Sputnik: A project of possibilities
"In building a machine we are so intent upon our purpose that we forget that we are investing that machine with creative power...it can overgrow us in an invisible way...they are the dwelling-places of divine powers...." - C.G. Jung
Sputnik in its first constellation was a large scale kinetic created by master sculptor Eduard Bersudsky and the Sharmanka team in collaboration with Fittings Artistic Director Garry Robson. The structure playfully riffed on the themes of time, ships, travel, the union of flesh and steel and the constancy of human hopes and dreams. When the machine had been built, dancer/aerialist Claire Cunnningham, working alongside choreographer Mish Weaver and with music by Leigh Stirling, created a movement piece exploring these themes in the context of the machine.
The resulting performance work Sputnik: A Project of Possibilities toured throughout the UK in 2009 to outdoor sites showing at major street festivals in London, Manchester, Brighton, Norwich, Glasgow, Stockton, Winchester, Bristol and in residency at The Bluecoat gallery in Liverpool. In its travels, it played to over 80,000 people and received many accolades from promoters and public alike:
"I loved every minute of it! Delightful, whimsical, fun and engaging piece."
"Charming performance which appeals to the child in us all. Splendidly designed Heath-Robinson convertible contraption."
The collaborative partnership between Fittings and Sharmanka is to continue in 2010/2011 when Sputnik : Phase Two will take place. Phase Two has two key elements:
1. We will continue to work with original performer Claire Cunningham but will also invite other artists from a range of disciplines to respond to the kinetic in their own ways. This will include dancer David Toole, visual artist Ju90 and writer and performer Sophie Partridge.
2. Alongside these developments there will be a fresh interpretation of the kinetic developed for outdoor night and indoor settings created by Sharmanka and Fittings featuring new music, archive film footage and live camera.
In these new guises, Sputnik will be available to tour both inside and outside in 2010/2011.
A young woman Jane Janes seeks to live away from the earth. She has an idea, a design for a machine of possibility that, fused with her body and soul will transport her to another place. She finds a watchmaker to build her machine. The journey begins....
To read more from Jane Jane's Diary please visit her blog
Listen to the audio description of the show - AUDIO
STOP PRESS: Sharmanka and Fittings are collaborating on a new large scale kinetic installation for 2012. Its theme is the end of the world ...
