Fertile Darkness:November (Re-enactment), 2019

Performed by Julia Kiely, Camilla Stacey, Nina Fenner, Leila Galloway, and Kate Southworth
Part of the solo exhibition Fertile Darkness, 2019

On Wednesday 30 October 2019 we let go of the summer light and moved together into the darkness of winter. Marking Samhain, we gathered to share readings and reflections on darkness while eating garlic cloves. By collectively acknowledging the turn of the season we prepared ourselves for the inward journey, for stillness.

We began with sixty seconds of silence. One performer started to read, and others joined when they felt drawn to do so. We attempted to speak and listen at once, sometimes choosing silence. During those pauses, we ate garlic. When the readings came to rest, we returned to silence. The ritual was complete.

This re-enactment revisited a ritual devised in 2006 by Kate Southworth and the late Patrick Simons, first performed with Ruth Catlow and Marc Garrett. View the archive video of the performance here.