for quite a long time.
On Thursday we had good weather, and Tanise came back to take the group to the streets for some clowning, singing and dancing. Under her guidance, the Explorers devised a "balloon orchestra" and tried it out at different spots around the city centre. Their first run was in the middle of the Park by the Water Feature. There weren't many people around, and the reaction of the handful that watched it wasn't entirely favourable, yet funny. Tanise and I heard some guys wondering how high the girls were and what kind of illegal substance they had taken. We then took the orchestra to perform near a bus stop on the Brazilian side and that was better, with people gathering around and smiling at us, even clapping at the end. The best result was in the market right on the border. As soon as the "orchestra" started warming up, one of the stall holders began whistling and clapping along to their rhythm. A few people gathered round and got their phones out to film and photograph, and by the time they finished, a handful of kids surrounded them and asked for the balloons. Sarah passed the hat and we actually made back the money spent on balloons! As a final street exercise, Tanise taught them a song to walk down the street to and the group set off down the Brazilian high street. The fact that they weren't in costume or makeup might have confused people, and we heard comments such as "it's a bunch of faggots" or "I think it's a protest", but the best was a conversation between two old ladies who were wondering if this had anything to do with the blindfolded girls they had seen a few days before: "I'm sure that boy with the camera is the same".
On Friday the Explorers took to the Park again, this time doing an exercise proposed by Michel. There were a few problems with this one due to short time and big pressure, but some gorgeous images were achieved nonetheless. They included more direct interaction with audiences for this one, circling a couple who were making out on a bench and asking people "donde está el cielo?" (where's the sky?). Each performer had an object that they had found somewhere on the border in the past few days, and my favourite audience interaction moment was when Gwen presented her object to an old man sat on a bench, who seemed reluctant to accept it but took it in the end. Gwen said afterwards that she felt that was the strongest connection she had made that day because of the uniqueness of the moment.
So this is us. Week 3 starts now and it is completely dedicated to creating some sort of raw performance to showcase on Saturday. The girls have a tonne of new tools and material to work through and I can't wait to see how the people of Riveramento will react to whatever we come up with.
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Tri legal!!!
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