I made a rough start planning out an aesthetic for a performance based around political activism and performance art after researching Speaker’s Corner. I found out that there was once a Suffragette rally in that area which influenced the decision to name the square Speaker’s Corner, a place specially designed for people to go and exercise their freedom of speech. I researched the work of Debord and came across his piece Society of Spectacle, where my idea for the centre focus of my performance piece originates from.
- Banner in French (red paint) – “Le patron a besoin de toi, tu n’as pas besoin de lui” = “The boss needs you, you do not need him”. Now has two meanings – Capitalism and Feminism. Inspired by Debord’s Society of Spectacle.
- Girl #1 – Young girl dressed in modern dress, carrying modern teddy (recognisable character) and clear balloons with money in = dress covered in newspaper articles about female inequality, particularly unequal pay (e.g. day in November when technically don’t get paid). Dragging money balloons around the square – weighed down by money and Capitalism when should be free = childish innocence being destroyed, affects all women young and old, evokes Suffrage movement (rallies that happened then – if Capitalism and money weren’t there, that particular inequality wouldn’t exist. Even today she is still being oppressed – how far have we really come since these rallies? Only difference between then and now is that people are no longer in this spot protesting about it… but we are.
- Girl #2 – Adult Suffragette wearing period clothing (as accurate to the time as possible), tied to numerous authentic Suffragette placards with green and purple ribbon (Suffragette colours) = heritage of protest, being tied to something not moving/tied to the fight and tied together (comradeship)/tied as in restrained – so many ribbons that woman is tangled in them – restrained as in exercising restraint as a woman “should”.
- Girl #3 – Woman in own clothes stood with megaphone/microphone reading the same articles related to women and money that are on the girl’s dress. WE are protesting NOW – use the space for what it’s made for, continue the fight.
Additional ideas: Durational? Placards appear like a forest spanning a great deal of the square – resonates = ghosts of the women that once stood there. Young girl weaving inbetween the placards – lost, confused, everything against her.
End: young girl becomes exhausted from struggle and pops balloons, counts out money in desperation (needs food/water). Suffragette escapes from ribbons. Megaphone girl finishes articles.
Particularly prevalent in Speaker’s Corner – filled with BANKS and SHOPS = Capitalism/consumerism/money. Place of protest that lacks use – make use of it, it was made to make people remember their freedom of speech. A place where women campaigned for their rights, and still women are not equal, therefore we will do what they did.