International cast for Tynemouth Station working away on their piece for June 4th, in Skimstone Studios

A theatre performance by Gabriele Heller (theatre-between) and Claire Webster-Saaremets (Skimstone Arts) as part of Festival Robert Walser 19 – 25 March 2012

Comments book:

Thoroughly enjoyed every second – am off to read some Walser – converted! Playful!

I really enjoyed the pieces, opened my eyes to storytelling – loved it.

Wednesday 4 April 2012
EXHIBITION 10.00–18.00 / PRIVATE VIEW 16.00–18.00

Launch Pad, Level 2
BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art
South Shore Road, Gateshead NE8 3BA

We have many expectations in our daily lives. Do they come from within ourselves? Or from others? Do these expectations match our abilities? Are they connected to challenges, dreams or wishes in work or our life situations? What can we do to reduce the gap in expectations?

Expectations is an exhibition created and conceived by the Young Artist Collective from Skimstone Arts, a multi disciplinary artist led organisation in collaboration with BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art, Changemakers and Dark Bunny Productions.

The exhibition is a diverse collection of individual young artists responses to the theme and includes; photography, film, illustration, creative writing and sound compositions.

Thought Collectors were out collecting passengers stories and memories in exchange for a song and a penny – yes a real old penny!!
The public were very generous with their responses and nearly fifty pennies were exchanged for their thoughts.
The Thought Collectors were seen singing on various trains on the Tynemouth Station circuit.

Two Thought Collectors were in Priory School on Monday 14th November from 1- 4pm

They collected children and parent’s stories, tales and memories of travelling to and from Tynemouth Station.

The Thought Collectors are performers who have been specially commissioned by North Tyneside Council
to create a piece of performance for Tynemouth Sttaion on June 4th 2012 to mark Queen’s Diamond Jubilee.

They shared a song specially written for the performance in exchange for people’s stories and
experiences of an memorable event or happening and feelings about travelling on the Metro! Stories included seeing Nana for the last time, sitting next to someone with lots of bags and no space, being trapped in the doors.

Ensemble members of Skimstone Arts and Casa Da Esquina perform interactive happenings which engage a wide diversity of people (residents, students, visitors, travellers etc).

We want to ask;

What makes us who we are?

What are the different layers of human experiences, interactions, thoughts and responses that create a community? A Society?

Does this change beneath the layers of culture, architecture, systems, town planning? How is this set against a political debate about the euro crisis?

As two multi disciplinary arts companies of theatre performers, visual artists, musicians, set designers, producers, based in these two cities, we aim to explore the hidden points of where these two cities may connect…..that is share similar stories of love, secrets, desires and fears. Both companies are committed to creating socially engaging artworks which inclusive and accessible.

Download Casa da Esquina PDF

Short Stories by the Swiss author Robert Walser (1878-1956) was read by Gabriele Heller, Claire Webster Saaremets and Tim Bennett at an evening with stories and music and an open discussion about the work of Robert Walser on 15th July 2011 at Forth Street.
An event by the Institute Robert Walser. The Institute Robert Walser is a loose collective devoted to the understanding, appreciation and dissemination of the work and life of the writer Robert Walser (1878-1956).

Over the next few weeks in Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK the Institute Robert Walser will begin a series of regular meetings, readings and open discussions at Culture Lab OnSite with a view to formulating a program of events for a potential Walser Festival in March, 2012. The basic premise of the festival will be to co-ordinate a series of events concerning the impact and influence Walser’s work has had on contemporary writers, academics, dramatists, musicians, philosophers and artists. If you are interested in Walser and his work, would like to participate in the Walser Festival, or would like to find out more about him, please come and join us, or get in touch.

www.instituterobertwalser.com

15th of July 6pm
Culture Lab OnSite
5 Forth Street, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 3PJ

Reviews and feedback
for the Robert Walser Reading on 15th of July 2011

Robert Walser: 1878-1956

No, not another deceased jazz musician, but a Swiss writer, whose work is being hailed by a small group of people, known as the Robert Walser Institute (see www.instituterobertwalser.com). I mention this because jazz singer Gabi Heller is involved, and some of us jazzers were at a very entertaining reading of Walser’s work on Friday evening. This was held at Culture lab onsite, which is one of the Arches on Forth Street, Newcastle. The readers, Gabi, Claire Webster Saaremets and Tim Bennett were all accomplished actors who read well, such passages as Walser’s ‘Job Application’ in which he said that he would be a faithful honest employee who just wanted peace to get on with the job. This was a refreshing contrast to the way people are encouraged to do such applications now, by praising themselves profusely. The writing is hard to describe, showing an original way of looking at the world, questioning everything, sometimes winsome, with contradictions, and with some parts where the reader is unsure whether the material is autobiographical or not. After a piece about a flower ceremony, the readers picked up flowers, then listeners were encouraged to take the flowers provided.

Each flower had a label attached which bore a quote from the writer, for example ‘Who has an airy spirit, is more likely to go bonkers from time to time’ In fact, Walser spent the final years of his life in an asylum, but as Gabi suggested, no-one seemed sure of what this illness was, and it may have been simply that he couldn’t quite cope with mainstream life. It did produce the following quote from Walser who, when asked why he wasn’t writing, replied that he wasn’t here to write, he was here to be mad! The readings were interspersed with music which had been inspired by the work, such as a piece by guitarist Glenn Jones entitled Snowdrops (for Robert Walser). And this is where the jazzers could get involved, as the work is crying out to have some kind of musical commentary. I suggest a lone saxophone or clarinet with drum accompaniment, just for starters. Discussion of the work was encouraged, and there was a book display, and also wine and nibbles, so what’s not to like? More Walser inspired events are promised for the future I’m glad to report.

Ann Alex