David Richmond - Publications and Papers
Publications
Reflect on this! with Susan Orr & Jules Dorey
Richmond . Journal of Writing in Creative practice, Pp. 197 - 210.
December 2010. Vol 3 issue 3
Mercy Seat with Jules Dorey Richmond
& David Richmond. Performance Research
PP. 86 – 96, 16 (1). May 2011
2010 floorplan with Jules Dorey Richmond as part of
co-authored chapter on performer training in forthcoming Routledge
publication – Research Methods in Theatre & Performance edited
by Baz Kershaw & Helen Nicholson.
2010 A collaborative chapter with Jules Dorey Richmond, how
will we remember when all the witnesses are gone for forthcoming
book - makers and making between trauma and cultural memory.
An I.B. Taurus Publication.
2000 Devised Theatre: a beginner’s guide. A pamphlet
designed for secondary school teachers and students.
Conceived and written by David Richmond & Jules Dorey
Richmond. Published and distributed by the Royal Scottish
Academy of Music & Drama.
Performances
Solo
slipping away
slipping away
is inspired by a lost photograph. A photograph that David
is not sure exists any more, which he has searched
for but cannot find. A photograph of him, aged 7, standing on a
beach with his Tarzan trunks pulled down around my ankles.
This is a particularly strong and important memory for David
and his family. It is of a rare time having fun with his
sisters, a memory of innocence and childhood. It is a memory which
has always been filtered through the photograph. Now the photograph
is lost the event itself seems doubly mislaid, a memory of the time
and place itself and a memory of the photograph itself.
So without the photograph, all he has is words, litanies,
repetitions, agonies of words.
Words with him, as he is now, taking the place of him
as he was then. Or as he remembers as it was
then. David will then have another memory of the event, a
memory of creating the event – or rather of recreating the
photograph… or are they the same thing?
On a beach on the west coast of Scotland nearly 80 years ago
today my Uncle washed up dead.
In a hospital in London nearly 30 years ago today David's
Dad took his last in breath.
slipping away is a performance as an event that calls
upon witnesses, seeks to bare testimony and itself constructs
memories.
A middle aged man is slipping away struggling to re-member,
is this how it is, is this how it is.
Performed at:
Dartington festival
June 2010
National Review of Live Art
March 2010
Writing Encounters – International Performance Writing
Conference at YSJU
September 2008
Juniata College Pennsylvania USA
August 2008 - Performed slipping away as part of Gravity Project
festival at Juniata
Collaborations with Jules Dorey Richmond
For the past 15 years
David has been collaborating with Jules Dorey Richmond creating
experimental and innovative works, pulling together their
respective disciplines of visual art and theatre. Since 1996
they have been engaged in a Theatre of Witness series of
collaborative works with World War Two Veterans, Survivors and
Witnesses in various communities throughout Britain. This
process is ongoing and led them on a secular pilgrimage to
Auschwitz.
David & Jules have been funded by the Scottish Arts
Council and Glasgow City Council and obtained commissions from
Mayfest & CCA, as well as receiving support in kind from the
British Council.
"The discussion around your proposal highlighted the belief
that your work is of the highest quality and integrity. All
the Panel members who knew your previous work felt that your
process of creation acts as a model of good practice for
collaborative projects".
Scottish Arts Council
1998 Burnt Offering, a site-specific,
performance installation in an underground bunker, reflecting on
the artists secular pilgrimage to Auschwitz. Funded by the
Scottish Arts Council (SAC), Glasgow City Council (GCC) supported
by the Centre for Contemporary Arts (CCA).
1997 Safe House, a site-specific
event in a cellar of a house in Glasgow . Supported by the British
Council.
1997 Armistice, an action
in Central Station, Glasgow at 11am on 11th
November.
1997 Fathers' Day,a
site-specific outdoor event about World War Two, in a Glasgow park,
on Fathers' Day. Funded by SAC, GCC & CCA.
1996 Resolutions This was a
performance / installation, with a fire sculpture, a magic act,
acts of self-renewal, scenes from "Who's afraid of Virginia
Woolf?" dancing on tables, chocolate cake, cigarettes and
scotch. A CCA commission.
1992
The Dispossessed . Fuelled by the Gulf War this piece
explored the role of women in conflict. A Mayfest commission, which
toured community venues throughout the Strathclyde region and
Tramway.
1989 Arthur & Delores. An
intimate relationship falls apart during a magic act, fusing
theatre, magical props, visual gags and interactive anger
counselling. Toured the cabaret circuit throughout Devon.
Pants Performance Association
Pants are Adrian Lambert, David Richmond,
Ewan Forster, Fred McVittie & Gavin Clayton.
2009 Lastmaker
conference @ Lancaster University
Invited by Goat Island to perform absent friends as pants
with Fred McVittie and Gavin Clayton.
1996 Gag -
Invited Artists at the National Review of Live Art (NRLA), also
seen at Chapter Arts ( Cardiff ) and CCA (Glasgow).
1994 Spam - In residency at Crewe &
Alsager College (MMU) and Chapter Arts (Cardiff ) developed and
performed the last reincarnation of Spam.
1992 Spam -
Co-commissioned by CCA (Glasgow) and Arnolfini ( Bristol ).
Performed at BAC, The Green Room and Dartington Arts. Pants
received the Barclays New Stages Award for Experimental British
Theatre, and were part of the Royal Court Festival.
1991 Democracy - A
highly physical comedy commissioned by London International
Festival of Theatre (LIFT) and the Third eye Centre (CCA,
Glasgow). Seen at the ICA , Green Room Manchester, Arnolfini
Bristol, Prema Arts Gloucestershire, Battersea Arts Centre and
Glasgow .
1990 Founded Pants Performance
Association in 1989, directed the first show Pants
, performed at Dartington Arts, the Place (London ), the
NRLA and Singapore International Arts Festival .
Clanjamfrie
A multi-media performance company -
Glasgow.
1995
Satellite - a large scale site-specific outdoor event.
Seen by 800 people on December 10 in Cathedral Square . Involving
four 40 foot towers, 10 meter by 10 metre video projections of
Glasgow life, angels falling from the sky, a Glasshouse passing
through the audience, 90 ballroom dancers and a 30 strong Gaelic
Choir.
1995 Flow Nightclub
- a site-specific performance in a club. A commissioned event for
the International Architecture Winter school .
1992 The World's
Edge. David directed this critically acclaimed
multi-media site-specific piece, created in a derelict boiler
house, commissioned by Tramway & Mayfest.
Daniel Reeves: Is an
internationally acclaimed video artist. He has received
three Emmy Awards, has been a Guggenheim fellow in Video Art and
was a recipient of the prestigious Rockerfeller Inter-Cultural Film
and Video Fellowship.
1998 Perdu. A feature film in
development, Perdu being the central character played by
David. The film is a contemplation on Daniel's experiences in
Vietnam during the war. Shot on location in Southern France.
1997 One with Everything. David plays a Buddhist
monk and is the lead role in this comedy short for Channel 4.
David plays all the characters in this 30-minute film.
Seen at the Berlin ,Lisbon,Liverpool , San Francisco
,Utrecht ,London ,Charlottesville ,Washington and Rotterdam Film
Festivals.
1991 Jizo Response Created and performed a
solo in Daniel Reeve's installation Jizo Garden in the
gallery at the CCA.
Conference Papers
YSJU Conference roaring
April 2009 enquiry based learning (EBL) an interactive
performance the pedagogue of improvisation and the
improvisation of pedagogue. In collaboration with
students and academics from dance, music and critical
studies.
YSJU Conference – International Partners
March 2009 – Performing Memory: a trip to Auschwitz
Juniata College Pennsylvania USA
August 2008 as part of staff exchange in collaboration with
Beth Cassani (dance artist and lecturer) worked with Students
at Juniata on an ensemble performance.
York St John University Symposia on Reflection
February 2008 reflect on this!, convened in collaboration with
Jules Dorey Richmond. Keynote paper between
knowing and doing and participation event
floorplan.
Faculty of Arts YSJU Research Conference
September 2007 - Yorkshire Sculpture Park.
Collaborative paper with Jules Dorey Richmond how will we
remember when all the witnesses are gone
York Guilds Conference 2007
A paper entitled an avant garde mystery – York July 2007
Association of Art Historians (AAH)
33rd annual International conference AAH – Contestations – Belfast
April 2007.
How will we remember when all the witnesses are gone?
A Collaborative paper, with Jules Dorey Richmond, for the
session - makers and making between trauma and cultural
memory.
Theatre and Performance Research Association (TAPRA)
Central School of Speech and Drama July 2006
Collaborative paper, with Jules Dorey Richmond, for the performer
training working group - being not seeming.
Community Theatre Practice
1999 Vortigens Tower. As an animateur, co-devised,
co-directed and performed in this Theatre Adventure Project in one
primary school culminating in a performance at assembly and an
interactive out door performance. Sebbon Street Exchange,
Islington.
1998 The Grand Union Adventure. As an animateur,
co-devised, co-directed and performed in this Theatre Adventure
Project in two primary schools culminating in an interactive out
door performance, on the Regents Canal. Sebbon Street Exchange,
Islington.
1997 Café Oz. With a group of adults with learning
difficulties, over a period of twelve afternoons, devised a
re-working of Wizard of Oz.
Elmvale Adult Training Centre, Springburn Glasgow.
1997 Hope Springs Eternal Co-directed/designed and
performed in this Theatre Adventure Project with 2 primary schools
culminating in an interactive outdoor performance. Sebbon
Street Exchange.
1994 The 1994 Fens Pageant. Directed and Produced
this large scale outdoor celebratory event reflecting the unique
history of the Fens, with a cast of 300, a full orchestra,
specially built arena for 2500 people, with forklift trucks as Fen
Skaters, tractors as islands, and a fen crane operating a giant
puppet. A nine-month residency at Fenland District
Council.
1993 Dinosaur. In collaboration with the sculptor Jan
Sutherland and the 60 piece all female percussion group She-Boom,
to create a large-scale fire sculpture, seen by police estimates of
40,000, as part of November 5th celebrations. Glasgow District
Council.
1992 Bashley Road Irish Travellers Project. Ran
circus workshops over a month working with the children of the
Bashley Road Irish Travellers Site, en situ, culminating in a show
and barbecue. Theatre of Small Mercies.
1992 Baron Buttonbox. A three-week residency at two
secondary schools in Macclesfield. Co-directed/devised &
performed in Baron Button Box an outdoor site-specific
performance. Theatre of Public Works.
1991 Macburgers. Directed this musical tale of a fast food
joint, with a cast thirty aged eight to sixteen. East
Kilbride Village Youth Theatre.
1990 Karumba. As arts animateur with Jules Dorey Richmond
created a one-off out door participatory event for 900
children. Action Factory Multi-Cultural Arts,
(Blackburn).
1990 North Wales Arts Association Special Needs Project. A
six week residency as an arts animateur in North Wales, put into
place a series of events and workshops for nine different special
needs groups, a heart and stroke club, a PHAB club, 2 Adult
Training Centres, a secure unit and 4 Special Schools.
1989 Rats. Co-directed/devised this multi-cultural outdoor
performance, touring the Netherlands, Belguim and England.
Theatre of Public Works & Jawa.
1989 Doulton Fountain Project. Performed in this
large-scale outdoor performance, choreographed by Lindsay
John. Test Department (NVA).
1989 Captured in Celluloid. In collaboration with four
other artists, co-directed/devised a large-scale site-specific
outdoor community event with a cast of 70 aged 6 to 85 with an
audience of 1200. Staverton Bridge Project.
1988 Helleport. Facilitated, devised and performed in this
large outdoor processional piece through a housing estate in
Sledderlo, Belguim.
Theatre of Public Works & Jawa.
1988 Gates of Time. Directed, produced and wrote this
Theatre Adventure Project for 2 primary schools, culminating in a
site-specific outdoor interactive performance event.
Storehouse Theatre Workshop.
1988 Circus in a Suitcase. A two-week residency directing
& devising a circus show with sixth form students and special
needs students in Wilmslow. Theatre of Public
Works.
1988 I.C. Gripp. Performed and facilitated in this Theatre
Adventure Project in the guise of a Community Play. In Loddiswell
& Chumleigh, North Devon. Theatre of Public Works.
1987 Mr Macbees Moonstruck Menagerie. Performed Oscar the
Clown in this outdoor circus show, which toured throughout the
Netherlands, Belgium and South England. Theatre of Public
Works.
1987 Raven Hunts the Sun. As a performer/deviser/writer on
this Theatre Adventure Project created for 3 primary schools in
North Devon, culminating in a site specific finale in quarry with a
20 foot high Fire Sculpture. Theatre of Public Works.
Workshops
1997 Goat Island Summer School. A three-week exploration of
the group’s collaborative techniques leading to a series of open
performances. Goat Island is a collaborative group of performing
artist based in Chicago.
1992 TAG on Lanark. Participated in this month long
workshop led by Tony Graham, Mike Alfreds, Anna Furse, Tony Cott
and the author Alasdair Gray.
1992 Antony & Cleopatra. Played Enobarbus in Bruce
Myers (long-term collaborator of Peter Brook) workshopped
performance at Tramway (Glasgow).
1990 Sweatlodge. Co-devised and performed in
the premiere with a cast of 20 men, a production at Tramway for the
year of culture. Man Act.
Other workshops attended:
Augusto Boal A weeks exploration of Forum Theatre
Adrian Jackson A weeks exploration of Forum
Theatre
Phelim McDermott A two-week exploration of Improvisation for
the actor as set out by Keith Johnstone.
Phelim McDermott &
Julian Crouch A week’s exploration of mask, dream and
performance as story telling tools.
John Lee A two-week clown school.
John Wright A two day mask workshop
Gardzienice A two day exploration of Theatre
Meetings
Special Needs David has been fortunate enough to work with
two of Britain’s foremost artist working with special needs; Keith
Yon for two years at Occombe Residential Home in Devon and Wolfgang
Stange at Normansfield Hospital, West London.
Ancillary Skills Stilt walking, photography, escapology, fire
blowing, general pyromania, basic DTP, script writing, and has a
clean current driving licence.
Interests
David was on the board of Directors for New Moves International
(National Review of Live Art) and his other interests include
sport; reading; films; anthropology; politics; ecology; science and
learning the trumpet.
David’s work has been written about in:
Live Art Magazine, Time Out, The List, Venue, Hybrid, The Times,
The Observer, The Guardian, Live Art for Lift, The Independent, The
Jewish Telegraph, The Herald, the Scotsman, the Singapore Times,
Art & Design and an article on The World’s Edge by Greg
Giesekam for The Contemporary Theatre Review, Vol.2, 1994.
Reviews
Jules Dorey Richmond & David Richmond
Burnt Offering
“As we followed them through the gloomy warren of little rooms,
heard taped voices of various survivors recall the past, saw
flickering newsreel and watched them (Jules & David) create
terse, searing images of futile pomp and needless, merciless
waste…. Soaked, shivering, their own bodies hurting, they offered
up caring and profound respect”.
The Herald
“Silence reigned as we watched Jules and David wring from their
minds and bodies their deepest pain at the suffering of the 50
million who died during the war. In a barrage of sound,
visual effects, violent action and sobering readings the artists
beseeched us to remember the dead, mourn the unbridled and
pointless hatreds of humanity and celebrate survival, compassion
and love.”
The Jewish Telegraph
Safe House
“I could feel the suffering of those who perished in the war in
vain (?) I hope human beings would learn lessons from that terrible
history. Thank you for your performance”.
Japanese Consul General
Fathers’ Day
“Together, in simple white, Jules and David marched off...to a
ritualised game of spitting which looked like child’s play but left
them graphically blood splattered. And David talked of his late
father, who served in the War before David was born but never
really spoke of it and would never speak of it now. So on
Fathers’ Day, David spoke instead, as did the “shrine” of memories
inside the garden shed, and the shirt that went up in flames like
so many brief lives in battle. ..Utterly poignant, utterly sincere,
this was a memorable instance of how a wise and feeling performance
can put us in touch with ourselves and with the rest of
humanity.”
The Herald
Resolutions
“This was performance art not as confrontation but unforced
involvement it is rare to be invited to share such honest personal
intimacy, but any risk of sentimentality was kept well in check by
the irony, humour, spontaneity and the recurring interruptions of a
domestic row, (snippets of a Virginia Woolf play (sic!)). The
seduction was in the glimpses of themselves that kept slipping
through the various personae and their ease with being caught off
guard. As one audience member commented; ”Does this mean true
collaboration can only happen between lovers?””
Live Art Magazine
Pants Performance Association
Spam
“Britain’s only truly experimental theatre company”
Stephen Daldry
“Like escapees from a Gilbert & George painting”
The Independent
Democracy
“Pants play Democracy for us. Loutish and vulgar and
physically extreme they parade masculine stereotypes. Pants
have a post-punk anarchic work process which leads to a ‘controlled
anarchy’ in performance. Influenced by such physical theatre
companies as DV8 and Goat Island, they yet have an ironic slant on
physical theatre, finding it too blunt an instrument for the kind
of relationships they want to examine. Real and unreal on
stage, they play practical and impractical jokes, constantly
tripping each other up.
Their language is full of ‘new vocabularies’, of ‘exploration’ of
‘theatre’. The dictionary of performance for the 1990s is
finally getting a much needed supplement.”
David Hughes – Live Art for LIFT ’91
“An oddball mixture of highly talented individuals, on stage
they catch each other out with complete ease. Making theatre
from the pickings of their culture, they construct scenes that are
dangerous, comic and deadly serious at the same time. Pants
are obviously there to worry each other as much as anything.
In blurring the boundary between the real and the fictional, they
produce a charged dynamic. Democracy is a glimpse of men –
and their confusions – at the end of the twentieth century.
Some rough, tough games from boys too big to cry”
The List
Pants
“Made this year’s fringe a successful one, most accessible and
wonderfully humorous…”
Seah Kit Yan, Festival Co-ordinator, Singapore Arts Festival.
Clanjamfrie
Satellite
“This brief, mystical encounter under the Cathedrals sheltering
bulk came as a timely antidote…into the arena came the angels with
wings like snowflakes and dossiers coats. Drawn by the energy
of the place, they had come to be part of it. They tapped
into the history of the place – aided by some fine evocative
singing from Cumbernauld Gaelic Choir – and they recognised the
divisiveness of poverty….The sheer poetic sense of people and
place, of humanity and its on-going resilience, really did make the
heart squeeze with a jumble of emotions…Satellite said much about
how Glasgow sees itself – would like to be seen – and it said it
with feeling, honesty and affection. Well worth braving the
December chills to be part of”
The Herald
The World’s Edge
“Clanjamfrie’s World’s Edge – with its intercut recitations of
historical facts, its flickering video screens, its parodies of
contemporary American media culture, its young cast frantically
trying to convey an impression of suffering by repeatedly dousing
themselves in buckets of water….The World’s Edge contains an
implicit, agonised sense of our own complicity with the lives and
smiles of middle American culture, it somehow rings hard and true.”
The Guardian