Ex Libris

Barking Spider Visual Theatre and The Athenaeum Library proudly presented Ex Libris, as a part of 2013 History Week. Ex Libris was a playful and experimental look at the Athenaeum Library: it’s past and it’s purpose.

CLICK HERE TO SEE PUPPETRY AND PERCUSSION PERFORMED

Barking Spider artists Leah Scholes and Penelope Bartlau collaborated to create and present a live performance and an interactive poem installation. The performance, incorporated books as percussive instruments and puppets. There was a short discussion after each performance with the artists about their inspiration, creative process, and their collaboration.

 CLICK HERE TO VIEW POETRY INSTALLATION

The interactive poem installation, again using books as artistic medium, invited Athenaeum Library visitors to re-write and re-invent the poem again and again, over the duration of the installation on-site. The durational event was documented, and the varied incarnations of the poem recorded.

PERFORMANCE DETAILS

What happens when professional Librarians are left on their own in the library.

Scholes & Bartlau played a pair very neat librarians, who accidentally, and despite more rational intent, became fascinated by the sounds the pages make – the scrunching, slamming and….tearing. The librarians cut loose! Going nuts in the library, there was havoc as the librarians play with the books with zeal, joy and abandon – and lots of horrified gasps from librarian and book die-hards in the audience.

Scholes developed the series of percussive sequences utilizing a set of old books, and Bartlau developed a theatrical concept and narrative structure incorporating the percussion and introducing the puppetry.

Audience as co-authors

The audience were each given a bookmark (to keep), and on each bookmark is an inspiration –  a word, thought or idea that relates to the Athenaeum Library, written by Penelope. The audience were invited to use these inspirations – or invent their own – to contribute the story the artists created live. The performance section employed interactive storytelling and improvised percussion using library materials and history as resources for both.

Ex Libris – Interactive Poetry installation

After Ex Libris – there are more plans afoot….

We will take what we learn from “Ex Libris” at the Athenaeum Library, and apply this to the State Library of Victoria, with a Dome Creative Fellowship work we have slated for next year. The 2014 work “Liberty of the Press”, will employ a larger creative team (five artists) including a writer-researcher, Sandra Long, visual artist, Erin Tappe, percussionist, Leah Scholes, puppeteer, Justine Warner  and artistic director Penelope Bartlau. Stay tuned….