Silvia Sant IN RESiDENCE at the School Montjuïc

Creating a link

Phase dedicated to getting to know each other and smoothing out any tension, shyness, resistance.
To become acquainted with the group, universe and approach.
Create a routine.
Provide autonomy.
The carpet.
Individual moments.
Build a structure based on scenes.

8 manners.

Inma Marco exhibition (10/11/2021)

The group undertook a field trip to the Souvenir gallery to view the Imma Marco exhibition, the resident artist at Montjuïc during the 19-20 academic year. The exhibition comprised different flags hung from the balconies of the Gràcia district, with messages associated with the use of technology and how we relate to it. One of these flags was created by the IN RESIDENCE group from the previous academic year and we saw it at the Fontana Youth Association, where there is also a video art piece made during the lockdown. It was a very moving experience, one which made us question and doubt how to make use of technology nowadays and its impacts.
 

Dinner at Graner (15/12/2021)

Before the Christmas holidays they went to dinner with Silvia Sant, the Graner team (Ariadna Miquel and Elena Carmona) and the mediator, Sonia Fernández. It was an opportunity to talk about the first term of the process, for Graner to know how Silvia was working and to set out a range of possibilities with a view towards the second term.

Sessions at the Graner (26 January and 9 March)

Given that Institut Montjuïc is already a centre that closely collaborates with Graner as they are very close to each other, we were able to do a couple of sessions at the rehearsal rooms of the creation centre. It was an opportunity to get to know the facilities up close, to see the spaces where the professional dance artists such as the La Bolsa group work, and also to be able to talk to Joaquín Collado, who is in the research phase of his work Zoo. Swapping the classroom for a professional room was a very enriching experience because the group took on another attitude, and were even able to become more autonomous and participative. It was during the first session at Graner that the name of the show appeared for the first time: Welcome to the Black Hole.

Rèquiem, a show by Pere Faura, at the Mercat (4/02/2021)

The IN RESIDENCE group were invited to the Mercat de les Flors theatre to see some commented scenes from Pere Faura’s Rèquiem. In addition to this experience, they were able to take a tour of the theatre in order to see the different spaces and put the work of the people that work there into context.

Mash-up session (22/02/2021)

Due to the covid measures implemented by the school, the mash-up session with the teaching staff was performed remotely. There was an online meeting with the Year 10 teaching staff and the school's management team, with the attendance of Carles Giner, Elisa Bernal and Anna Pantinat. Two students, Àfrica and Fàtima, also participated to represent the group. Each person on the IN RESIDENCE team explained the context of the programme, the key aspects of this year’s process and the teachers and students shared their experiences. Silvia created a photographic montage of the images recorded by Elies (which were very representative of what had been happening in the classroom) and was able to explain the starting points of her process. As always, we ran out of time and it was a shame not to be able to have this experience in person. In spite of this, the Montjuïc team is very close to the project and tries to assist as best it can whenever possible.

Sessions at the Mercat (16 March, 6 April, 27 April)

As the process advanced it was proposed to have some sessions at the Sala Pina Bausch at the Mercat. Swapping the school setting for the Mercat to do rehearsals was a very good opportunity to work in a professional space and get used to the architecture of a large theatre for a few days, the one that would be hosting their public presentation in a few months.

Opening of a session (23/03/2021)

Before breaking up for the Easter holidays, the decision was taken with Sylvia to perform a small sample of some of the physical materials that they had been working on in recent weeks. The audience was the Year 11 group with the teacher Imma Solé. The aim of this proposal was for the students to gain a little bit of experience of having spectators to see how it affected them when performing the material. Being able to start tidying up the material on which they had been working for months was also a challenge for Sylvia.


Sharing the process with another creator (13/04/2021)

The session was also attended by Viviani Calvitti, a choreographer and friend of Silvia and also an IN RESIDENCE artist this year at INS Barri Besòs with the Antic Teatre. It was a great opportunity for Silvia to feel supported by another creator who made some very interesting contributions to the work.


General rehearsal at the Mercat (11/05/2021)

The students did the final rehearsal before the opening performance and saw how the different scenes came together with the technical unfolding of the fly loft.

Opening performance at the Mercat (12/05/2021)

On the day of the opening performance, the group finally did two sessions in the morning and the Year 10 and Year 11 groups from the school were invited to attend. During the performances, the group became aware of the scenic impact of all the content and they were really engaged in the process

Close (18/05/2021)

We find ourselves one week after the presentation of the result of the residence. Silvia brings her diagram of the scenes so that the group can complete it with words, impressions and drawings, with something that they want to take away from the experience. It is an opportunity to transform our piece into something else. This diagram would remain at the school. We say goodbye to one another by thanking everyone and there is a feeling that we now need to move onto something else and leave that process behind.

We also use this session to record some interviews with Silvia, Vincent and the students Jose Mari and Aitana.