One to Watch: Kate Stannard

How long have you been involved with the NRLA now, and how has your work developed over the years?

I first performed as a Platform Artist in 2003 (Platform subsequently became Elevator) and then as a one year on artist and in 2006 as a
commissoned artist, I have also been a Scottish selector for elevator
work which was really exciting. Very few organisations offer the
opportunity for artists to develop in this way, so its has been
amazing opportnity for me to develop such a relationship with the festival. My solo works has always tended to be action and image based
performance/installations. Over the years they have taken different
forms: a 30 minute performance, a 7 hour durational performance and a
collection of 5 minute one to ones.

What makes the NRLA so important for live artists?

For me it's the intense sense of the community it creates for its
duration if not longer. It has always acted as a breeding ground for
my own artistic inspiration and gives me a feeling of support that I
often struggle with, as a solo live artist living in Scotland. The fact
that the such an huge international performance festival is based in
Glasgow has been key, along with the Contemporary Performance Practice programme in creating a cultural context enabling many more artists to live and work in Scotland.

Who are looking forward to seeing this year?

When I first opened the New Territories brochure this year I could not
believe just what an amazing programme of artists and work it was.
In terms of my own taste in live art and performance, it was as if
Nikki Millican had programmed my ideal festival. The downside is that because
my own durational performance that runs throughout the whole festival,
I will be missing nearly all of this inspiring work! The programme
contains artists with whom I made so many connections in past years
and just reading the catalogue has evoked many important NRLA memories for me. If I was to say who I am most excited about seeing this year, to be honest, I would list the whole programme. However special to me would be Marie Cool and Fabio Balducci, La Ribot, STELARC and Lee Wen - they would be my unmissable artists.

What do you have lined up for this year?

Immediately post-NRLA, I hope to facilitate a performance project
with three CPP4 student artists as part of the RSAMD's On The Verge
festival at The Arches in June. However, my year long focus is to
continue my research and development of a module within the CPP
programme called 'Daily Practice'. This module is designed to provide
students with a physical practice that develops mind-body awareness to
enhance the creative making process and performance ability. I am also
in the middle of a Postgraduate Certificate in Higher Arts education
and so have lots of keep my busy until the end of the year.

How does Live Art fit with the CPP course at RSAMD?

The CPP programme is dedicated to creating, reinventing and exploring new methodologies for creating performance work which respond to a variety of contested and socially engaged contexts, which to my mind is exactly the same as the context for live art. The CPP staff team is made up largely of artists with their own artistic practice and areas of personal interest whether experimental theatre, action based performance, or performance specifically located in social and community contexts. In addition, we all share the same artistic and pedagogical ideologies which are embodied in the CPP programme. Live art happens to be my particular area of interest.