Unit 2 Summative Assessment by Joshua Robinson

Protest Project

joshrobinson5 — 2024-08-22 00:22:13 UTC

Before joining LCDS I had never worked with props. I had only ever worked with chairs and benches. While those are usually considered props they are less workable and adaptable than the sheet of plastic we were given to work with. I think a sheet of plastic is much easier than most things to use and tell a story with because there is a lot you can do with it.

joshrobinson5 — 2024-08-22 00:23:18 UTC

At the start of our protest project, the material we were given to work with was a huge, thin plastic sheet. At first, I was unsure about how we were meant to use the material and turn it into a performance about protest. So we split into groups to explore what we could do with the plastic movement-wise. Through experimentation, we found that the plastic was easy to manipulate and there was a lot that we could do with it but to a certain extent because of how weak the material was. Here are the words and phrases we came up with as a class.

Lots of different associations:

joshrobinson5 — 2024-08-22 00:24:02 UTC

Rope skipping

Tight top walking

Tug of war

Sea of heads

Catapult

Carrier

Shelter

Blanket

Qualities of material:

joshrobinson5 — 2024-08-22 00:29:10 UTC

Translucent

Light

Malleable

Thin

Actions of material:

joshrobinson5 — 2024-08-22 00:29:30 UTC

Covers

undulates

Falls (gently)

Strokes

Actions of bodies:

joshrobinson5 — 2024-08-22 00:29:59 UTC

Pull

Twist

Pick

Carry

Pierce

joshrobinson5 — 2024-08-22 00:32:11 UTC

During this session, we looked at what movement we could do with the plastic and what meaning we could give it to turn it into a protest. We thought and talked about how plastics are polluting our environment and oceans. We explored the idea of waves and used the plastics in a wave-like motion to simulate waves. I was still struggling to wrap my head around the concept of using a material and using it as a prop to create a meaningful performance around the idea of protesting. After a few big group conversations and some research and development, we decided it would represent the worldwide refugee crisis. We would use the plastic sheet to cover us all to represent people being displaced from their homes and forced to live in tents and other forms of shelter.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1cFzbQ8-37fSwedzD4rxugNmxVrQS5my9/view?usp=drive_link

joshrobinson5 — 2024-08-22 00:33:25 UTC

During the creative process, we noticed that when we all ran across the room under the plastic sheet whilst hitting it up-wards with our hands it would focus all our energy into the material and give us that ocean/wave motion that we were looking for. In doing so it would draw the audience's attention to the prop rather than all of us running underneath.

P.S. sorry for the bad-quality picture I had to screenshot a couple of videos it wouldn't let me post.

joshrobinson5 — 2024-08-22 00:34:28 UTC

Drawing a map of where we wanted to travel in the space was another creative way to come up with material. Because there was a plan laid out like this it was easy to discuss our thoughts and feelings about it, as well as making it easier to make any changes where necessary.

We ultimately decided that we wanted the prop to travel around the room to represent the treacherous and rough journey refugees would go through to finally find refuge and shelter.

joshrobinson5 — 2024-08-22 00:35:20 UTC

After finalising the piece and creating an ending, we came up with the name Second Skin as a group.

This was the description of it:

Under the skin, it’s hot. We make electricity. The currents pull us in different directions, charging our movement with energy and precision. We move as a pack, no one gets left behind. At times the risk of breakdown is real, especially when it becomes difficult to see the way forward – at times, we slow down. But through the struggle we persevere, together, to make the change we want to see.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1XErZukZqXPaWRoPuhDqFaxTxEfDiihr5/view?usp=drive_link

Form and Structure

joshrobinson5 — 2024-08-22 01:04:45 UTC

Unfortunately, I wasn't present in classes for form and structure because I had an on-going project outside of school which clashed with a bunch of lessons

Hofesh Shechter

joshrobinson5 — 2024-08-22 01:08:15 UTC