This is the first in our series following the progress of Inhale and Hold, the endurance dance event which splashes its way from Ilfracombe to Plymouth, starting on July 10.
Four dancing men equipped with a lifeguard’s tower and miniature band attempt to perform their way across Devon, north to south, at a long list of waterside locations.
We catch up with Matthew in the midst of rehearsals.
So, I arrived yesterday, feeling like I’d only had three hours sleep (probably as that’s all I’d had) and we got straight into rehearsing until the evening. At the end of the day there was a desperate need to see the Wimbledon final so we jumped into the cars at 6pm and headed for the nearest television. I had to leave the tennis early as I’m always hungry so I missed the end, and then went back to where we’re staying for a well earned sleep.
Today I woke up (spider in my ear… interesting) at 8.45am, grabbed some breakfast, had a bath and then we headed back to Brendon village hall for a day of rehearsing and devising.
We started by recapping some lifesaving duets we’d started yesterday, inspired by pictures from an old-style swimming manual. It all needed to be very precise, detail was very important, the words ‘hands like blades’ were repeated a few times. Watch out for Jamie’s best fish-out-of-water impression when River picks him up, comedy moment. We then put the duets together, working by overlapping them and inserting some pauses to create a chunk of material to put into the piece.
We then revisited our solo material that works in swimming lanes, although we have no ropes to create them yet, so white cups are providing some sort of outline for the time being. A few repetitions of my solo and I’m exhausted, if you see me breathing heavily I’m probably not pretending.
After lunch (where the remains of my Chinese food from last night came in handy), we carried on putting the various parts together then did a bit more lifesaving in the form of a quartet, again inspired by pictures.
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After Hugh and Jamie left we were presented with our swimming caps… I did my best unimpressed face… haha. No, actually, they’re not THAT awful, although I do feel a bit light headed when I have mine on. I opted for the blue one, but I’ll save the image of me in a swimming cap until the day of the first performance and not post a photo of me in it.
We ended the day devising some of our own material. I was working on something using my more lyrical/fluid movement vocabulary and putting that alongside some of the strong imagery from the lifesaving and unison material.
End of the day and I’m writing this on my bed in the house we’re staying in. I’m off out to get myself some fish and chips, you’ve got to love Devon fish and chips, and then I’m going later to try on some costume.
- Matthew
• To get in touch with the dancers, email: inhale_and_hold@peoplesrepublicofsouthdevon.co.uk
or just comment in the box below
Follow the action at
Thursday July 10, 12.30 pm - The Manor, Lynmouth,
Thursday July 10, 5.30 pm - Landmark Beach, Ilfracombe
Friday July 11, 1.30 pm - Grand Western Canal Country Park, Canal Basin, Tiverton
Friday July 11, 7.00 pm - Hatherleigh Community Centre (river)
Saturday July 12, 12.30 pm - Roadford Lake, Okehampton
Saturday July 12, 7.00pm - Dartington Hall (riverside)
Sunday July 13, 2.00 pm - Moretonhampstead Swimming Pool
Sunday July 13, 5.30 pm - Tinside Pool, Plymouth
For more on Inhale and Hold, read the PRSD story
• Inhale in Hold is part of Big Dance and Dance-ing Devon.
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July 7th, 2008
posted by Cptn
Devon County Council has welcomed the decision of the Boundary Committee that a single unitary council is the preferred option for the county. Geographically it will be exactly the same as the county council (you know excluding Plymouth and Torbay), but the cost of setting it up will be saved by spending money to make the change… apparently.
Oh, and we’ll get ‘neighbourhood empowerment schemes’, which sound to us like they used to be called local democracy. Goodbye, Teignbridge, South Hams, North Devon, Mid-Devon and East Devon Councils. But these are just proposals and there’s a 12-week consultation period.
“It is envisaged a neighbourhood empowerment scheme would create 28 Community Boards based around the 28 market towns of Devon, together with a City Board for Exeter with broader responsibilities,” says the notes in the press release.
“All structural change has a cost,” say the notes. “However, we are of the view that those costs would be minimised by the creation of a county-wide unitary in Devon.” Hmm, a county-wide unitary that is the same as the county council.
Sounds like a loud of hooey to us. Bureaucratic tinkering that is institution-based and not people/services based. Another erosion of grass-roots accountability.
This is a joint statement from Devon County Council, the Leader, Cllr Brian Greenslade, and Shadow Leader, Cllr John Hart, bare in mind that this ‘going forward’ is to create something that is the same as what’s already there:
“We welcome today’s announcement and are pleased that the Boundary Committee has seen strength in the argument put forward by a number of councils that a single unitary council for Devon is best placed to cut costs, deliver value for money and reduce the burden of Council Tax.
“We believe that keeping Devon strong and united will ensure the capacity to manage major services like education and social care for the elderly and to make the big investments needed to invigorate the County’s economy and prosperity as a whole.
“At the same time we think it also provides the best option for delivering high quality, responsive and accountable local services across the whole of Devon.
“We are particularly pleased that the Boundary Committee has emphasised the importance of devolving power to local communities via local Community Boards and a powerful City Board for Exeter which was such a major feature of our original submission.
“We recognise that this announcement is only one milestone on a long journey which will have a huge impact on our great County and we will now wish to involve all partners and stakeholders in planning for the future.”
“In the meantime, we pledge that the County Council will remain focussed on providing frontline services whilst we go through the remaining stages of the review.”
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July 7th, 2008
posted by Cptn
Spend the week unwaxing your ears - Freesound Radio will skip onto the airwaves in Plymouth on 106.6fm on Friday.
Broadcasting from Plymouth Arts Centre, this is Freesound Radio’s second year, and the project is in collaboration with Rio – the Real Ideas Organisation.
And as a platform for the city’s creativity, on the radio station: “local musicians, artists, poets and playwrights fill the daytime programme with their creative output. The evening airwaves resonate with a vibrant and eclectic mix of the best and rarest music from every genre, provided by the city’s DJs. The future of Plymouth can be heard when programmes and political debate created by school pupils go on air.”
So, that’s Freesound Radio, in Plymouth, all summer on 106.6fm.
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July 7th, 2008
