Sarah Pierce: Campus Call Out

Sarah Pierce, Campus, 2011, 2012, 2017 | Group performance with fabric curtains. Original script by Sarah Pierce. Text adapted from JoAnna Commandaros’ instructions to sculpture students in a 3-dimensional sculpture class, University of Pittsburgh. Archival materials courtesy the University of Pittsburgh, University Archives Information Files, Civil Rights Archives.

John Hansard Gallery will present a comprehensive survey of Sarah Pierce’s art practice from the early 2000s until now.

Titled Scene of the Myth, the exhibition explores her expansive art practice, which consists of installations, performances, archives, talks and papers. Pierce’s interests include radical pedagogies, student work, learning communities, rebellions, and historical figures.

A large body of recent works relates to Sarah Pierce’s interest in the figure of the student, in particular the art student, and the relationship between teaching and learning, politics and art-making.

The John Hansard Gallery exhibition will feature a significant selection of projects with students, who are regular collaborators in her work, including Campus (2011), a repeated performance by art students that mirrors repetitious acts in how art is understood, made, and installed.

John Hansard Gallery is seeking Expressions of Interest from local people to take part in enacting Campus, which should involve seven hours of your time on the following dates:

  • Saturday 28 September: 1 hour introduction to each other and John Hansard Gallery
  • Thursday 3 October: 2 hour workshop with Sarah Pierce
  • Friday 4 October at 7pm: Campus Performance
  • Saturday 9 November at 2pm: Campus Performance
  • Saturday 7 December at 2pm: Campus Performance
  • December date TBC, one hour post-project evaluation gathering with John Hansard Gallery.

The length of Campus

A single cycle of Campus lasts about 8 minutes. To complete the performance, Campus is repeated again and needs space between the two iterations. Including the group gathering, performances and breaks, Campus can be performed in less than 1 hour.

Expressions of Interest

  • This is a paid opportunity with an honorarium of per participant £140 plus travel expenses
  • Suitable for people aged 18+
  • No prior experience necessary – amateurs and non-performers are welcome
  • The initiative may be of interest to current art students or recent graduates and students from other disciplines, such as sociology, political science, architecture, dance, theatre studies, etc.
  • The performances will be documented for archive and communication purposes

Please let us know why you want to take part (200 words max). Please include your name and contact details, and links to any relevant supporting documentation and send to [email protected]

Application Deadline: Monday 16 September 2024

For more information, please contact [email protected] or [email protected] by Friday 6 September 2024.

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