Mount Stewart, Co. Down

Oct 2022

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This performance work was developed in response to and funded by the Beyond Skin 100 Project. Bringing 100 women together in several workshop sessions, Beyond Skin led the groups in a series of thoughtful and creative writing events. After sharing these sessions each participant produced a page for a the book that has been buried in the grounds of Mount Stewart for 100 years.  

Listening to the shared stories highlighted the repetition of themes of loving and labour as significant and collective. 

The making of this performance drew on biographical descriptions of responsibility, continuity, repetition, support, burdens, patience and pain. The cyclical action of back breaking motion involves the incremental increase of the weight of responsibility or burden. The act of sharing, or gifting places a burden or responsibility on the receiver. Some witnesses accepted the gift, some declined. 

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Performance duration: 1hour

Videographer: Elaine McGinn

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