Marguerite's WeDidThis campaign finished on 22nd November 2011, successfully exceeding its £2000 target with 39 donations.
The Project
Strange Loop is a movement piece that involves live projection in performance. The projection is a live relay of the performance space, slightly adjusted by interactive software, to create small differences between what is happening live and what is shown on the projection. The work plays with the viewer’s perception of depth, perspective and time in a playful and humorous way.
The initial research was funded by DanceDigital and the Arts Council England. I am now looking to produce and perform the work across the UK and need your help to raise £2,000 towards production costs.
About me
I have been making dance work professionally since 2005, having trained in Contemporary Dance at London Contemporary Dance School and London Studio Centre. I completed an MA in Choreography at London Contemporary Dance School in July 2010 and have since been a bursary artist at DanceDigital.
http://www.margueritegalizia.com/previousd.html
What is a Strange Loop?
From Douglas R. Hofstadter’s thesis “Godel, Escher, Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid”:
The “Strange Loop” phenomenon occurs whenever, by moving upwards (or downwards) through the levels of some hierarchical system, we unexpectedly find ourselves right back where we started. (Hofstadter, 1979)
In plain language a ‘strange loop’ is an object, a statement or a situation that contains a contradiction in itself. The most well known strange loop is the liar’s paradox, summed up in the statement: “I am lying”. (If I was actually lying then I am not actually lying. But If I was saying the truth then the meaning of the statement must be false.) The Mobius strip is another example, as are several of Escher’s sketches.
What I intend to do
The initial research gave me the time to get into the studio and try out different ideas. Having established a clear direction for the work I am now looking to raise the funds to take this work through to production.
My intention is to develop a short work of around 20-25 minutes. This can either be presented as a complete piece in a theatre space, or as a series of durational pieces in an event space. I will be looking to perform the work a minimum of 10 times between March and September 2012. My vision is for this work to convey the complexity of the notion of Strange Loops in a format that is succinct and accessible.
How will the money be used?
DanceDigital have offered their support for this work in the form of free studio space and administrative support. The main focus of this project is to get my work up to production quality and get it out there! Your money will be put into marketing and production costs such as: photographing the work, creating promotional packages, covering travel expenses for artists, buying materials for set and purchasing equipment for the production and performance of the work.
How do you know that your contribution won’t simply be a dead end investment?
First of all, your contribution will be rewarded by one of the gifts listed here. Whereas most people buy tickets for performances after the work has been developed, you will essentially be pre-buying tickets for a production that is yet to be completed. There is some risk in this, but I hope you will be re-assured by the fact that the initial research has already been carried out and the pitch video will give you some idea of what you can expect.
Secondly, one of the biggest drawbacks of working with new technology in performance is that you need more equipment. The funding will be used partly to invest in good quality equipment that will only be used for the production and performance of the work. This means that your contribution will enable me to carry out more research and create more pieces in the future.
Finally, the whole drive of this project is to give my work some exposure. This means performing the work at different venues across the UK and delivering workshops for youth groups, schools and professional artists. This will generate some profit from the project which will be re-invested in future work. It will also give me professional exposure which could lead to future commissions.
If you cannot offer any financial contribution, but want to support this work in some way, you can help by passing this link on to your friends and contacts.
If you can see the potential of this work, please help me to get it across to more people!
THANK YOU
Marguerite's project offered the following rewards to its funders:-
Just the great feeling of being an arts funder!
£10.00
A photo of the work signed by the choreographer and a handwritten thank you note
£15.00
Your name listed in programme + a photo of the work signed by the choreographer + handwritten thank you
£25.00
Supporter listing, rehearsal invitation, join company class and discussion with dancers+choreographer
£35.00
Listing as supporter, private view and VIP reception, discussion of the work with company members
£50.00
All of the above, and 2 free tickets to a public performance of the choreographer's work
£100.00
Supporter listing, private view and VIP reception, 2 free tickets, signed photo of the work
£200.00
Performance of the work at your institution, including half-day workshop or post-show discussion
£500.00
