Black Rock

Abstract

This article traces the developments of Black Rock, an immersive multimedia performance inspired by Johnny Dawes infamous 1986 first absent of Indian Face (E9 6c). Black Rock, developed as part of Performing Mountains an AHRC research project led by Jonathan Pitches, aimed to question: to what extent can the experience of mountain climbing be translated to an audience on the ground? In order to unpack this complex embodied pursuit, I present my findings through five routes; Personal Mountains, The Gesture of a Line Language and Movement, Crafting Atmosphere and Breath. The routes present a holistic approach to practice research that combine first hand site-based research, historical research, performance theory, collaborator and audience insights and my own reflective insights as the lead artist. I conclude by exploring how the act of scenographic translation can be seen as a supplement to the original source material.

Notes

1 The adjectival grade (E9) gives a sense of the overall difficulty of a climb, the second (6c) is the technical grade that gives an indication of the hardest move to be found on the route. E9 6c is rated in the UKC Logbook description as ‘Exceptionally Severe (Excessively so)’ (UK Climbing n.d.) and the first of its grade in the UK.