Performance Artist’s Workbook: On teaching and learning performance art – essays and exercises

138 Pages·2017·0.671 MB·English

by  Pilvi Porkola

P
E
R
F
O
R
M PERFORMANCE
A
N ARTIST’S WORKBOOK
C
E
A On teaching and
R learning performance art
T
I – essays and exercises
S
T
’S (Edited by)
W PILVI PORKOLA
O
R 61
K THE PUBLICATION SERIES OF
B THE THEATRE ACADEMY
O
O
K
P
I
L
V
I P
O
R
K
O
L
A
(E
D
.)

PERFORMANCE
ARTIST’S WORKBOOK
On teaching and
learning performance art
– essays and exercises
PILVI PORKOLA (ED.)
PILVI PORKOLA (ED.)
PERFORMANCE ARTIST’S WORKBOOK
On teaching and learning performance art – essays and exercises
PUBLISHER
University of the Arts Helsinki, Theatre Academy
and New Performance Turku
© 2017, University of the Arts Helsinki, Theatre Academy, Editor & Writers
THE PUBLICATION SERIES OF THE THEATRE ACADEMY
VOL 61
ISBN (print): 978-952-7218-10-5
ISBN (pdf): 978-952-7218-09-9
ISSN (print): 0788-3385
ISSN (pdf): 2242-6507
GRAPHIC DESIGN
BOND Creative Agency
www.bond.fi
COVER PHOTO
Leena Kela / One Year Demonstration (2017)
LAYOUT
Atte Tuulenkylä, Edita Prima Ltd
PRINTED BY
Edita Prima Ltd, Helsinki 2017
PSAcPaEnRdia 2000 Natural 240 g/m2 & Maxi offset 100 g/m2 YMPÄRISTÖMERKKI
FONTS MILJÖMÄRKT
Benton Modern Two & Monosten Painotuotteet
4041 0002
PERFORMANCE
ARTIST’S WORKBOOK
On teaching and
learning performance art
– essays and exercises
PILVI PORKOLA (ED.)
61
THE PUBLICATION SERIES OF
THE THEATRE ACADEMY

Contents
Acknowledgements 9
Introduction 11
PART I Essays 16
Pedagogy Against Itself in 20 Instruments
Ray Langenbach 17
Four Workshops - Four Approaches to Performance Art
Annette Arlander 33
A Short History of the Score in 5091 words
Hanna Järvinen 49
“Performance art can’t be taught”
Tero Nauha 61
Dealing with the Confusion:
Seven Keys to Viewing Performance Art
Pilvi Porkola 71
PART II Exercises 80
Biographies 130

PERFORMANCE ARTIST’S WORKBOOK
9
Acknowledgements
I am grateful for the opportunity to work on this book and, for my part, speak
out on behalf of performance pedagogy, which I consider a fascinating and often
overlooked subject. The book has been completed in collaboration with the LAPS
(Live Art and Performance Studies) study programme at Uniarts Helsinki, and
the New Performance Turku festival. The project was made possible by the
Academy of Finland research project How to Do Things with Performance at
Uniarts Helsinki.
I would like to thank the writers who gave their precious time and expertise
to this project: Ray Langenbach, Annette Arlander, Hanna Järvinen, and Tero
Nauha. In addition, I would like to thank Leena Kela and Anni Välimäki from
New Performance Turku for their support and contact with the artists. Frame
– Contemporary Art Finland has also supported this publication financially; l
thank you for that. For language checking and style suggestions I thank Hanna
Järvinen, Joanna Nylund and Jamie MacDonald.
Finally, I would like to thank all you lovely people who replied to the open
call and sent your exercises to be included in this book. The book would not be
the same without them; your contributions show the diversity of practice in the
field. Whilst there are many words here, this book will reach its true aim when
the exercises are implemented through action. I hope you enjoy the book and
find it useful when teaching or practicing performance art.
5 June 2017 at the Theatre Academy, Helsinki
Pilvi Porkola
PILVI PORKOLA (ED.)
10