JO HELLIER & YAS CLARKE

The Water is Wide

20 drummers pass a beat between them over a kilometer, until the sound has travelled the 4910km between Arnolfini and the Pemaquid Point Lighthouse, Bristol Peninsula, Maine USA.

34 Bristols was a unique performance event showcasing 34 UK artists across Bristol.

From a small village in New Brunswick to a ghost town owned by a mining corporation in Nevada there are thirty four places in the world called Bristol.

As part of 34 Bristols MAYK worked with Jo Hellier and Yas Clarke. For 34 Bristols, Jo and Yas performed The Water is Wide, a group performance which took place on Bristol’s harbourside.

4910km is the distance between Arnolfini and Pemaquid Point Lighthouse, Bristol Peninsula, Maine, USA. We want to physically manifest and perform this distance on a scale we can understand so we can begin to contemplate what it might mean. 20 drummers spread out over a kilometre will pass a beat between them, until the sound has travelled the 4910km. The movement of these drum strokes will happen at the speed of sound – in total it will take 4h 29s until the distance has been covered.

Jo Hellier makes art that takes a surreal stance to examine humanity in explicit detail. Often her work stems from personal history but is always greatly expanded to study an event in a wider context. She uses installation, sound, video and performance to make carefully layered work that is fat with connections.

Yas Clarke is a sound artist and composer working primarily with computers. Yas designs sound and music for installation, performance and video. He specialises in creating custom software and hardware that allows audiences to interact with content in unusual and innovative ways.

The Water Is Wide is the second project that Jo and Yas have collaborated on, having recently presented Jo’s work 97 Years at Mayfest, SPILL Festival of Performance, and Buzzcut.

Funders & Partners

34 Bristols was a collaboration between Arnolfini, Bristol Old Vic, In Between Time, MAYK, M-SHED, Residence, Spike Island and Theatre Bristol. The project was supported by Jerwood Charitable Foundation and Arts Council England

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