RAQUEL MESEGUER ZAFE
A Crash Course in Cloudspotting
An invitation to pause.
To rest.
To listen.
A Crash Course in Cloudspotting is an intimate audio journey exploring the depths of human connection and the subversive act of lying down.
Over the past five years Raquel Meseguer Zafe has collected over 250 stories from people living with invisible disabilities and chronic illnesses around the country.
This immersive audio installation invites you into the heart of these personal experiences. In this fragile and beautiful space, resters from across the country will illuminate your horizontal journey with a gentle choreography of lights, activated in the space by patterns of rest we so rarely see.
Visit the Cloudspotting Archive to read a constellation of Cloudspotter stories and add your own.
If you are interested in presenting A Crash Course in Cloudspotting then visit our programmer’s information page or contact Kate
Raquel Meseguer Zafe is a UK based dance theatre practitioner.
She acknowledges 'crip' as a tool in her artistic process, and 'rest' as a creative impulse. Raquel is the artistic director of Unchartered Collective, a Lost Dog Associate Artist, and a Pervasive Media Studios Resident. Her work is supported by Unlimited and MAYK.
Conceived by Raquel Meseguer Zafe. Devised in collaboration with Artist & Theatre Designer Sophia Clist, Composer & Sound Artist Jamie McCarthy, Associate Artist Laura Dannequin, Artist Tom Metcalfe, Sound Designer Charles Webber. Publication Design by Lily Green (No Bindings). Commissioned by Unlimited & Camden Alive. Produced by MAYK. Supported using public funds by Arts Council England.
Credits
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Resting stories written and read by: Indigo Ayling, Anna Berry, Abbie May Hastings, Justine Mclaughlin, Andy Morgan and Pilar Sanchez.
Conceived by Raquel Meseguer. Devised in collaboration with Artist & Theatre Designer Sophia Clist, Dramaturge Laura Dannequin, Composer & Sound Artist Jamie McCarthy, Artist Tom Metcalfe, Sound Designer Charles Webber.
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Produced by MAYK. Commissioned by Camden Alive, Co-commissioned by Unlimited & MAYK. Supported using public funding by Arts Council England and Paul Hamlyn Foundation.
The original production was commissioned by Unlimited and co-commissioned & produced by Ovalhouse.
“This piece is one of the most significant Unlimited have supported, as it redefines not just who can become involved but how. For too long access has ignored the needs of a significant proportion of disabled people - those with energy related impairments. This work makes the invisible visible, and gives agency over to those who are usually ‘unseen’. And it does so beautifully, showing us that we are truly equal after all.”
— Jo Verrent, Unlimited
“Beguiling and thoughtful … the show lets us imageine ourselves as part of a web reaching out across the world”
— Exeunt Magazine
“A piece of genius. The detail, depth of meaning, creative nuance, atmosphere, narrative, pace, intimacy.... so good.””
— Audience Member
Technical information
Floor Area
The installation & performance space is ideally 10m x 10m. This space should not be cold or draughty to ensure audience comfort.
Height
The installation hangs from a 3m diameter aluminium truss. We need to hang this from 4 points on the diameter of the circle. We need a minimum height of 5m.
Weight
The overall weight is estimated at 150 kilos (TBC Jan 2021). Our production manager assures us this should be easy to achieve in theatres with a lighting rig and other hanging points. Gallery spaces can be considered but would need to have the appropriate rated points.
Internet
We require a fast and uninterrupted internet connection. The toured computer plugs in to this connection and controls the LEDs as 24 people perform remotely, using light as a metaphor for presence. This will visually communicate their real-time patterns of rest, and create a bridge between audience in the installation and people often absented from cultural spaces by their conditions.
Access information for venues
The installation & performance space should be wheelchair accessible and have accessible parking.
We would ask for the space to be fragrance free for the run.
We are developing Audio Description and working with a BSL interpreter to make the work accessible to blind and deaf audiences. These editions require extra funding to deliver.
We provide audio descriptions of the copy, booklet and the app itself. The experience is not accessible for audiences who is profoundly deaf, but is accessible for those who use a hearing aid or have some hearing.