Under the vaulted sky and Liquid gold is in the air

Under the Vaulted Sky was an hour-long promenade performance with cast of 100 people set in the Cathedral of Trees, an arboretum planted more than 40 years ago replicating the exact footprint of Norwich Cathedral. It had another, extended life as a video installation, Liquid Gold is the Air which was completed following the live performance. These works continued my longstanding fascination with groups of intergenerational professional and non-professional performers, combining this with another perennial interest in the natural world and its relation to human intervention. In this case the investigation of presence, ritual and procession was enhanced by walking on the site’s ancient ley line. Creating the work took place through an artist residency programme, involving local dance groups and individuals as performers who contributed to the creative process. Considerable time was invested in building an awareness of each other’s presence, a shared sense of movement and trust in the shared attending. Participants across generations needed time to feel at ease, to be active as contributors and to achieve the difficult task of embedding the movement deeply in the body, allowing each moment to be experienced deeply and creating an atmosphere that could envelop audiences. Site-specific work presents specific challenges – changes in weather and audience behaviour can distract. Maintaining the attention over an hour-long performance that was critical to the atmosphere was achieved by developing a strong sense of attending to one another, being present, aware and sharing a place of expressive fluidity. Across the nine performances this developed significantly, and it was important that the impermanence of the project was offset by the legacy represented by the collaboration with filmmaker Roswitha Chesher, Liquid Gold is the Air, a video installation also focused on issues of presence, attending and awareness.

- (2014) Under the Vaulted Sky [Performance]
Created for IF: Milton Keynes International Festival, Under the Vaulted Sky was a large-scale outdoor promenade performance which completed a triptych of live participatory projects that included Common Dance and Square Dances. Conceived and directed by Rosemary Lee. Choreographed by Rosemary Lee with input from Fiona Millward, the core team and performers. Design Site and Costumes Louise Belson. Music composed by Terry Mann.
- (2015) Liquid Gold is the Air [Film/Video]
By Rosemary Lee and Roswitha Chesher. Soundtrack by Graeme Miller including music composition by Terry Mann. Edited by Roswitha Chesher with Rosemary Lee. Choreography: Rosemary Lee.

Venue Details

Under the Vaulted Sky
Location: IF: Milton Keynes international Festival, Cathedral of Trees, Milton Keynes.
Dates: 18-20 Jul 2014

Liquid Gold is the Air
Location: Norwich Cathedral, Norfolk & Norwich Festival, Norwich
Dates: 08-24 May 2015

Liquid Gold is the Air
Location: Hexham Abbey International Music Festival, Hexham
Dates: 11-28 Sept 2015

Liquid Gold is the Air
Location: St Michael's Church, Bath Dance and ICIA, Bath
Dates: 05-19 May 2016

Liquid Gold is the Air
Location: Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford
Dates: 28 May - 23 Jun 2016

Liquid Gold is the Air
Location: IF: Milton Keynes International Festival, Milton Keynes
Dates: 15-24 Jul 2016

Liquid Gold is the Air
Location: Lumen Church, Bloomsbury Festival, London
Dates: 19-22 Oct 2016

Liquid Gold is the Air
Location: Garden of Reflection Gallery, Echo Echo Festival, Derry-Londonderry
Dates: 26 Oct - 10 Nov 2016

Liquid Gold is the Air
Location: Edinburgh Festival Fringe, Edinburgh
Dates: 07-22 Aug 2017