In a series of podcasts, broadcast through listening stations, 12 artists brought together by Fuel Theatre will invoke questions around the very British pastime of waiting, such as: when was the last time you laughed out loud in a post office queue; were inspired while waiting for the bus; or contemplated something beautiful because your friend was running late?
The 12 artists, including Paul Clark, Victoria Melody, Tim Etchells and Lewis Gibson, have each created a podcast which is a different meditation on the idea of waiting. Installed in a bespoke listening station these podcasts will surprise, delight and intrigue you while they wait.
March’s podcast Waiting… For the late Miguel Romero is by Chris Fittock with input from Dr Maria Alvare, Reader in Philosopy at Kings College London. Referencing on the theories of French Philosopher Henri Bergson, who describes our perception of time as a series of film-like frames, he offers an explanation on a more fluid approach, in which even seemingly fixed objects like mountains eventually erode.
Of his podcast Chris writes:
“When approaching the idea of waiting, I was interested in waiting as a liminal experience: a transitory, ambiguous and sometimes disorientating state of in-betweenness. As a threshold between states, it can be devoid of the familiar points of reference that we use to affirm our own identities. It is a space in which we can begin to ask: “who am I?”
February’s podcast Waiting… In a Queue is by visual and performing artist Victoria Melody in collaboration with Dr. Alan Latham, Professor of Urban Geography at UCL. The podcast investigates the customs of the queue essential to British culture.
Victoria writes of her podcast:
“I have been a fan of queuing and the English for my entire adult life. In preparation for this pod cast I have been conducting research out in the field. To make this research more scientific and to give a more accurate, over view, I have queued in the South where I live now and in the North where I am from originally. It’s been riveting as you can imagine. This pod cast presents my findings. Backed up by facts, history, stories and sweeping statements, my favorite.”
January’s podcast Waiting… Now is by Paul Clark Co-Artistic Director of Clod Ensemble in collaboration with Bill Brewer, Susan Stebbing Professor of Philosophy at King’s College London featuring cellist Chris Allan.
This is a 10 minute piece of music for cello, banjo and (as the lead instrument) 150 voicemails, intended to be listened to on headphones. It is a reflection on those relatively short moments – at a bus stop or in a waiting room – where we can steal a few minutes to reflect, let our minds wander, make up a tune, work something out. Or we can check our electrical devices.
Enjoy this free exhibition at ARC which runs all day on Wednesday 7 and Thursday 8 May, and see what you can take away from the experience next time you find yourself shuffling on a queue. It’ll be worth waiting for.
• Fuel presents While You Wait all day at ARC on Wednesday 7 and Thursday 8 May. The event is free and booking is not required.