Skip to main content

Documentation Bank

Between 2007 and 2012, LADA developed a Documentation Bank comprising an extensive range of artists’ ‘talking heads’ films, and documentation of selected LADA projects and artists’ works.

Materials in the Documentation Bank were used to create bespoke screening programmes for presentation in exhibitions, theatrical screening contexts and for festivals, in close collaboration with national and international partners. Screenings were tailored to address specific curatorial approaches and artistic concerns about and around Live Art and performance practices, and formed part of LADA’s ongoing programme Live Art Unpacked.

The artists in the Documentation Bank represented a wide range of practices and ideas that reflected the possibilities of Live Art practices, from body-based performance works and site-specific projects through to experimental theatre, event culture, installations and socially engaged practices.

Talking Heads

Short presentations by artists to camera about their practice. The artists approached the notion of a ‘talking head’ in inventive ways, resulting in engaging and insightful artworks.

A selection of ‘talking heads’ can be viewed on our Live Online Channel.

Artists’ Projects

The artists and companies whose work featured in the Documentation Bank include: Oreet Ashery, Franko B, Bobby Baker, Julia Bardsley, Anne Bean, Ansuman Biswas & Jem Finer, Blast Theory, George Chakravarthi, curious, Robin Deacon, Richard Dedomenici, Duckie, Yara El-Sherbini, Marcia Farquhar, Ernst Fischer, Forced Entertainment, FrenchMottershead, Gob Squad, Paul Granjon, Brian Lobel, Mad for Real, Stacy Makishi, Silke Mansholt, Tom Marshman, Howard Matthew, Jordan McKenzie, Mem Morrison, Harold Offeh, Kira O’Reilly, Pacitti Company, Geraldine Pilgrim, Rajni Shah, Harminder Singh Judge, Joshua Sofaer, Station House Opera, Gary Stevens, Grace Surman, The Vacuum Cleaner, Manuel Vason and Aaron Williamson.

A selection of ‘talking heads’ can be viewed on our Live Online Channel.

LADA Projects

Documentation of selected LADA projects can be seen on our Live Online Channel.

Alternitvly these digital files can also be accssed at LADA’s Study Room located in London, UK.

Some LADA projects and curatorial programmes are available to be presented in a range of UK and international contexts. If you would like further information about these, or LADA’s Live Art Unpacked, or would like to discuss a LADA screening programme please contact [email protected]

If you would like further information about any of the components of Live Art Unpacked or would like to discuss a screening programme of works from the Agency’s Documentation Bank, please contact [email protected].

Documentation Bank screenings between 2007 and 2012 included:

Live Art in the UK – A Sampler
24 December 2011 to 7 January 2012
Creation from the Fingertips – The 3rd International Contemporary Art
Gwangju Art Vision Exhibition

Bodily Functions – the body in performance 
26 November 2011
at Sacred, Chelsea Theatre, London
www.chelseatheatre.org.uk

Corpo-Copia – Documents and Traces
14-20 November 2011
co-collaboration with Political Compositions Programme within the Panorama Festival Hub, Brazil
www.cpp.panoramafestival.com/2011-2/corpo-copia

Art:Gwangju 
31 August – 1 September 2011
Coordinated by ICF (International Curators Forum) the Agency had a booth showing a selection of Live Art screenings and titles from Unbound.
www.artgwangju.com

Autobiography and the Body
11 December 2010
for Inside Story: Performance, Biography and Biology at University of Winsconsin, Madison.
http://www.arts.wisc.edu/artsinstitute/IAR/parishill/events.html

Talking Heads
November 2010
part of Liveworks at Performance Space, Sydney, Australia.
www.performancespace.com.au/?p=6635

Talking Heads, Talking Heads Body-Based Practices & Live Art in the UK
22 – 28 November 2010
part of PAN ASIA 2010
www.cafe.naver.com/sorounit

Talking Heads, Talking Heads Body-Based Practices & Live Art in the UK
2 – 11 September 2010
part of Crazy Wisdom 2010 for PAN ASIA Performance Art Network ASIA in Incheon, Gwangju, Korea
www.cafe.naver.com/sorounit

Talking Heads, Documenting Live and Manuel Vason’s Encounters 
6 – 26 June 2009
part of Corpus. Art in Action at the Museu Madre, Naples, Italy
Download programme

Talking Heads
28 – 30 May 2009
part of Hesperides II Performances at Musee Cantonal Des Beaux-Arts / Lausanne, Switzerland
Download Programme

Talking Heads 
11 May – 4 June 2009
part of International Performance Manifestations at Centre of Experimentation and Information in Art, Belo Horizonte, Brazil.
www.ceia.art.br

Talking Heads, Encounters, Documenting Live & About Live Art and Performance
23 April – 3 May 2009
part of Plateaux Festival, Mousonturm, Frankfurt, Germany

A Live Art Sampler – Women View Women 
15 – 25 May 2008
part of Taiwan Womens Theatre Festival, Tapei, Taiwan.
http://blog.roodo.com/womenfest2008

Reel Brits
1 – 3 July 2008
part of Live Brits at the Hebel Am Ufer, Berlin, Germany
Download programme.

On Screen
26 & 27 March 2008
developed for Khoj Live 08, New Dehli, India in collaboration with Live Art UK.
download programme

Live Art on Screen
5 – 15 March 2008
developed by La Ribot and Centre d’Art Contemporain Genève in collaboration with Live Art Development Agency, London as part of La Ribot’s Rite of Spring.
Click here for more info

Live Art in the UK – A Sampler
24 – 26 January 2008
part of Excursions Performance Festival, Limerick, Ireland.
www.gallery.limerick.ie

Live Art in the UK – A Sampler
4 – 6 October 2007
part of Live Art Unpacked for Bodily Functions at the Granary Theatre, Cork, Ireland

Part of Collections

The Resources Catalogue includes a growing number of Collections of publications, DVDs and other ‘rare’ materials organised by themes, artists or projects, which have been assembled or acquired by the Agency, or generously donated by artists and colleagues.

Collections

The Resources Catalogue includes a growing number of Collections of publications, DVDs and other ‘rare’ materials organised by themes, artists or projects, which have been assembled or acquired by the Agency, or generously donated by artists and colleagues.

Read more

Adrian Howells Collection

The Adrian Howells Collection is a series of DVD and digital files featuring video documentation and films by Adrian Howells, as well as a TV programme (Accidental Tourist, 2009) in which he appeared.

Read more

Art of Change

An interactive digital archive, produced for the Art of Change exhibition at the Hayward Gallery, locating current Chinese performance and installation practices within a broader context of artistic production and exhibition-making in China.

Read more

David Hoyle’s Magazine

A comprehensive documentation of every episode of David Hoyle’s Magazine filmed live at the Royal Vauxhall Tavern from July to September 2007.

Read more

ICA

A full set of ICA (Institute of Contemporary Arts, London) Live Arts brochures from 1992 to 1997, located in the Study Room.

Read more

Library of Performing Rights

Originally created by Lois Weaver and Queen Mary University London in collaboration with LADA in 2016 for Performance Studies international (PSi)12: Performing Rights, the collection is a unique resource that examines the intersection between performance and Human Rights.

Read more

Lumiere & Son Collection

A collection of ephemera and documentation relating to Lumiere & Son works created between 1976 and 1992.

Read more

National Review of Live Art

A full set of National Review of Live Art (Glasgow) brochures located in the Study Room.

Read more

Neil Bartlett

A complete collection of documentation of Bartlett’s innovative and influential performance work. The collection was produced in partnership with the British Library.

Read more

Performance Magazine

A complete collection of British performance and Live Art magazines and journals including, Performance Research, Janus, High Performance, Maska, Frakcija and virus.

Read more

Performance Matters Archive

A collaboration with the British Library in the form of a box set of 40 DVDs of documentation of all public events for Performing Idea and Trashing Performance  which reflects upon the project’s various challenges and achievements, and its place within the fields of performance practice and research.

Read more

Primary Sources on the International Performing Arts

The complete collection of  issues 1 to 8, of Primary Sources (1979 – 1981). Edited by Roger Ely, the magazine was one of the first to profile interdisciplinary performance practices and was the precursor of Performance Magazine.

Read more

Reza Abdoh Collection

An extensive collection of DVD documentation of the influential Iranian born, American avant garde director’s work.

Read more

Southeast Asia Performance Collection

A collection of digital and physical resources on the diverse range of artistic practices dedicated to the investigation of contemporary Southeast Asian live and performance art.

Read more

Tiny Live Art (Development Agency) – 20 works for 20 years

Created by Robert Daniels for LADA’s 20th anniversary, Tiny Live Art (Development Agency) – 20 works for 20 years is a special edition comprised of 20 miniature sculptures of iconic performance works. The education draws on practices of performance documentation, re-enactment and making and sharing memory.    

Read more

Donation

£