We created a mobile choir that sings popular karaoke songs. We used public spaces and invited strangers to join in, who would then receive a “CHOIR” button and song book to sing along with the choir. We wanted to create an intervention that allowed strangers to interact with each other in a situation where they normally wouldn’t.
Make Music With Us is a music app-based intervention to engage and collaborate with the public in the hopes the audience finds it therapeutic and a creative outlet. When viewers scan the QR code found on the poster, it brings them to a music app where they can create and record music using the available sounds. You can also engage with the piece through this link: http://erinmanifold.com/QRCode/
We chose to host a social gathering to celebrate the Spring Equinox. The details of the event were as follows:
The celebration was held at 42 Quebec St., Guelph, ON, Guelph Youth Dance, studio A. The space was chosen for its ample sunlight and high ceilings to provide a bright and open space to engage within. The event lasted for two hours and five main spectacles as related to Spring were enacted as a means of heightening the energy of those participating in the experience.
The experience itself was an exercise in self-care. These activities include eating healthily and staying hydrated, physical exercise, listening to music, social interaction, communal ritual, and creative stimulation. These exercises can help reduce stress, anxiety, and SADs, which are particularly prevalent during the winter season.
We provided various fruits and lemonade and covered the space in bundles of flowers. This spectacle is the first of five that was presented to our participants. The fruit and flower provide a pleasurable sensory experience, while also being symbols of abundance and prosperity.
The second spectacle was a ritual celebration of Ostara run by member of the Guelph Hermetic Arts society, Amy McCann. The participants meditated on the concept of the seed and were summoned to germinate that seed with an intention to manifest positivity in the new season. A chant circle finished off the ritual.
The third spectacle was an exercise in play and imagination. We asked our participants to all collaborate on a 2 foot mural. The mural itself is an artifact of the celebration. Other documentation such as a roll of 100 ASA black and white film, as well as digital photography was taken to serve as artifacts of the experience.
Alaina Osborne performed a belly dance routine as the fourth spectacle. Her choice of dress and music was appropriate for the Spring celebration.
The fifth and final spectacle were a number of exercises that engaged all of the participants bodies as a sculptural medium. For one activity each participant pairs up and one of the two uses their partner’s body to create a form that relates to the other participants bodies until one amorphous shape is made. This demands a great deal of trust and respect between the partners and the group as a whole.
A twister mat was produced using only one colour. As a result, the positioning of limbs is placed on the participant, creating a form of instructed, yet free dance.
The Bowling Boobs Club is a bowling team. Our outfits consist of a men’s 4XL bowling shirt printed with our logo – an image of pink and flesh tone bowling balls – and embroidered with bowling boobs on the chest.
As an anti-party intervention, performers read in a social environment while avoiding party engagement. The images highlight the contrast between an active party atmosphere to the protest of not socializing.
The proposed work would take place at an art opening or a major event where red wine is served. Participants dress in white, disperse among themselves and socialize. Staggered wine spills are performed as participants and observers become intoxicated.
On March 7, 2016, Andrew, Katie and Kellan hosted a tasting event where guests sampled eight different food and beverage pairings. The venue had four big, round tables with table cloths, elegantly printed dinner menus and napkins for each guest on the table. The hosts were dressed in semi-formal attire.
The guests were under the impression that they were attending a fine dining experience except they ended up sampling various chip and pop pairings. The eight courses served that evening were: Appetizer 1: Spicy Sriracha & Peach Ginger Bubbly, Appetizer 2: Classic Poutine & Lemon Iced Tea, Appetizer 3: Blue Cheese Buffalo Wings & Root Beer, Soup/ Salad: Aged Cheddar and Onion & Sparkling Bubbly, Pre-Light Main: Sour Cream and Dill & Grapefruit Citrus Bubbly, Main Course 1: Barbecue Baby Back Ribs & Ginger Flavoured Bubbly, Main Course 2: Canadian Burger & Classic Cola, and Dessert: Maple Bacon & Cream Soda Flavoured Bubbly.
When the first course was brought out, the guests laughed with surprise. As the night carried on, the diners continued to sample and evaluate the offerings. After the eight courses, the guests voted on their favourite pairings.
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