Shagging Julie 2001 - 2004
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Directed and facilitated by Michelle Outram, with Gavin Sladen, Teik-Kim Pok & Luke Waterlow, Shagging Julie was a performance installation group that created multilayered humorous adventures into sometimes dark and often political territory.
The group made over a dozen works between 2001 and 2004 in a diverse range of places which included galleries, theatres, public places and a caravan. |
Image: Heidrun Löhr
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About Shagging Julie
Between 2001 and 2004, I co-founded, directed/facilitated, managed and performed with 'Shagging Julie' – a performance installation group that came together in 2000 after training and making work with each other as part of PACT Centre for Emerging Artists Impact Scholarship Ensemble, Sydney. Driven by a desire to intersect our sometimes-bizarre obsessions – ranging from 'the aftermath' (what happens during or after 'the end') through speculative fiction to the movement vocabulary of Michael Jackson – Shagging Julie created over a dozen works that were often multi-layered humorous adventures into sometimes dark and often political territory. From a personal perspective, leading Shagging Julie was a chance to implement the research I had begun during my honours degree at the Department of Performance Studies at the University of Sydney. This research was centred on the relationship between rhythm and timing with a particular focus on performance/movement practice. Methodoloy Training One of the main reasons for forming the group was to continue to train in an ongoing way, which we felt was important to our development as artists. Some training I was able to lead. We also maintained a kitty ($10 per member per week) to pay artists to come and lead sessions. For the final year we also established a two-hour session per week with Martin del Amo, which took the form of a class and was open to other artists who wished to train in this way. Making We had many opportunities to show work, so we were constantly in development and rehearsal. This was a great pleasure and, for the larger works, we spent around six months on and off in preparation, including the tailoring of training and research toward new work. Showing work was an important part of the cycle. It made us visible to others, which made working as artists a little more sustainable, as work seemed to bring more work. Research Both the training and making strands were underpinned by larger questions, giving the works a sense of continuity and the training a sense of purpose. We explored interests in approaches to making performance; the role of rhythm and timing in performance work; and group structure. We also developed particular content related to philosophic and ethical standpoints. The research was supported by our interest in spending time together socially. A great deal was discussed and decided during these less formal times. _ |