the project as initially conceived:
In 2021 theatre of the sea invites you to collaborate with us in creating a new artwork, a 'social sculpture' based on the change-making ideas of Rudolf Steiner and artist Joseph Beuys. Led by directors Horst and Jennifer Kornberger we will form a learning hub, building capacity in community and harnessing the potential of the group for making transformative theatre. We will move, speak and improvise scenes and micro-myths for our time. As the title of the work suggests, audience members will not spectate, but join us to rehearse the future we wish to inhabit.
Stage one of the rehearsal is an eight-week process and is open to anyone with an interest in personal and societal transformation. No previous performance experience is necessary, but courage to enter artistic processes is requisite.
The artwork is enabled by contributions from participants in line with the ideals of community-supported culture.
time Tuesday nights 6.30 pm - 8.30 pm
dates Feb 9, 16, 23, March 2, 9, 16, 23, 30
start postponed to Feb 16 because of lockdown
plus 4 performances for BRINK festival
Thursday 25th 7.00 pm
Saturday 27th 4.00 pm
Saturday 27th 7.00 pm
Sunday 28th 10.00 am
venue The Naval Store, Corner of Canning Hwy and Queen Victoria St, Fremantle
cost a considered contribution (according to gift economy)
to apply until completion of our current project no new troupe members are admitted
to join the core group later in the year click here and fill in the form
what is social sculpture?
Social sculpture was the term that artist Joseph Beuys used for any art that aims to shape and transform society or the environment. Beuys saw the interaction of human beings as a sculptural space that could be shaped, metaphorically, in the same way as a clay sculpture. The social sculptor uses language, thoughts, actions, performance and objects to effect positive change. Beuys held the view that society itself could become one great artwork to which every person could contribute creatively.
in what way is The Rehearsal a social sculpture?
The Rehearsal is inspired by Beuys’ idea of society as an artwork of collective creativity. The troupe that forms will experiment with the sculptural space ‘in between’ and the capacity to generate warmth as an artistic medium. We will work with Beuys’ expanded view of sculpture where invisible materials used by everyone such as how we mould our thoughts or shape them into words becomes part of our process. In The Rehearsal we model a microcosm of society where these sculptural elements are consciously enhanced to create strong atmospheres and transformative encounters. The Rehearsal is a rehearsal for life, it is not a ‘show’ or a ‘product’ to be consumed by an audience. In fact, there is no audience as such, there are invitees who can join the rehearsal after a certain point in the process, and participate in it.
community supported culture
New models for funding arts and artists have emerged that work with the aims of social sculpture. These models prioritise forming ongoing relationships that sustain the work of creative, independent artists in community. To live from our work, we rely on direct support from people who perceive the value of our creative work in community. You can make a contribution to enable The Rehearsal according to your means.
acting method and speech
Theatre of the Sea works with the imagination-based acting methods developed by Russian theatre practitioner Michael Chekov. His approach allows an excavation of the genuinely human within the art of acting; above all it is uniquely capable of lifting ensembles toward a collective inspiration.
Our process includes exercise in creative speech as well as an introduction to key concepts in social sculpture: the idea of society as the collective artwork of our time.