COME WANDER WITH ME

On Sept. 26+27 2015, we organised an Experimental (Performance) Art Trail in Colakilty, West Cork.
'Come Wander With Me' was the first edition of a new model of performance experiment which aims to bring together artists of all disciplines and to create a completely new audience experience.

The performances happened in eight unusual locations around the town, from your grandmother's sitting room to your local dreary car park. The audience was split into eight groups which simultaneously rotated between the performance venues. During the 10 days leading up to the public event the artists created their site specific performances, mentored by a team that pushed them to go beyond their habitual practice and to rethink their relationship to an audience as well as to space.

The event was curated by Darragh McLoughlin and Elena Lydia Kreusch and funded by the Festivals and Events Scheme of the Arts Council of Ireland. Eight artistic proposals were chosen across the country following an open call for projects.

By showcasing incredible, touching, weird, skillful, political performances in unexpected corners and locations, 'Come Wander With Me' added yet another number to Clon's long and ever growing list of quirky happenings, challenged the participants' perception of the town and shed light on spaces long forgotten.

We created the format hoping it would create a space of reflexion around audience experiences as well as artistic practices in their relation to space. By documenting the process we would like to make this performance experiment accessible to others and invite you all to give rise to a series of follow up projects in different parts of the world, establishing ‘Come Wander With Me’ as a reoccurring, nomadic event.