Who’s George? ending the Ragged Kingdom month at Temple.Works.Leeds, reviewed by Rachel Elderkin.
The final night of Jamie Reid’s month-long Ragged Kingdom at Temple.Works.Leeds ended on a celebration in three parts; one, a celebration of a month of visits, workshops, music and art inspired by the work of Jamie Reid ; 2, a celebration of the building, especially the 2 acre Main Space. Three, a celebration of the universal human spirit, and of the life and times of Brian Bird, 1959-2012: dancer, actor, singer, TWL porter, and a key member of Urban Sprawl, Yorkshire only homeless theatre company. As such the proceeds of the evening went to his favourite charity with which he was closely connected, St George’s Crypt Homeless Shelter. Brian had been greatly looking forward to Jamie’s show and in fact did some of the early preparation for it.
As visitors entered Temple.Works.Leeds on this last night, new work had sprouted in the Closed Loading Bay – the results of the Venezuelan industrial artists’ 20 hours print marathon Ragged Line Workshop, the final popup show and a companion to Ragged Kingdom. As the sun went down we gathered around the two immense tipis, part of Jamie’s Eight-fold Year project, which dominate the Loading Bay. A collaboration between singer-songwriter Rowan Reid and the electronic sounds of Urban Exploration opened the evening. Rowan performed two songs on her own, showcasing her skills as a singer, songwriter and musician, before Urban Exploration began mixing in their electronic, growling bass, adding a depth and dynamic that echoed and carried Rowan’s music through the space. Improvised and experimental, no one knew what to expect, but this was a dynamic that worked well. Urban Exploration had spent the early evening taking soundings in the 2 acre main Space and had factored these into their backing.
As the artists relaxed into the collaboration Rowan evidently grew in confidence and they produced some great moments. It was a collaboration that offered Rowan’s set an artistic freedom, an opportunity to play with her own songs and sound, to even sing against herself as Urban Exploration played back parts Rowan had sung only moments before. Their experimentation got more adventurous throughout the set and the carrying acoustics definitely helped build an atmosphere. Fresh and exciting each act drove the other – an effective combination.
The evening was full of unique performances – it’s not every day that a Navajo Nation Spirit Dancer journeys from Arizona to dance at a Victorian factory in Leeds. Yet the celebrated Dennis Lee Rogers (who features on his great friend Jamie’s poster, ‘Corporate Slavery’) made this journey to grace the closing night of ‘Ragged Kingdom’ with his presence – and dancing. Part of the largest Native American tribe in North America, this was his 5th time in the UK, a place he feels compelled to return to. In a splendid costume, composed of real giant eagle feathers, Dennis had travelled here not only for Jamie but for both his people and the closing night audience. The two dances performed by Dennis, a traditional welcome dance and a warrior, or honour dance, were not to be missed. With intricate footwork and an intense focus Dennis danced beside the tipis and the poster of himself, to which he often pointed with his feathers. These were dances that came from within the self but also encompassed the surroundings, the world we are a part of. Rhythmical, with a strong beat, the dance builds in speed and energy, passionate and somewhat bird-like. In his ‘warrior’, or ‘honour’ dance, Dennis comes towards the audience, blessing us with his feather and stick – and you can’t help but feel honoured.
The speeches in between these were thought provoking, heart-felt and emotional. Dennis talked of the times when his people weren’t accepted, of forgotten friendships and segregation, of his father and of trying to be ‘English’. Dennis travels to share his native ways and dispel the myths about his people; as he stated, we should not forget that we are all brothers and sisters. It was evidently a special evening for Dennis, one where he remembered his sister, recently lost, an emotional and fitting memoir for an evening originally created to celebrate the life of a man dear to many at Temple Works.
He rolled off his parting words in a number of languages including his native tongue, Japanese and Spanish. All seemed touched by his words, dance and presence, listening intently, but if we want to see another dance, Dennis declared we would just have to come back next year. I’m sure we would all welcome a return to Temple Works!
Urban Exploration’s second collaboration with opera singer and “Naked Voice” Jenny Kosmosky was one of pure sound – of the voice and of electronic soundscapes; a combination that complimented each other beautifully. Urban Exploration really came into their own here creating an atmosphere of absorbing sound, while Jenny offered the pure tones of the voice to contrast and compliment the electronic backdrop. I find as the darkness grows in the Loading Bay the sound intensifies, becoming more absorbing, more hypnotic, and in the light of the glowing tepees you were easily lulled by this atmosphere of sound. Ethereal yet earthy, the music floated on the air and there were some great, carrying moments as Jenny moved away from the mic and sang into the space. Jenny has an incredible range and tone. She is not just singing but using her voice as an instrument. It was a set where all artists really explored their ability to play with sound; the way the voice carries and sound rebounds, using their reflected dynamics and each other’s tones. While improvised, these artists worked incredibly well together, creating an effective collaboration, where the use of sound was stunning and unique, almost magical.
Moving from the Loading Bay into the Joiners Bar – which has been the main space of the exhibition – we were met with a rather different set. Urban Sprawl is a theatre company that works with the homeless and those affected by issues of homelessness, and has a close connection to St George’s Crypt. The Urban Stage Band performed in Brian’s honour with a collection of his favourite songs. Armed with guitars, banjo and a tambourine, they presented a selection of sing-a-long songs, with a few unintentional key changes. They brought a sense of fun to the evening and even got a few people dancing, (Temple Work’s bar- and catering manager, Harvi, stealing centre-stage as usual!).
As the evening drew to a close Urban Exploration could be found back in the Loading Bay filling the space with sound and collaborating with masterful electronic synthesist, Uncorps. Undulating projections were cast on the wall, a reflection of the music they were producing. With the doors open onto Temple Work’s dimly lit, majestic 2 acre Main Space, Urban Exploration and Uncorps were projecting their sound into this, amplifying their creation. As the sound rebounds through the darkness, it adds a new life and dynamic to the soundscape and an eerie depth to the space. The rare acoustics of this room – with a remarkable minimum 5.5 second echo – offer a sound delay that suspended the music, creating a strange, but effective experience. Urban Exploration created a truly immersive soundscape and when you are entered into it like this you can really begin to understand what they are creating. It was an atmospheric end to a unique evening, one that truly embraced the possibilities of Temple Works and gave life to a currently disused space; a space that in turn created a performance of its own.