A performance of music, visuals, food and dance, where masked characters stand alongside the stone carvings and bosses, emerging to tell their stories, and where the medieval sounds of the original monastery weave with old children's songs and folk songs to create a tapestry of sound. Providing the silent story is the Green Man, a huge masked face of a figure who inhabited the orchards and fields before Whitefriars was built. Archive material - images from the time of the dissolution of the monasteries, the poor houses, the Second World War, and the 1960s building of the ring road - will be projected onto this benign face.
who:
Diaspora is a Birmingham-based arts organisation run by musician Kate Luxmoore, which works with artists from all disciplines, including dance, music, mask, storytelling and food. For this project Diaspora collaborates with mask-maker Lyn Stockman, violinist Ann Jones and Soundbite. Diaspora uses unusual places and public spaces, encouraging people to experience quality performances in inspiring settings
why:
Whitefriars evokes beautiful antiphonal music, serenity, tranquillity and a varied and colourful history. One story gave us our title. A Coventry Director of the Poor Law Commission wished for the place to be 'a comfortable asylum for the poor'. By 1844, however, making the poor comfortable was the very lowest priority in order to deter them from seeking refuge unless it was really needed. Projection work presents us with an opportunity to liaise with the museum itself and to use archive materials from the building and surrounding areas to tell the stories.
where:
The cloisters of Whitefriars, the only remaining part of the home of the Carmelite Friars of 1342.
The performance will take place upstairs, in what was the dormitory, but the audience are asked to gather downstairs, in Cloisters Walk, before the show begins at 8pm, and afterwards for a tasting of food and drinks from different times in history connected to the stories.
when:
2 Performances at 8pm.
2 performances for children / school groups at 1.30pm
Audience of up to 70 people
Suitable for all age groups
Venue Access Audit (carried out by the artist/producer).
This is intended as a guide for other artists and producers considering staging an event in the venue. However please note that the guidance given here is a subjective assessment of the venue as of May 2004.
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For key to symbols, see Access page
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Is there a suitable get-in to the venue/site for equipment etc?
Yes, two ample entrances, but stairs have to be negotiated to get upstairs (goods lift not functioning)
Is the venue accessible to wheelchair users? and if not, what would it take to make it accessible?
At present, only the downstairs cloister is accessible to wheelchair users via temporary ramps (not ideal). It would require a lift installing to make the first floor accessible. A lift shaft already exists.
Are there toilets, including a wheelchair accessible toilet?
There are two toilets but both half way up the stairs and therefore not wheelchair accessible. However there is room to install a wheelchair accessible toilet by the entrance.
Is there an electricity supply?
There is sufficient power for general use and a three phase supply can be accessed for performances with the aid of an electrician.
Are there fire exits?
Yes, though fire restictions limit audience numbers upstairs and additional emergency signage will be required.
Is there space for bar/hospitality?
Yes. This could be housed upstairs or downstairs or possibly both.
Is there space for box office/curator/front of house?
Yes there is space downstairs in the cloisters.
Is the venue/site family or child friendly?
It seems to be. There are no places for children to get very lost as it is a fairly small building. The immediate vicinity outside is pedestrianised and exciting for kids to explore.
How easy is it to find the venue?
It is well signed for pedestrians and busses pass nearby. However, as the building is concealed from view from the street, it can be tricky to find on first visit. More prominent road signage from the street would be the solution. Whitefriars is a highly prominent curiosity to drivers on the ring road - some dramatic lighting could increase its visibilty still further.
How easy is it to get to the venue on foot? would you want to make this journey after dark?
See above. Pedestrian access via the subways may be a dis-incentive at night, but appropriate stewarding and improvements to lighting in the approach and parking areas would improve the after-dark access.
Is there car parking nearby?
Yes, a public car-park and a University car-park for the adjacent library, use of which may be negotiated outside of University hours.
What might be a good interpretation solution for your show? signer?audio description? another? can it be fully integrated into the concept?
We hope to incorporate as much sensory experience and explanation within the show as possible, such as: incorporating the food and drinks as part of the show for children to experience the taste and smells of certain eras, minimizing text by using masks and dance to express characters stories.
It may be relevant to use audio description to inform people with visual impairment of the projections, but as much of the mood will be conveyed through music as well this will not necessarily enhance their experience.
To cater for hearing impairments signing would be relevant or a programme which introduces the characters and informs the audience about them.
Footnote from the festival curators
Whitefriars is a listed building which has stood the test of 700+ years, including the dissolution of the monateries and the building of the Coventry ring-road a matter of feet away. It last saw regular public use as a museum and is well cared for by the Arts & Heritage dept, who use it primarily as an archaeological store. In 2002, Talking Birds were artists in residence in the venue and created a theatre show Solid Blue, which proved both its huge potential as a art/performance space and also highlighted some of the issues which currently limit its use - primarily that of limited access for wheelchair users. An imaginative partnership between producers, conservationists and the city could be the key to its future.
links: Whitefriars Monastery
The Virtual Fringe is © Talking Birds, each virtual project is © the artist.
