Lyra is a participatory art project containing an installation, musical sculptures and a performance project.
At its core, Lyra is a collaborative project that centres the experiences of its participants through a trauma-informed approach, building on the work and methodology we have developed over the past few years of participatory work with refugees, migrants and women who experienced domestic abuse and gender-based violence. Therese and Amanda will be facilitating workshops at different refugee centres and women's shelters across London, exploring themes around the notion of ‘The Home As A Cloud’ through collective sound exploration and sculptural work over a period of 14 months.
Performance
The performance aspect of Lyra will involve weekly performative workshop sessions with a core group of 10-15 participants. During these 2.5 sessions, Amanda and Therese will be utilising their trauma based methodology of collective sound explorations, poetry and gentle movement exercises to create a safe environment for both individual and collective exploration to blossom. The workshop will build on each other consecutively, and the material and immaterial outcome of each session will be incorporated into the next and so on. Some of the participants might be more interested in the writing aspect, whilst some will find the sound exploration really speaks to them. Others will perhaps be more drawn to the movement. In this way Amanda and Therese aim to devise the score collectively whilst also allowing participants to find their unique voice and place within the group, opening up the possibility for participants to take lead in whatever way they feel comfortable doing.
Amanda and Therese will bring in their self-made instrument and sound sculptures to the workshop rehearsals for participants to learn to play and use as part of the performance. Costumes will also be hand-crafted and brought in towards the end of the 3 months period for fittings.
The performance will loosely correspond to the theme ‘The Home As A Cloud’ and will be performed in and around a cloudscape structure hand-crafted by Amanda and Therese in collaboration with 4 different refugee centres and a women's shelter during workshops.
They will also continue to work with the theory of the 4 elements as part of the methodology for the sessions, drawing on the elements through meditations, poetry prompts and sound exploration. The elements of earth water air and fire can act as bridges between internal landscape and outer surroundings, when we begin to listen to them, they will speak back to us, showing us what we need more of and what we need less of, what is our unique strength and something we can always, therefore, draw on. When working with people who have in some way been removed from their original land, it can be healing to consider what is still within your reach, and what you always still carry with you.
Sonic sculptures
Therese and Amanda will be working on 5 sonic sculptures that will be played by participants and used in the performance project.
Central will be a shell sculpture that works as an amplifier and listening instrument.
Moon gate; arch with staircase and musical steps, large gong singing bowl on top
Sun gate; arch with glass wings including chimes, strings spanned between arch and footing
Earth Drum - A large hanging drum with a smaller pendant inside that can be static or moving. When the pendant is swaying the drum produces spontaneous rhythms. The instrument is fixed onto a wooden frame with 2 smaller static drums attached.
Drone - An amplified singing leaf in the form of a reclining seat. Activated by performers voices, modulated through various acoustic metal and clay cone shaped microphones.
Cloudscape
Collaboratively with the centres, Therese and Amanda will be working on a cloudscape, a large installation of textiles with many layers that will be used for the stage design and creates a transient home holding stories of the participants
About Therese and Amanda
Aside from being artists, we are also both well-being practitioners with many years of experience working in the field, we both find it important and valuable to incorporate a combination of both art and well-being when working with any group of people collaboratively. Our experience is that it helps generate a sense of ease and allows for creation to flourish.
