After a two year  pause I am resurrecting my blog. Instead of featuring the 'major' things that happen I feel inspired to share some of the daily ebbs and flows, all 'major' in there own way.
Here is my recent showreel: 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wp9EH9piwgE&feature=share&list=UUPa96QTei0KYqvKZYGBHcEg
and a picture of my daughter in our snowy garden.

Hit me baby one more time

A film made as part of the Arnolfini Live Art Platform 2010. I invited people to negotiate an attack and defense on one another. This is a sample of the results.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RuXTXw8eluw

IETM Plenary meeting 2010-Glasgow trailer

I was recently asked by the IETM-Glasgow office to make a trailer to advertise their forthcoming meeting in November. This is what I came up with.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=24qxElKyRBk

Show reel 08-09

I have just completed 2 showreels of my work to date.

They can be viewed through the links below or they are opposite in 'my films'

Creative showreel   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3_Zdcmi52eI

Documentary showreel   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QS08c6hzE_Q

Enchanted Parks - Camera person and editor

Working alongside Tom Marsham, who was producing and directing the project, we made a film for the Enchanted Parks Event in Saltwell Park, Gateshead.

We worked with a group of older people from Fountain Court Sheltered Housing using the theme of The Twelve Days of Christmas. A table top was the central focus point with activity performed on the table by the participants over 4 days. The final film has been projected in the park from 9th-13th Dec 09.

The whole process has been really enjoyable and as my parents and Grandparents are from Gateshead it been quite special for me making work there. Much of the choreography was devised on the spot so I had to respond to this organically which was both challenging and fun. The film is silent which meant that I could purely edit on a visual basis, which after having done a number of documentaries was quite liberating. We took the participants on a trip to view it last night and they were really pleased with the results and were pleasantly amused at seeing themselves projected in a Park that most of them used to play in as children. 

Press info: www.journal live.co.uk

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=deqIXYj4JJY

Thoughts from residency-week 2

To come into the room with notions of who you are through movement. People bring their signature, mostly it is pre considered, pre rehearsed, cerebal and fascinatingly so. I try and bring it back to the body. What is happening here, then,  what else is happening here? I use the tools of the camera ignited by my own curiosity.  

I focus in on a particular part of the body that I feel gives me some information that the rest of the body doesn't. 'A tell.' Or maybe it is simply the part of the body that interests me the most. The whole body is too overwhelming, there is so much information, like having all the pages of a book laid in front of you. I am picking the pages.

Artist in Residence-Movement Signatures

I have a 2 week residency supported through Dance House and Workroom-Tramway from 02.11 to 13.11. Throughout I am filming a small number of individual movement signatures. These are movements that people perceive to be unique to them. If I asked you present one move which summed you up what would it be?
People from a number of different backgrounds are coming to spend time with me in the studio on a 1:1 basis. In turn, I will devise film responses to each movement by filming it in a way that is pertinent to that movement.
The aim is to develop the work for a multi-screen presentation in 2010.

I have a sharing of work from the 1st week of the residency at UK Theatre School, Glasgow on Friday 6th Nov 4.30-5.30. All are welcome. 

Camera Person and editor- Glasgow Women's Library

Camera person for a short film to advertise Glasgow Women's Libraries Heritage Walks. The walks present the often untold stories of local women. We filmed over 3 days in a number of locations around Glasgow.
I have been invited to support the editing process throughout November. http://www.womenslibrary.org.uk/

Project Leader - Up Close

A week long project 'Up Close' working with young people based in Greenock. It was a really nice week making a site specific performance piece in response to their ever changing environment. There is presently a large amount of new builds and all of the children are moving schools as theirs are being re-built or pulled down. We made the peice in and around a large shopping mall, finishing in a cinema. Up Close was managed by Impact Arts, Glasgow

Documentary Film Maker - Creative Pathways- Impact Arts, Glasgow

Creative Pathways is a 6 month project for young people whom are not in employment or training. The aim is to support the participants to learn skills and gather confidence to enable them back into developing a career. I have filmed the journey of the young people over the last three months. I have been interviewing themselves, the tutors and funders and recorded their work. 

View the Creative Pathways Trailer(3mins): http://www.impactarts.co.uk/creative-pathways-trailer.htm   

View the full Creative Pathways Documentary (20mins): http://www.impactarts.co.uk/creative-pathways-documentary.htm 

Cranhill Beacon

I have been working on a sessional basis at Cranhill Beacon, Glasgow a drop in centre for 5-12 yr olds. I am a playworker and have been honing my pool, drawing & painting, litter picking and buckeroo-ing skills.

Artistic Director - Some Kind of Iris - Final Presentation, RSAMD, Glasgow

These are images of the final performance at the RSAMD, 25th & 26th 2009.

'some kind of iris is a series of solos made over the last 7 weeks by CPP2 students. The group were been encouraged to devise work that is of their own signature using film, movement and installation. The work is presented as two separate group pieces containing a mixture of duets and solos. Therefore the pieces cross pollinate generating new narratives and imagery. The piece is a cyclic durational work open for 30 minutes.'

Artistic Director - RSAMD May-June 09

Throughout May - June 09 I am the Artistic Director for the Film and Choreography module at the RSAMD, Glasgow. We will be exploring the relationship between performance and moving image and looking at the similarities of processes between generating movement and capturing imagery and editing. The following are process images.

Director / Editor-Urban Cowboy Video

A two day shoot in Bristol making a music video for singer-songwriter Lady Raz (Meena Reetoraz). The video includes footage of Lady Raz playing on the Docks mixed with imagery of the Urban Cowboy (Tom Marshman). A really lovely, chilled out shoot and I am really happy with the film.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bYzcxN_NyGo

Camera Person - Bigman filming-Oct 08

Camera person for a documentary for Impact Arts, Glasgow. The documentary charts the initial stages towards re-development on the Forth and Clyde Canal. Below are pictures of interviews at an awareness raising event for the developments at Speirs Loch, Maryhill. I also filmed workshops at schools in which pupils learnt about the changes in their area and public art.

Artist in Residence - Tou Scene Summer 2008

I was commissioned to work within the TouWorks project as part of Stavanger City of Culture 2008. The work was to respond to a street which was locally stigmatised and referred to as 'the road to hell.' A 10 day residency resulted in me working closely with 4 women whom I met organically during my stay. I devised 2 performative actions which responded to the time spent with the local woman and also to a series of sexual assaults which occurred during my stay. Drawing on my training as a former life guard, I spent 1 day 'guarding the street' and the evening floating in the nearby outdoor pool. Therefore I was both the saver and the saved.