Workshop on 'Ritual' at the Performer's Playground

We're running a workshop connected to The Procession Myth project on Monday 5th May as part of the Performer's Playground at the Thanet Centre, Herbert Street, NW5 4HP.

The workshop will run from 6.30 until 9pm, and will cost £5 concessions, or £7 for a regular ticket.

You can soon find all the details at http://www.warhorsetheatreworks.com/index_files/performersplayground.htm, but here's the blurb:-

"What makes an action a ritual? Arhí Theatre & Philosophy invite you to explore this question with them in a workshop that will use rhythm, reconstructed behaviour and promote performer atonement and spatial awareness. The content of the work will be drawing on the participants' experiences of personal and everyday rituals.

This workshop is part of the group's ongoing research project "The procession of myth" (which is supported by the Centre of Cultural Studies at Goldsmiths College) and will be held at the Warhorse Theatreworks."

Hope to see you there!

Who's Who: Jennifer Spiegel

Jennifer Spiegel was born in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada in 1979. She began her acting career at age 9 in the television series ‘Family Pictures’ for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC). Shortly thereafter she made her stage debut as a “cheerful seal” in a mythic drama – a role that would leave an indelible mark on her young psyche.

In 1995 Jennifer co-wrote and produced Permutations, her first original play, for the Winnipeg Fringe Festival, and in 2002 she delved into the world of experimental multi-media performance with an ensemble devised piece, The Pavilion for Listening to Fragrance, presented at the Vancouver Fringe de la Fringe Festival.

In the winter of 2006/7 she was able to share her theatrical skills with children in Bhopal, India to facilitate the creation of a piece that told their version of the on-going struggles for water sanitation, medical care and social services following the 1984 Union Carbide/Dow Chemical Gas Disaster.

Jennifer holds a BA (hon) in Philosophy and Theatre (2001) and an MA in Interdisciplinary Performance Studies (2005) from the University of British Columbia. She is currently a PhD candidate at the Centre for Cultural Studies, Goldsmiths College, University of London where her research focuses on Ecology and the Politics of Performance and draws heavily on the philosophy of Gilles Deleuze.

Who's Who: Pawel Szynkarczuk

Paweł Szynkarczuk was born in Gdansk, Poland. He completed a Master degree in Law in the University of Gdansk in 2000 and a Master degree in Philosophy in 2001. In 2004-2005 he taught epistemology at the Philosophy Department in the University of Gdansk.

Currently, he is working on his PhD research at the Visual Cultures Department, Goldsmiths University of London. In his reasearch, he explores the phenomenon of intercorporeality via practice of Butoh dance and theoretical framework of Ontology of Flesh of Maurice Merleau-Ponty.

Since 2003 he has participated in Butoh projects directed by his master Atsushi Takenouchi and has taken workshops of other Butoh masters including Ko Murobushi, Yuri Nagaoka and Seisaku. He danced in “Mandala of Life and Death” (Zak Theatre, Gdansk 2005), “Butoh Procession”, a street performance in Venice (2006), Butoh dance street Performance (Paris, 2008), and co-deviced two Duo and two Solo performances at the Japanese Cultural Centre (Paris, 2008).

Who's Who: Alex Jamieson

Alex Jamieson attended Rose Bruford College of Speech and Drama, graduating in 2005 from the European Theatre Arts BA (Hons) Course.

Since graduating he has continued to research the ways in which live performance can distinguish itself from television and film, with particular focus on the work of Tadeusz Kantor, as well as investigations into performer intentionality and signification. This research has always involved both theoretical and practical elements, and led to the creation of his workshop ‘Is That What You Meant..?’

Alex is a frequent collaborator of Gemma Rowan of Dan Kai Teatro, most recently on her project ‘In Search of Other Spaces: The Panic of Lais’. He is currently working with Lucy Wilson on her touring production, 'Scrapbook'.

Who's Who: Antigoni Spanou

Over the next few days, we shall be adding a little bit of information about the current membership. Antigoni is up first, so here's a little bit about her:-





Antigoni Spanou was born in Athens, Greece in 1981. When she was young her family settled in Arta, a small city of Northern Greece. It was here that she developed a thirst for theatre and arts, something that the city significantly lacked.

At the age of 19 she moved to the UK to commence her university studies. After successfully completing a Bachelors and a Masters degree on Genetics, she got the opportunity to fulfil her life-long dream of studying theatre.

In 2004, she was accepted in Rose Bruford College on the course of European Theatre Arts. She graduated in 2007 with a First Class degree. Her performance dissertation, which was the culmination of her degree, was picked by Battersea Arts Centre and presented as part of the BAC 2007 Graduate Festival in London.

She has also been awarded a Peter Kirk scholarship, for which she undertook independent theatre research in Spain.

The Procession of Myth

The Procession of Myth is our current research project.


We have been examining the ways in which myth and ritual create spaces for subjective experiences that are at risk of marginalisation, due to an increased focus on objectivity and utility.

Our research has drawn on Roberto Calasso, Stanislaw Ignacy Witkiewicz, Gilles Deleuze and Georges Bataille, among others.

In the project's later stages, our practical work has focused on the question 'To what extent can ritual provoke a Deleuzian 'event'?

This will lead to a workshop and performances in late April and May. Keep your eyes peeled for more info.

Under Construction!