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Aletia Upstairs to perform The Artist as Explorer at Edinburgh Fringe
Leeds Beckett University PhD student Aletia Upstairs will perform The Artist as Explorer, an interactive performance combining maps, visual art, sound, music and film, at the Edinburgh Fringe festival later this month.
Aletia worked with the artist Richard Demarco to curate and create The Artist as Explorer which examines ideas around archives, memory, collaboration, friendship and exploration based on an imaginative reworking of his archive.
Speaking about the upcoming performance, Aletia Upstairs said: “It's about Richard Demarco's legacy. I sat down with him and asked him what he wanted his legacy to be. The consequential performance is my expression of his legacy.
“I worked with his hand drawn maps and the Meikle Seggie map became my sculpture-costume. The Road to Meikle Seggie is the essence of Demarco. I used Richard's words as the lyrics to songs I specifically wrote for this performance to be accompanied on the guitarlele. I will be a singing sculpture.
“I am extremely honoured to collaborate with Richard Demarco, the man I am doing my PhD on. It is actually on his archive, but I am deeply interested in subjective archives, which is why it is the mind of this 87-year-old man, even more than his archive, that interests me.
“Our archives are our minds, even with him, because there is so much in his mind that you can never find in his archive and his personal knowledge about his archive enriches it greatly.
“This is the seventieth anniversary of the Edinburgh Festival. Richard has experienced every single Edinburgh Festival since 1947, when he was 17 years old. I feel it is fitting to present a piece about his legacy and his role in the history of the Edinburgh Festival.
“There will be some films made by Noel Witts from Leeds Beckett University and both Noel and Andrew Fryer will be there for guest performances reading from The Road to Meikle Seggie.
“Like with most of the work I do there will be a participatory element for the audience. What I am looking forward to most is showing Richard what I have created with his map and his words and seeing his reaction to that.”
Andrew Fryer, Dean of The School of Film, Music and Performing Arts at Leeds Beckett University said: “We are proud of our long-standing partnership with the Demarco European Art Foundation.
“In this, the 70th anniversary year of the Edinburgh Festival, we are extremely pleased to be able to celebrate Richard Demarco's extraordinary contribution to the arts in Europe, and in particular the Festival, with a performance by our wonderful PhD student, Aletia Upstairs.
“This exciting show at Summerhall, featuring music and film, will explore the remarkable collection of artwork, artefacts and documents that Richard has brought together as the Demarco Archive, an invaluable resource unique in the world of the creative arts.
“We are also extremely honoured that Richard will be part of the performance, a performance that will also include our own Professor Noel Witts who has been instrumental in supporting and raising the profile of this incredible archive.”
Performances of The Artist as Explorer will take place in The Demarco Archive Room Designated to the History of Performance Art (Venue 26) at Edinburgh Fringe between 16 and 26 August 2017 (excluding 21 August) between 11.00 – 14.00 and 16.00 – 19.00.
Attendance is free by appointment. Please email richard@richarddemarco.org to book a place. For more information about Aletia’s work visit: www.aletiaupstairs.com
Speaking about the upcoming performance, Aletia Upstairs said: “It's about Richard Demarco's legacy. I sat down with him and asked him what he wanted his legacy to be. The consequential performance is my expression of his legacy.
“I worked with his hand drawn maps and the Meikle Seggie map became my sculpture-costume. The Road to Meikle Seggie is the essence of Demarco. I used Richard's words as the lyrics to songs I specifically wrote for this performance to be accompanied on the guitarlele. I will be a singing sculpture.
“I am extremely honoured to collaborate with Richard Demarco, the man I am doing my PhD on. It is actually on his archive, but I am deeply interested in subjective archives, which is why it is the mind of this 87-year-old man, even more than his archive, that interests me.
“Our archives are our minds, even with him, because there is so much in his mind that you can never find in his archive and his personal knowledge about his archive enriches it greatly.
“This is the seventieth anniversary of the Edinburgh Festival. Richard has experienced every single Edinburgh Festival since 1947, when he was 17 years old. I feel it is fitting to present a piece about his legacy and his role in the history of the Edinburgh Festival.
“There will be some films made by Noel Witts from Leeds Beckett University and both Noel and Andrew Fryer will be there for guest performances reading from The Road to Meikle Seggie.
“Like with most of the work I do there will be a participatory element for the audience. What I am looking forward to most is showing Richard what I have created with his map and his words and seeing his reaction to that.”
Andrew Fryer, Dean of The School of Film, Music and Performing Arts at Leeds Beckett University said: “We are proud of our long-standing partnership with the Demarco European Art Foundation.
“In this, the 70th anniversary year of the Edinburgh Festival, we are extremely pleased to be able to celebrate Richard Demarco's extraordinary contribution to the arts in Europe, and in particular the Festival, with a performance by our wonderful PhD student, Aletia Upstairs.
“This exciting show at Summerhall, featuring music and film, will explore the remarkable collection of artwork, artefacts and documents that Richard has brought together as the Demarco Archive, an invaluable resource unique in the world of the creative arts.
“We are also extremely honoured that Richard will be part of the performance, a performance that will also include our own Professor Noel Witts who has been instrumental in supporting and raising the profile of this incredible archive.”
Performances of The Artist as Explorer will take place in The Demarco Archive Room Designated to the History of Performance Art (Venue 26) at Edinburgh Fringe between 16 and 26 August 2017 (excluding 21 August) between 11.00 – 14.00 and 16.00 – 19.00.
Attendance is free by appointment. Please email richard@richarddemarco.org to book a place. For more information about Aletia’s work visit: www.aletiaupstairs.com