2nd November (Issue 1197) - The Courier

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26 Monday 2 November 2009 THE COURIERCULTUREArtsArtsArts Editor: Stephanie Ferrao - courier.culture-arts@ncl.ac.ukInsane in the BrainCiara LittlerInsane in the Brain is a dance-theatrespectacular that adds a trulymodern twist to Ken Kesey’s classicnovel One Flew Over the Cuckoo’sNest.Swedish dance company Bouncedelivers an hour and a half of excitingand dynamic entertainment hereon campus at the Northern Stage.A heavy dose of contemporaryhip-hop is injected into the productionwhich creates a powerful andenergetic display of storytelling.The background story is true tothe novel; based on struggling psychiatricpatients trying to cope withlife in a hospital. But in this show,the break-dancing becomes a way ofexpressing desire for freedom, highlightingthe rebellion against the dictatorialrule of Nurse Ratched whojust so happens to be a ballet fan!and multimedia sequences, creatinga fast-paced, funny and moving performance.With a soundtrack that includesMissy Elliot, Dizzee Rascal, GotanProject, David Holmes and CypressHill the contemporary feel of theshow is sure to excite all membersof the audience.Known for overlooking conventionalboundaries of dance-theatre,the company have been enjoyingrave reviews and success all overthe country, and this is a great timeto catch their show before they continueon their UK wide tour.Bounce have been a hit onYouTube performing a tribute toMichael Jackson and, whether youlike it or not, the success of dancetroupes on Britain’s Got Talent lastyear indicate that this is one shownot to be missed.Unlike other re-workings of novels,Insane in the Brain shows how agreat classic story can be reinventedin such a fresh and inspiring way.It makes for an interesting take onthe serious ideas approached in OneFlew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest withbreak dancing being the way out -both physically and emotionally - ofa torturous and controlling regime.The dancers pop, lock, crump andbreak their way through scenarios story, though reworked, retains asad yet liberating representation ofstruggling with mental-illness.It is an important and serious topicthat is approached in a fantasticallytechnical and motivating way.The show is interactive and fun,yet doesn’t take away from the explorationof the story. Insane in theBrain may initially be more appealingto those interested in dance, butit promises to be a wonderful showfor anyone who enjoys a bit of performance.If you fancy something to sparksome energy back into those long,On the bounce: the Bounce Dance Company perform in Insane in the Braindark nights, Insane in the Brain isa truly riveting way to add somelight to the fast approaching wintermonths. thing new; Bounce’s success so farhelps to promote dance as anotherfantastic art-form to be enjoyed inNewcastle. Insane in the Brain isonly showing for two nights at the worth grabbing some tickets now, toavoid unnecessary disappointment.Insane in the Brain is at NorthernStage on 13th-14th November 2009alt.galleryJoe BartonAn exhibition that explores the interactionbetween music and sculp-home at Newcastle’s alt.gallery thisNovember.Hayley Williams’s exhibition,plasticine versions of objects referencedin Fluxus musical scores. TheFluxus movement was an internationalnetwork of painters, composersand sculptors, all committed tochallenging preconceptions aboutwhat could constitute as ‘art’.Music played a central role amongstFluxus artists and two of their mostOno - both produced musical scoresthat encouraged their audiences tomake their own music out of everydayobjects.After deciding that it would be impossibleto render life size versionsof the thousands of objects listed inthe Fluxus musical scores, HayleyNewman opted to make smaller,plasticine versions.On display at the alt.gallery willbe miniature versions of the moreconventional musical instrumentssome less conventional ones, like elephantsand wolves!holes and ceilings are hard to imaginemade out of plasticine, so the exhibitionpromises dozens of raisedeyebrows (as well as tiny plasticineeyebrows, as it happens).By providing the lists of instrumentsalongside the sculptures,Newman hopes that the plasticine of visitors as they read the humorousand radical Fluxus scores, encouragingthem to make their ownnew compositions out of what islaid out in front of them.Hayley Newman has performedand exhibited widely during her careerand has had solo shows at venuessuch as Matt’s Gallery, London,and the Centre d’Art Contemporain,Geneva, as well as a group exhibitionat the Tate Modern, London. the South London gallery, but thisbeing toured elsewhere in the country.Alt.gallery is one of Newcastle’shidden artistic gems, having previouslyplayed host to exhibitionsby Daniel Johnston and Vicki Bennett,promoting work that intersectsvisual art, music and sound, pridingitself on being one of the only galleriesin the country that focuses onthis unique area of the arts.Beneath the gallery is its betterknown sister store, alt.vinyl recordshop, meaning that inspired visitorscan build on their avant-garde musiccollections if they wish to do so.The gallery is located on ThorntonCentral Station, so art fans have noexcuse for not experiencing this funnyand imaginative exhibition.January, and the gallery is open Mondayto Saturday, 11.00am to 6.00pm.Hit the Ground runningPolly RandallEvery year, the press make a dashup North to cover the annual runthat truly puts Newcastle on themap - the Great North Run.In celebration of this, the BupaGreat North Run Cultural Programhas returned in its 5th year with anexhibition at the on-campus HattonGallery called Hit the Ground.Using numerous and diverseforms of media, the exhibition demonstrateshow art and sport can becombined to celebrate the spirit andatmosphere of the Great North Run,as well as exploring ideas aboutwhat being an athlete entails andthe runners’ relationship with Newcastleas a city.Works currently on display includethe successful piece by VickiBennett entitled Parade which incorporatesvintage footage from thelast 28 years of the run in order tocreate montage-esque images of thevast crowds which line the length ofthe route.Anyone who took part in the runparticularly interested in Dry Run -a new piece created by NAME andAtau Tanaka based upon the experiencesof 10 runners completing theThe high-tech interactive pieceshows both the physical and emotionalstrain that the event has onits competitors; giving the onlookerthe opportunity to consider thehuge challenge that running a raceincurs.The Streets Do Flow by Amy Fe- provides an individual perspectiveon the race through their series ofadvertisement-style pictures whichuse graphic prints and an installationto show how people relate totheir training routes and routines.Faster, Higher is a wider reachingpiece using footage from the Olympicsdisplayed on 5 different screensto develop ideas not only of the commitmentof athletes at internationalsporting events but also the strainwhich surrounds such events.The range of forms used helps tocreate an interesting and varied exhibitionwhich should be of interestto anyone who ran in or was a supporterof the race. It shows running‘as a physical and mental experience,as a struggle and as an inspiration,as fun and as a regime.’As sport rarely featured in depthin a multimedia art exhibition, it’sshow closes in a few weeks, so getyour running shoes on and race ondown!Hit the Ground is on at the HattonGallery until Sunday 15th NovemberInside today >>>Reviews of FantasticMr. Fox and Saw VICulture, page 29Interviews with LittleBoots, Frankmusikand The SaturdaysCulture, page 30-31
THE COURIER Monday 2 November 2009 27FlagrantWisdomKatherine BishopFlagrant Wisdom will shock, amazeand immerse you. A guaranteedjourney of thrills, this two hourspectacle follows the outrageouslytalented members of the world-renownedShanghai Circus.The acrobats are connoisseurs ofcontortion, their bodies twist andentwine as they transform ordinarydomestic vessels with daring featsof skill.This visual spectacle is staged atthe National Glass Centre in Sunderland.The performance is combines the1300-year history of glass makingin the North East with the 2000-yearhistory of Chinese acrobatics. Westernand eastern traditions mergeharmoniously as the acrobaticsgracefully transform glass objectsusing their bodily contortions.If two hours of acrobatics is notyour thing, the glass production studiois publicly accessible to have aglimpse at the complex and the mesmerisingart of glass-making.Consisting of a series of vignettesstaged within the National GlassCentre’s building. Seeing the seriesof acrobatics within this unique riversidelocation is captivating andexudes mystery and magic. mersedin an event where they canenjoy moments of great wonder anddelight. Both the glass makers andacrobatics put on an astonishingperformance, as their talent resonatesthroughout the building.Flagrant Wisdom is a work-inprogressfrom Lost in Music, a newintercultural cross art collaborationled by artist Rose English.What’s the harm?Gemma FarinaThe human condition necessitatesthat we are (though we don’t liketo admit it) pretty darn nosey at thebest of times. I’d love to be highbrowand declare all celeb-focal literatureutter trash.On principle, I hate magazines likeOK! and Heat, but it doesn’t mean Idon’t read them. The lucrative racketof celebrity autobiographies arejust the same in that they are totalguilty pleasure reads.People nationwide read celebrityautobiographies because theysee their faces everywhere, hear somuch about them and want to knowthe real story.If people are going to buy them,surely we can’t blame them or theirpublishers for milking the proverbialcash cow and consequently toppingthe bestsellers list!I put my prejudices to the test: lastChristmas everyone seemed to betalking about Russell Brand’s ‘MyBooky Wook’, to the extent that myentire extended family seemed tohave a copy.After feigning total surprise whilstunwrapping it on Christmas day, Iheld back from immediately knockingit, and decided to try it and seeif this bloke who looks-like-a-pirate-and-people-seem-to-fancy-forsome-bizarre-reasonwas worth thehype he’s cashing in on.It was hilarious – written by himRose English, Trading Places: Flagrant Wisdom in association with Dance City A. MUIRThe performance works in collaborationwith Trading Places, a series developed by local artists workingwith regional organisations andcommunities.The glass objects are made by artistsfrom the National Glass Centrerather than for him, Brand’s autobi-he shows when he’s on TV or doingstand-up.I think this is why the autobiographieswritten by comedians unendinglyappear in bestseller lists – theyclearly have a way with words alreadyand on paper they can be justas witty.Yet, at the same time, Brand’sdown-to-earthness brought with itsome serious bits, dealing with hisacute struggle with substance addiction.This opened my eyes to an issuewhich prior to reading, I had verylittle knowledge about; the openand honest approach is a key sellingpoint of this type of book, whichtruly makes people feel more sympathetictowards the oft distortedview of glamorous celebrity lives.biographiesBeing Jordan currentlyholds the record for the most copiesof an autobiography sold in a week.I’d never read it, but who cares ifsomeone else wants to?Like the X-Factor contestants, celebautobiographies are only as successfulas the punters who supportthem, so for better or worse, isn’terarytaste?Nestled among Amazon’s top 20bestsellers sits comedian FrankieBoyle’s autobiography entitled ‘MyShit Life So Far’.and students from the University ofSunderland.The event is part of the upcomingWunderbar Festival. The festivalboasts ten days of intrigue and wonder,with an eclectic mix of extraordinaryhappenings and performances.All events take place in the NorthArtsCULTUREMake andMend it!Stephanie FerraoArts EditorBlending the make-do-and-mendattitude of post-war Britain withthe thoroughly modern ethos ofrecycling, Newcastle’s independ-ket,Make and Mend is back intown to offer bargain-savvy studentsthe opportunity to cash-inon a less conventional shoppingexperience.The brainchild of an interiordesigner and an illustrator, themarket was initially formed as aplatform for artists to showcasetheir work and aimed at promotinglocal new creative talent.Due to its recent overwhelmingsuccess, the market has expand-in Newcastle, while retaining itscreative roots, with stalls sellinga wide range of art, vintage fashion,homemade foods, books andmusic.The organisers of the market areencouraging students with an interestin art and design to hire astall and sell to the public!Not only is it a great opportunityto put your selling skills to thetest, but a great way to meet localpeople who are really passionateabout art and all things creative.Money generated from stallhire is donated to the Star andShadow Cinema in the OuseburnValley – a venue built and run entirelyby volunteers.It’s a fantastic opportunity to dosome early Christmas shoppingfor presents that are affordable,ethical and a bit different.The next market event will be onSunday 8th November 11am-4pm atthe Star and Shadow Cinema.Celebrity autobiographiesBoyle begins his book with “I’vealways read them thinking ‘I don’twant to know where Steve Tylergrew up, just tell me how manygroupies he f**ked!’”Crude as he is, the comedian managesto summarise my own viewon celebrity autobiographies: if theauthor isn’t taking the whole thingtoo seriously, writes it themselvesand makes me laugh out loud, I’mall for them.East, and most events are free.Flagrant Wisdom costs nothing,and is the perfect treat for culturedstudents on a budget.Performances take place between the21st and 22nd November.What’s the point?Marianne SpenceThis week saw the infamous KatiePrice and her myriad of overlyeager fans descend upon the Newcastle’sWaterstones for yet anotherafternoon session of book signingaccompanying the release of whatseems like the umpteenth volume ofher life story.As you can probably tell, I remainunenthusiastic over her many publicationswhich include among others“Being Jordan”.From my experience, celebrity autobiographiesare from cover to cover,full of the same typically mundaneand state-the-obvious drivelwhich seems to have has becomethe staple reading diet of the Britishpublic.Generally my dislike for the celebrityautobiography is due to theunfortunate fact that more oftenthan not, they aren’t actually autobiographiesin the truest sense of theword.Traditionalist I may be but really,a celebrity’s autobiography shouldbe (as is suggested by the title), actuallywritten by them - not by someanonymous ghost writer, sworn tosecrecy, and more than likely underpaidfor the privilege of writingan entire book about the life of thelatest desperate star, whilst theyWhat makes this so frustratingis that, despite this commonplacepractice of hiring other people towrite their life story and then brandingit as their work, celebrities stillfeel comfortable in attaching a titleto the cover which predictably willmake use of the highly originalphrase ‘My Story’.Not only does this illustrate thephenomenal level of their own ar- verelack of creativity of the writingwithin.Despite this, I do admit that goodautobiographies do exist, thoughthey are few and far between.Of course, theses select few aren’tgenerally deemed “celebrity” autobiographiesas they are generallymade a genuine and considerablecontribution towards other people’slives.Consider the inspirational and fascinatinglife of Nelson Mandela – anautobiography written by himself inA Long Walk to Freedom.It’s somewhat unsurprising that somany celebrity autobiographies arepublished – the stars (and Z-listers)get to lend their opinions to thepage, and publishing houses cash inon the pennies of the public.But ultimately, it’s terrible thatbooks of all things should play uponpeople’s genuine desire to knowmore about these celebrities.
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2nd November (Issue 1197) - The Courier

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