“Go to the edge of your creativity and jump off”-Do it by Robert “Passion” Gibson

The above quote from Robert “Passion Poet” Gibson’s poem on Sunday evening aptly describes Projects & Space and the Three Chairs Project it hosted at the end of January. Inspired by projects such as Alice Yard, in Trinidad, Sheena Rose returned to Barbados determined to create a group, which allowed artists from varying disciplines to network and form a thriving artistic community. In Barbados where spaces for artistic expressions are so limited and where artists are usually isolated from each other, she thought it necessary for them to create their own projects and spaces from which their art can expand and grow.  Even though she is the one with the vision, Sheena is adamant to say that “The group is not mine.” It belongs first and foremost to the artists of Barbados and to others who wish to support networking and cross-pollination within the Arts.

Photography by Amery Butcher

The Three Chairs event on Sunday, 29^th of January was a shining example of artists owning Projects & Space and of Sheena being the facilitator and encourager.   Though originally planned to take place on the Bay Street Esplanade, due to inclement weather and loud music the project was shifted to the car park across the street with a beautifully weather stained shed as its backdrop. The performance space was created when Sheena placed three simple chairs on the asphalt and invited all artists to take part.  The only rules were: use the chairs as you see fit and be encouraging to whoever is performing.

When I asked her about how she came up with the concept of Three Chairs, Sheena said that she wanted a project which allowed art whether spoken or written to happen anywhere. She also noted that a simple project protected the group from police interference since it is easier to pack up and move somewhere else without having to clash with law enforcement.  Hearing this concern from Sheena, alerted me to the way in which the laws of a country limit the advancement of Artistic development.  One would think a society’s law would encourage its young artists to find healthy and affordable outlets for expanding their creativity.  As one artist noted “We don’t have the money to rent out galleries and theatres, and if you look at it, how many of the everyday people would come to those places?  Isn’t it better to bring art to the people wherever they are?”  Despite the fact that a group like Projects & Space could address these concerns,  the underlying fear of being disbanded by police for the simple reason of not asking “permission” for gathering together showed the oppressive nature of the law in Barbados as it relates to artistic expression.  Though this concern of Sheena’s did not dim the excitement and willingness of the artists at the event, its existence made me acutely aware of the need for governing institutions to re-examine existing laws that marginalize and impede the growth of artistic social development.  Laws can and should be changed to ensure that all have a free and equal chance to achieve the height of their potential. Despite this, Projects & Space endeavored to work as best as they could within the boundaries of the law while trying to create their own space. The Three Chairs Project was so flexible that if anything it displayed deference to the law.  This was a creative and inspiring achievement which is commendable.

Photo by Janelle Griffith. Taken from Projects & Space Blog

That evening between, 3:30pm and 6pm with an audience of more than 50, there was almost twenty performances from writers, actors, spoken word artists, singers, dancers and visual artists.  It began with an avant garde, ice breaker drama performed by Simone Padmore and Sheena Rose based on their experience of being women living in Barbados and overseas. The entire performance was held together by continuous refrains of the Bajan phrases “Furreal” and “Cheese on bread” which one performer uttered as the other told her story.  Each girl sat in two chairs, leaving one in the middle for anyone to jump in and tell their own story while using another Bajan phrase as a refrain.  Though no one else joined in, the experience was like watching two girlfriends talk on the phone as they shared their dreams and experiences.  The truthfulness of this first performance created a sense of identification between observers and performers which created a comfortable atmosphere for other artists to share their work during the rest of the evening.

Photography by Amery Butcher

That evening The Three Chairs was an opportunity for artists from all walks of life, experience levels and genres to come together not only to encourage but also to expand each other’s artistic repertoire by giving each other the space to create in anyway their whimsy allowed.  There was a performance by local gospel reggae artist, Gozzy who sang his song “Jesus”. There were also experienced spoken word artistes like  Rhyminster and Robert Passion poet who displayed  “sick mad skills!” In addition to experienced artists and performers, they were those who sought to come out of their comfort zone to try new art forms.  An example of this would be the silent drama of a man feeding a cat performed by Rodney Aarons Massiah and Shanika Sealy. As you can see from the photos, Shanika’s cat costume was ingenious and Rodney’s mask was eerie.  The drama’s simplicity made it even more profound as the relationship between man and cat could be viewed as a relationship between man and woman, man and society or even man and God.  Despite being trained in visual arts, these two artists produced one of the most memorable performances of the evening.  Overall, the variety of artists and performers that night who brought together their own experiences and world views displayed that in Projects and Space there  was no place for biases or intimidation, just support and encouragement.

Photography by Amery Butcher

While all performances that evening were entertaining, some drove one to self examination. This was evident in the dramatization of Sylvia Plath’s poem “Mad Girl’s Love Song” by Natalie Mcguire, Carlie Pipe and Mikey Rap.  Dressed in a hot red, figuring hugging short dress with heavy makeup, and wild, flowing hair, Carlie recited the poem from her Kindle Fire. Mikey, the love interest of her poem sat silently on a chair as Natalie taped papers with words such as “Slut” and “Whore” on Carlie as she read. It was a stark visual presentation of the way in which or personal emotions can be misconstrued by others who in turn, use their assumptions to literally label us.  This reminded onlookers of all the times when we judged someone based on a misconceptions we may have of their intentions.

Photography by Amery Butcher

However, while some performance drove one to self examination others were very instructive.  Debbie-Ann Estwick’s, Action Art piece was a great of example of a performance that taught as much as it entertained. Barring the beauty of her performance product, she really showed that an artist should be prepared to do their art wherever and whenever. Armed with her paints and canvas in the car, Debbie came out with a bottle of water and compact painting pallets in a tool box. And right there on the asphalt in one of the three chairs, she created an abstract art piece which she said represented her individuality. The lesson:  If a carpenter never leaves home without his tools, why should an artist be any different?

Photography by Amery Butcher

Despite the vibrant nature of this event, my only misgiving of the evening was the lack of interest which passersby displayed towards the project. It was a busy Sunday afternoon with people hanging out on the beach across the way and playing basketball in the courts but hardly anyone decided to investigate or stay. One passerby looked over a wall, dismissively shouted “Okay” and promptly walked away.  Those who came and stayed seemed to be impressed and inspired by the project but the general reaction of other passersby that Sunday, highlighted the need for a group like Projects & Space to force society to accept and support artists and their endeavors more.  Coincidentally, some of those who visited the Three Chairs Project where from the local TV news agency, CBC, hopefully, this chance meeting would lead to more societal awareness of a group like Projects & Space which recognizes that a society cannot exist without its artists and artists cannot exist without their societies.

For the future, Sheena’s major concern is the continuation of Projects & Space when she travels. The group belongs to all artists and she doesn’t want it to die because she isn’t there. She firmly believes that artists need to come together to create their own Projects & Spaces. “What’s the next Project? Where’s the space?”  You may have the answer to these questions. Projects & Space is potpourri of creative energies that can leave you more inspired and hopeful of the future of arts in Barbados so let’s help keep it alive. Here is a video she posted recently about the future of Projects and Space: