Biosphere: Maya Verlaak – Out of sight

Biosphere: Maya Verlaak – Out of sight

Wednesday, 2 September 2020, 7.00pm

****IMPORTANT ATTENDANCE ANNOUNCEMENT****
In light of recent State restrictions on outdoor cultural events, we are now moving Biosphere completely online. This decision was made in order to create the safest and therefore most enjoyable space possible for Biosphere (now virtual) attendees, artists, Kirkos players and production crew. 
Almost all performances will be streamed live on our website via Twitch as well as Instagram Live, and the entire week will be carefully and professionally documented and available to watch in the weeks after the event. 

Full week schedule updates & live performances on our website : www.kirkosensemble.com/biosphere-live

Wednesday performance:
Maya Verlaak - Out of sight
7pm
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As we begin to reconnect with each other and the world around us, Kirkos are emerging from lockdown to present Biosphere, a radical set of free, outdoor-based experimental encounters, taking place from September 1st-6th at various locations around Dublin. From sound art, to pop-up concerts, to installations and interventions, the programme across the week involves works by Irish and international composers that find new, beautiful ways to explore our relationship with Dublin’s natural & built environment as we confront the climate crisis.

Covid-19 and the rapid encroachment of the climate crisis have heightened awareness within the music world that business as usual may be short-lived, if it ever truly returns. Biosphere is centered on works truly designed to be performed outdoors, which could have no life in a conventional concert space. Taken in total, these works form an artistic commentary on our current moment of reckoning with the reality of the climate crisis. Kirkos will use the encounters across the week as an opportunity to experiment in tracking and reducing the carbon footprint of music events. Following the event, a report on the footprint incurred with analysis on reductions achieved, as well as areas for improvement, will be published on the Kirkos website and shared with ensembles around the world

With the outdoors as our “venue”, all contributing artists have ventured on new artistic endeavours by designing nature into the fabric of their work; making the environment inseparable from the music. The chosen surroundings as well as the environmental impact and theme of the works (from creation, to rehearsals, to performance) were carefully considered by composers and Kirkos when creating the programme of encounters. While the exact lineup and locations will be announced one week prior to the event, the audience can expect:
- A performance of Tai Chi inside a Zorb ball filled with shredded single use plastic
- A string quartet in the sea with the tide rising till it immerses them and their instruments
- A Zoom call across Dublin Bay
- Improvisational text pieces inviting our online followers to take their plant on a walk
- A solo horn player battling the tide and the dangers of rising sea levels
- A piece structured around the Clare v Galway 2018 All-Ireland semi-final (replayed by 2 people instead of 30, and this time played over a salvaged piano at a beach…)
- Many more captivating, shocking & moving adventures of the imagination.

Our contributing artists are engaged in multiple media, but come from the core disciplines of music ( Tom Lane, Susan Geaney, Nick Roth, Robert Coleman, Paul Scully, Jennifer Walshe, Patrick Ellis, Sebastian Adams, Andy Ingamells, Seán Clancy), interdisciplinary art (Natasha Bourke) dance (Laura Sarah Dowdall), and theatre (Joan Somers Donnelly).
All works will be performed by members of Kirkos, sometimes with the addition of the composers.

*Exact lineup, performance times & locations will be announced & available one week before the series on our website.
www.kirkosensemble.com/biosphere
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#biospheretravel
If in a position to attend physically, we invite our attendees to share their journey (travel distance, time and mode) to the event with us. The information collected from each attendee will then be included in the Biosphere report and the overall calculation & analysis of the carbon footprint incurred over the week.
We encourage those attending to consider the carbon footprint of their travel choice, and so suggest taking public transport/cycling/walking/sharing a lift where possible instead of driving individually.

Attendance Guidelines:
Biosphere can be enjoyed by attending physically in person or by following the event online through our social platforms and the Kirkos website. All event information as well as constant updates on happenings over the week will be available online.
Both physical and online engagement is encouraged, however we ask those physically attending to please take note of the attendance guidelines:
We kindly ask attendees to bring their own mask and respect social distancing guidelines by maintaining a 2m distance between themselves and performers as well as other attendees.
Hand sanitizer and additional masks will be provided at all locations.
The Kirkos team will monitor the crowd according to guidelines at all times.
Kirkos will continue to monitor NPHET advice and will modify Biosphere events as needed in order to ensure compliance.
The safety of attendees, performers and the Kirkos team is our main priority.

Massive thank you to The Arts Council and Dublin City Council for their funding for this project.
Event artwork designed by the exceptionally talented Éna Brennan.

Biosphere - September 1st - 6th 2020 - Free - Sandymount Strand, Hellfire Club, Woodenbridge & many more.

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Published by Clare.Kirkos on 6 August 2020

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