Proposal Of Ideas | How time can change- Created by Kelly Bramall

Name – Kelly Bramall

Email – kellybram@hotmail.co.uk

Contact – 07545337344

Title of your project – ‘How time can change’

Please describe your proposed work in no more than 50 words. 

By creating a physical and factual performance we will highlight the past and present functions of The Lawn, exploring how these purposes can so dramatically differ through time.  By uncovering the hidden elements we will explore and contrast its past as a lunatic asylum to a popular functioning venue.

Tell us what you plan to do and provide a sketch of the ideas behind the work (250 words)

We plan to take the audience on a thought provoking tour of The Lawn, captivating all its elements throughout its historical journey. This will be achieved through fusing together fragments of both its past and present function, educating the audience by revealing different layers of the site. To start with, we intend to create a tense atmosphere by exploring the architectural qualities and the sites natural sound scape for example, the noise of the traffic. The tour will conclude in the east section of The Lawn, where the statue of Edward Charlesworth is situated. Whilst visiting the site we discovered the vast array of people who have once walked on the grounds, from a sympathetic nurse treating her patient to an excitable bride-to-be planning her big day. This inspired us to explore not only the differences but also the similarities between the diverse functions of the site; for example a nervous and distressed business man waiting to deliver his speech, to an anxious mentally ill patient suffering from Paranoid Personality Disorder, focusing mainly on their physical behaviours. We intend to end our performance with a physical representation of the transition between the non-restraint and restraint methods of treating the mentally ill. Through our stylised movements influenced by Antonin Artaud, we will symbolise the change in society’s perception as a whole, of the mentally unstable.

Tell us about your target audience, and how your work will interact with them (150 words)

An exclusive group of citizens preferably drama students will be invited to our performance. Due to the audience interaction there is window for the public to participate as an audience member. With our site located in a historical quarter ofLincolnthere is possibility for tourists to become involved with our piece. We intend to focus on the present functions of the building by incorporating a guided tour of the grounds involving the audience creating an actor audience relationship.  The proximity of the audience to the actors performing will be of a close nature. This reason is why we would prefer for drama students to attend as invading citizens personal space may make them feel uncomfortable even though they will be made aware of this in the leaflet we will be providing.

When and where do you propose to present your work (location, date and time?)

The final performance will be located in The Lawn, Union Street, Lincoln, LN1 3BLon the 30^th April. The performance will take the audience through the grounds of the building and down to the lower east corner where the statue of Dr E Charlesworth is situated. The time of our production is currently unknown, as we will be experimenting with different types of natural light throughout the day to create the most effective aesthetics for our performance.

Provide a project timetable detailing key targets and actions between now and the presentation of your work. Include permissions, materials, health and safety checks where applicable (250 words)

Due to the Lawn ground been a public place we realised that we may need permission to do our project up there. We contacted Lincolnshire City Council but unfortunately heard nothing back. Due to this we decided to visit the Lawn personally, and received a point of contact, to a member of the council. After speaking with her she gave us verbal permission to both rehearse and do our final performance on the grounds. We are yet to receive a confirmation email.

Week one	We decided who would be in our group for the final project. This was to be Chelsey Loveday,Nikita Lane, Kelly Bramall, Jessica Dyer and Jamie-Lee Ramsden
Week two	Exploration of the groups ideas and places
Week three	Research into the Lawn ground, both past and present
Week four	Map out ideas for the final project
Week five	Visit the site and explore our ideas physically
Week six	Readingweek
Week seven	Continue with the exploration of ideas and research into mental health issues
Week eight	Develop our ideas and aim to have a completed structured plan of the performance
Week nine	Polish the first half of the performance
Week ten	Personal development
Week eleven	Personal development
Week twelve	Polish the second half of the performance and reflect on it to see if there is room for any improvement
Week thirteen	Full runs of the performance including props and costumes
Week fourteen	The final performance

We plan to do full health and safety checks of the grounds due to the audience participation. After seeing the site we noticed that there are many potential hazards such as the stairs and the uneven surfaces of the walkway. Due to being unsure of the time of day when our performance will take place, lighting may be required. This would be something we would need to look into.

List the equipment and materials you will need to deliver your project (and how you will source them) Give details of your project budget (though be aware that there is no Module budget so any expenses will, unfortunately, have to be borne by you alone)

As yet we do not require much of a budget. Due to this being a progressive project we may come across small materials which we will source to the best of our ability or fund ourselves. For example this may include our costumes and performance aids. In regards to the leaflet we will provide our own printing costs.

Audience suitability: is there anything in your work we may need to make audiences aware of (e.g. swearing, nudity, flashing lights etc.)?

Due to the sensitive issues that will be addressed in our performance we will create a leaflet that will inform the audience on the delicate matters within our performance.

Include a brief artist statement that describes you and your work (100 words).

As a group of 5 artists we’ve tried to explore what theatre and performance can mean in a specific site. In doing so we are going to make a contemporary, innovative and challenging piece to educate the audience on the historical surroundings of the Lawn. We plan to highlight awareness of mental health issues by having the project centred on this issue and show how a specific site has changed over a long period of time. By using audience interaction and physical theatre we are exploring different approaches to theatre in the hope that we can captivate and inform the audience.

Provide images, plans, maps or other materials that support your proposal.

The above picture is of the steps that the audience will be taken down during the tour, they will also be taken into consideration when doing the health and safety checks of the grounds.

The above picture is of Dr Edward Parker Charlesworth; it is around this statue that the main action of our performance will take place.

The above picture is of the pathway down to where our main performance will take place. This will also be taken into consideration when completing the health and safety checks of the grounds.