This site will look much better in a browser that supports web standards, but it is accessible to any browser or Internet-capable device.

Articles

Blind, as you see it :: A Shh production

29/05/2008 - Articles

Directed by Michal Imielski

Blind, as you see it is a visual and sonic investigation into the loss of sight. An innovative and unique piece, it investigates autonomous theatre structures combining ficto-critical didactic essay, plastic theatre and modern opera together with principles of illusion, puppetry, dance, movement, video and modern sound compositions.

Shh is a production company based in Blacktown. The team for this project has been carefully selected for their high level of expertise in self-devised theatre and for their varied skills. The project creates opportunities for this team to interact and work with the community on arts projects. Blind, as you see it aims to contribute to raising awareness of the issues blind and vision impaired people are faced with. It does this through a well researched theatrical experience, encouraging arts and cultural activity that is locally determined and in turn helps communities to grow.

The project has support of every major organisation in NSW that deals with the blind and vision impaired. Vision Australia and Human Ware are helping with the research as well as lending the vision impaired/blind technology free of charge. Blacktown Arts Centre is providing the rehearsal space, premiere costs and marketing costs all free of charge. Furthermore, Accessible Arts will assist with its expertise in disability as well as marketing. Premiering in Blacktown promotes the development of audiences for the arts in Western Sydney and increases participation in the arts by the people of Western Sydney. Blind, as you see it plans to tour nationally and internationally (New Zealand, India).

Shh has been invited to UNIMA 2008 festival in Perth, the biggest puppet/visual festival in the world. This will support the development of professional arts practice in Western Sydney. Blind, as you see it, is the first episode of a five episode series. Each of the episodes deals with different aspects of blindness. The development and research for this show will contribute to all of the episodes, as they are interconnected. We hope to encourage and assist active co-operation between local community groups, professional companies and organisations, and local government authorities now and in the future.

Work in Progress

Blind, as you see it is based on a series of interviews conducted by Michal Imielski with individuals who have lost their sight. The show captures the experiences of a 25 year old female losing her sight. These experiences include: psychological, sociological and physical. The show has a three phase structure, outlined below:

The birth of sight: deals with the development of sight within the embryo and its function within mother’s womb. After the child is born the vision is upside-down, as this is how the image is naturally inverted; upon realising this, the brain flips it back, so we see it the right way up. This section is primarily object/puppet based, molding the space in plastic theatre tradition.
The degeneration of sight: introduces the main character and five other characters. This section establishes five principle memories, to be used later for further manipulation and distortion after blindness. The five characters are significant as they are tied to each of the senses. The mother can only communicate by singing, the father communicates with dance, the girl’s lover is a cook and so communicates with taste and smell, and her best friend can only communicate with her visually. The fifth character plays the role of god/creator, who is linked to the sixth sense. This character acts as a visual and sonic conductor, having the power to stop/reverse/control the performance. All the characters follow a different style of acting/performance, thus creating a strong visual contrast. The use of these different acting/performance styles reinforces the bond between sight and the other senses, and the impact of this bond being broken.

The second section focuses on the following: the scientific facts of, and related to, the degradation of sight; a discussion of some of the most common causes of blindness; showing how sight works i.e. how light energy is converted into electrical energy in the retina and how it reaches the visual area of the occipital cortex. The conclusion of this section focuses on the common fears concerning the loss of sight: the examination, use of visually impaired technology, as well as film footage of basic eye operations.

Blindness: showcases the first experiences of blindness; the reliance on technology (sticks, talking maps) and on people, which leads to the rejection of the loved ones. The hate and depression are examined via repetition and distortion of memories (example on CD - track 4). All of the memories established in the second section are distorted, as if looked at from inside the girl’s head. The music and visual themes follow cyclic patterns until complete chaos is achieved by combining fragments of all memories into one. Finally the girl experiences acceptance and the show focuses on her experiences with ‘new’ senses; how beautiful it is to be blind.

As previously mentioned Blind, as you see it is the first episode of a five episode series. The second episode deals with experiencing the world from the perspective of the blind (interactive). The third looks at three lives of ordinary blind people; their day to day routines in ‘their home’. Episode four is a science fiction project and asks the question: how would our culture evolve if there was no sight to begin with? Lastly, episode five is open; we will be collaborating with blind artists.

Blind, as you see it enjoyed a successful thirty minute work-in-progress showing at the Last Bastion of Civilization as part of Token Word in March 2007. The research period will focus on the follow up interviews with the blind community, as well as with industry professionals (e. g. optometrists and surgeons) to gain information about such ideas as the bionic eye. The two composers will capture the appropriate sounds and compose a series of sketch compositions for the devising period. Also the production of the main props/puppets/costumes will begin. The devising team will investigate theatrical uses for vision impaired and blind equipment and its place within the show. They will respond to the interviews and debug the principle ideas. The remaining performers will join the team. The team will then investigate the structural workings of the show as well as putting the remaining ideas together with new props/puppets.

Blind, as you see it aims to make a contribution to society by raising awareness of the issues related to blindness and the structural development of theatre. The work thoroughly discusses the transition from sightedness to blindness. It does this by showcasing every aspect of that process together with the common psychological fears in the hope of dismantling them. We want to show the spirit and humour of the blind community.

Structurally this piece will allow Shh to realise a number of the company’s concepts, enabling Shh to move forward. The company will also be able to start organising its first international tour as the work-in-progress has generated a lot of interest.

The design idea for Blind, as you see it comes from the workings of the eye. Therefore lighting will be treated as a character, a living organism; that acts and reacts within the laws of the artwork. A number of acting styles, inter-disciplinary performance techniques and genres, will be used to disrupt the conventional reception of performance and to allow the audience to understand the mechanisms of this artwork and theatre. Also the relationship between the visual compositions and the sonic compositions interest Shh greatly, especially with its heightened connection through the girl’s degenerating sight.