Seminar with Gordon McCall
12 June 2008
- Room 213, Building 68 (Performing Arts Complex)
- Monash University Clayton campus
- 5:00 pm
Working Title: Hot Water: The Sacred and the Sonic
By Gordon McCall, Purdue University
There’s little doubt that many people today remain suspicious of abstract notions and concepts, such as Global Warming. Hot Water: The Sacred and The Sonic, hopes to contribute to the shifting of public attitudes about this issue by illuminating the beauty and necessity for preservation of precious water. Beginning with months of intensive research into the impact and nuance of sound upon our perceptions of water we will create a foundation block for our developing international theatre presentation, which is intended to include collaborators from educational institutions and professional theatres in America, Australia and Canada.
The Problem
While we have available to us what appears to be vast amounts of scientific research highlighting the effects of global warming on our climate, economy, and physical well-being, there appears to be relatively scant evidence of the effects of this seismic event as it relates to our psychological relationship with our changing environment, particularly as this notion applies to one of the most essential elements of our survival. That element is water.
Significance of the Problem
We need to bring this aspect of our human journey more into the forefront of discussion on both an individual and societal basis, if we are to more fully understand and positively affect the negative impact of global warming on our planet. I believe that too little is known of the loss we are suffering emotionally and spiritually because our intangible relationship to water is not easily accessed for some people. Either they are unaware that there is an intangible relationship or they reject the science that has conclusively demonstrated the threat to our planet, or they feel it’s someone else’s problem.
Our mission is to establish collaboration between arts, science and engineering that will break down this resistance and open a more powerful conduit to the soul. We will reach the head by going through the heart. In doing this we must activate more engagement with the essential but intangible aspect of our relationship to water. We need research into key elements that generate and influence our intangible dependency on this liquid life-force. Once done, we must contact people and influence public opinion through a medium tailored to have maximum impact. That medium is theatre. Theatre enables us to awaken more people to activism on behalf of the planet by inspiring change in ways no other communication medium can. Audiences will experience a specially constructed theatrical production that provides insight into the essential nature of our psychic bond with water; let’s call that relationship, sacred.
Plan Of Research
At Purdue I have established a strong working relationship with Professor Rick Thomas, an internationally recognized artist in the field of theatre sound design. Rick and I are in the initial stages of exploring the resources of the Center For Global Soundscapes, recently established at Purdue University by Professor Bryan Pijanowski to house the extraordinary soundscapes of legendary film composer and sound designer, Bernie Krause. Our research with the Center will be among the first to explore its potential, particularly our ability to “ continuously pursue the development of soundscapes as essential elements in support of the communication of the theatre experience”. 1 In short, we are conceiving elements of this project to specifically fulfill that mission.
Professor Thomas and I will, over the course of the summer, develop a vocabulary of water that may include samples from the archive, Professor Thomas’ own archives and newly created soundscapes specifically created for this project.
In Melbourne, Australia where I have been an international guest director and lecturer at the Melbourne Theatre Company and the University of Melbourne, Victorian College of the Arts, I have enlisted the enthusiastic support of colleagues to move this project forward. To that end I will travel to Melbourne in June to gather specific resources, to meet with colleagues, plan our collaborative infrastructure and research the unique Australian perspective on the value of water in society. These colleagues include Simon Phillips, Artistic Director of The Melbourne Theatre company, Hannie Rayson, celebrated Australian playwright (eg. Life After George), Michael Cathcart, whose research includes the cultural history of water in Australia, and Shaun Gurton, award-winning scenic designer.
- Pijanowski, Brian. /Proposal to Establish a Center for Global Soundscapes./ Internal e-mail to Richard K. Thomas, 11 December, 2007, p.12.